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Thursday's Big Question series was intended mostly as a post-draft gathering point than an attempt to break new ground, but many of you were left with further questions about the Green Bay Packers' open safety position after reading the post. Lance of Beloit, Wis., writes:

Are Charlie Peprah and Jerron McMillian the only to viable options to replace Nick Collins? I have read reports that Charles Woodson may be moved to safety. Casey Hayward would be moved into Woodson's starting role. This was talked about on the Packers' website. I see this being an option also replace Collins and prolong Woodson career like Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott.

Yes, Packers.com guru Vic Ketchman wrote: "[C]onsensus opinion is that a move from cornerback could do for Woodson’s career what it did for Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson, which is to have lengthened its greatness." And defensive coordinator Dom Capers didn't exactly reject the idea last week after the Packers not only drafted McMillian, but also cornerback Casey Hayward.

"Charles is a bright guy," Capers said. "It's not like it would be a radical move because of the way we've used him in the last three years, basically. We feel he can play any one of those positions. That's one of the things he brings to the table is the flexibility that he gives you that he can."

Capers uses one of the more creative schemes in the game, and in some of his more elaborate formations, it's difficult to tell who is playing what position. Technically, Woodson has lined up as a cornerback, a slot nickel man and as a linebacker at various times over the past three years. The only way to tell if Woodson is a full-time safety is if he lines up there in the rare occasions when the Packers use their standard 3-4 base formation.

We've hit this topic often both in the blog and our weekly SportsNation chats. My take remains the same. Cornerback is a more important position and more difficult position than safety. Moving Woodson to safety only makes sense if the Packers have a strong option to replace him at cornerback.

Is that the case? Last year at this time, we might have thought Sam Shields was ready for that role. Shields took a step back last season. Could Hayward be that player? That might be a lot to ask a rookie. In February, at least, coach Mike McCarthy strongly implied that Woodson primarily will be a cornerback in 2012.

McCarthy could change his mind, of course, but at this point I wonder if he's more willing to take a chance with an unproven player at safety than he is at cornerback.

How will the Green Bay Packers replace safety Nick Collins?

There was a noticeable drop-off in the play of the Packers' secondary last season after Collins suffered a neck injury that ultimately led to his release last month. Veteran Charlie Peprah replaced him, but his struggles were one of numerous reasons the Packers set an NFL record in passing yards allowed in 2011.

The Packers didn't sign a replacement via veteran free agency but did draft Maine safety Jerron McMillian in the fourth round of last week's draft. Are they prepared to put a rookie alongside third-year player Morgan Burnett? Or will Peprah get another chance?

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters last week that he thinks Peprah is better for the experience of replacing Collins in the lineup last season and Burnett in 2010. That suggests he'll get the first opportunity, at least, to win Collins' old job. But it's worth keeping an eye on McMillian, and it's fair to say this position will be the most wide-open spot on the Packers' depth chart when training camp opens.

I wish there were a tangible way to illustrate what the Green Bay Packers have been searching for defensively this offseason. Coaches call it "juice," a term that isn't in my edition of "Football for Dummies" and is hard to define but is probably best considered in the context of children drinking sugar-dense orange juice. They bounce off the walls with boundless energy, leaving a path of destruction no ordinary parent could stop.

In football, "juice" doesn't necessarily lead to sacks or tackles behind the line of scrimmage or any other easily-measured statistic. It's more about the energy a player employs, the stress it puts on an offensive line and the way it interrupts the rhythm of a quarterback's mental progression. It leads to mental mistakes by opponents, along with inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

The Packers' defense fell short in a number of key areas last season. One of the most critical deficiencies, it's now clear, was a relative lack of juice up front. Despite a pair of Pro Bowl players in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, the Packers were too often neutralized -- both inside and on the edge -- and thus exposed themselves to the kind of big plays that left them with an NFL record for passing yards allowed (4,796).

The team's response has been notable as much for its methods and as its targets. General manager Ted Thompson broke from tradition on multiple occasions, dipping into veteran free agency to sign defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and trading up three times in last week's NFL draft to select half of the six defensive players he opened the draft with.

When you put Hargrove in a group with first-round linebacker Nick Perry and second-round defensive end Jerel Worthy, you see a profile of exceedingly athletic players with the ability, in their own way, to be natural havoc-wreakers beyond the line of scrimmage. No one would admit to such a detail, and in fact Thompson claimed he had not so much as prioritized the defense this offseason, but I think it's clear the Packers have set out to ratchet up the juice among the defensive players they will use near the line of scrimmage.

"We've got to find a way to control the down and distance," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in Green Bay, "and [opponents getting] into predictable situations. … We can't give up the number of big plays as we did last year."

ESPN Stats & Information analyzed the Packers' defense on passes that traveled more than 15 yards in the air, finding that opponents gained an NFL-high 79 first downs and completed 21 passes of 30 or more yards in those situations. Coverage issues played a role in that, of course, but it's fair to say opposing quarterbacks must have felt awfully comfortable to have made so many downfield plays.

As the chart shows, the Packers' four-man rush was one of the worst in the NFL. All teams hope their standard rush can disrupt opponents, and that's where the root of the Packers' ills last season lies. When you see defensive players getting little movement beyond the line of scrimmage, that's a visual example of a lack of juice. When defensive players are getting into the backfield, even if they miss the quarterback or running back, that's displaying some juice. The hope is that Hargrove, Perry and Worthy can get the Packers' juices flowing a bit more in 2012. (See what I did there?)

We've already discussed Hargrove's potential impact, and it's worth nothing that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's hard-charging personality has already had an effect on the position.

"He's another guy that has a lot of juice to him," Trgovac said. "He really plays hard every down. I think it's just kind of in his DNA to go full speed every down. Any time you can inject that into your room, [it's good]. ... He is always talking to those guys about how he's going to work hard every day."

Perry, meanwhile, brings with him a reputation for inconsistency at USC, but the Packers were enamored with the rare physical traits he will bring to outside linebacker and hope he will impose a significant pressure point on the edge. Both Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers noted that Perry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and nailed a vertical leap of 38 1/2 inches even while weighing in at 271 pounds.

"He's an explosive player," Capers said. "… We obviously think he has the potential to do that and be the guy we're looking for at the edge."

New Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, who worked against Perry in practice at USC, suggested he is a physical freak. Even if he doesn't rack up sacks, the theory goes, Perry has enough speed and strength to collapse pockets and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

"That guy looks like he's Hercules," Kalil said. "His biceps are bigger than my legs and he has the lower body of a horse. That plus his athletic ability and just how strong he is and his arsenal of moves [in practice] really made games easy for me."

Worthy has a similar combination of quickness and size, but the Packers also found him to have exceptional instincts and thus have high hopes that he'll move immediately to the point of attack.

"He's one of the better players I've seen in a couple of years in finding the ball," Trgovac said. "He'll add some juice to our front. He'll get off blocks and do some of the things we ask him to do. He's got some quickness to him for a big guy, and he anticipates the snap count very well."

If true, this offseason will be just what the dietician ordered for the Packers. Juice all around!

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Thanks to everyone for bearing with me during a fast-paced and surprising first round of the NFL draft. I told you ahead of time that my focus would be on the Minnesota Vikings, given their spot at No. 3 overall, but that I would account for each of the NFC North's first-round picks in a substantive way.

I did that as best I could as the first round sped on. We have months to pull apart and dissect this draft, but for now it occurs to me that there might be some question about what position three of our five first-round picks will play when training camp begins this summer.

Let's work through that issue for Shea McClellin and the Chicago Bears, Riley Reiff and the Detroit Lions, and Nick Perry and the Green Bay Packers before calling it a night (or early morning).

McClellin was mostly a middle linebacker at Boise State and was projected by many teams as an ideal 3-4 outside linebacker. The Bears run a 4-3, of course, and general manager Phil Emery said he will begin his career at left defensive end, opposite of right end Julius Peppers.

"We like him at D-end," Emery told reporters in Chicago. "He has versatility, if we were to have a string of injuries, to play 'Sam' [linebacker], but we like who he is as a football player better as an end than at linebacker for us."

While McClellin seemed destined to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team, it was assumed Perry would land with a 4-3 team so he could play defensive end. That was his position at USC, and he'll need to make a significant adjustment with the Packers.

General manager Ted Thompson told reporters that Perry's athletic ability should smooth the transition.

"He's played with his hand on the ground," Thompson said, "and we're convinced he's athletic enough to play standing up and do some of the things that we do."

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters that the "top priority" for outside linebackers is to "have that explosive ability to come off the edge."

Capers added: "Some of the coverage stuff we'll be doing with him will be a learning process, but that isn't uncommon with these guys."

Finally, pre-draft discussion centered around whether Reiff projected as left or right tackle in the NFL. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters that Reiff could play up to four positions, but coach Jim Schwartz said: "Riley is a left tackle."

Schwartz added: "He fits the criteria for that position."

That makes Reiff the heir apparent to incumbent Jeff Backus, but the succession might not occur until 2013 or even 2014.

Now that we know McClellin will play defensive end, Perry projects as an outside linebacker and Reiff as a left tackle, we can close up shop for Thursday night/Friday morning. Back with you a bit later on Friday morning. Peace out.

We've reached the end of the third week in NFL free agency, a time when teams typically shift their gaze toward role players who project as limited contributors for the upcoming season. I think the Green Bay Packers' acquisition of defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove has the potential to exceed those parameters.

Hargrove's skill set meshes well with the two most common alignments used by Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers: the base 3-4 and the nickel with two down linemen. He is big enough to play end in the base and quick enough to be a inside pass-rusher in the nickel; although he's listed at 272 pounds, Hargrove said he played last season between 285-290 pounds while with the Seattle Seahawks. His intensity, meanwhile, will add an element of attitude that might have been missing from recent Packers defenses. Don't forget that he covered kickoffs for the New Orleans Saints as recently as 2010.

"Hopefully I can be a guy that could add a bit of speed to the defensive line," Hargrove said, "and an extra dimension there. I want to be an explosive playmaker and get after the passer, at the right time. When it's time to play the run, you play run with proper technique. But I want to get after it when we convert from run to pass."

Without knowing the results of the Packers' draft, you would have to consider Hargrove a leading candidate to start at defensive end in the base defense. Mike Neal will serve a four-game suspension to open the season, and the Packers never found a successful replacement last season for the departed Cullen Jenkins.

The Packers pursued Hargrove with uncommon zeal, at least for them, bringing him in for a visit a few days after hosting free-agent center Jeff Saturday. They have been reported to have interest in a number of free-agent defensive ends and linebackers, but I think it's pretty clear the Packers viewed Hargrove as the best fit for their scheme and needs.

There is no doubt that Hargrove has a complicated past, one that we've coincidentally covered a number of times here on the NFC North blog. He served a one-year suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy in 2008, and in January 2010 we chronicled his drug use and rehabilitation. It's a fact that he's one positive drug test away from an indefinite suspension, but that also tells you he's passed every NFL drug test since returning to the league in 2009.

We also crossed paths with Hargrove earlier this month, when he released an extensive statement about his presence on the 2009 Saints team that has been implicated in an NFL investigation into cash bounties. Hargrove received a personal foul for a hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game, but in his statement Hargrove denied he was either motivated by a bounty or received a payment for the hit.

I won't try to predict what's in store for the Packers and Hargrove, but most March 29 signings don't have the kind of potential that this one brings. Let's see where this goes.

Reggie McKenzie just took a big risk.

Al Davis would be proud.

In his first move as the late Davis’ replacement at the helm of the Oakland Raiders, McKenzie, a longtime lieutenant in Green Bay, made a hire few could have guessed two weeks ago when he fired coach Hue Jackson after an 8-8 season. That man is Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

Allen was hired despite having just one year experience as a coordinator and has no previous ties with McKenzie. At 39, Allen is the youngest active head coach in the NFL.

A former Raiders’ linebacker, McKenzie -- who was recommended to Oakland owner Mark Davis (Al Davis’ son) by former Oakland and Green Bay executives Ron Wolf and Ken Herock -- was expected to stick to his Green Bay roots. Packers' assistant Winston Moss and Dom Capers were reportedly candidates, but it was Allen who emerged after an active 14-day search. McKenzie centered his search on Allen in the past day or so. An agreement was made after Allen was interviewed a second time Tuesday.

Allen is the first Raiders’ head coach who is a defensive specialist since Al Davis hired a 32-year-old John Madden in 1969. While Al Davis was partial to offensive minds, he certainly wasn’t afraid to hire a young coach and he no doubt would have saluted McKenzie for sticking to his gut and hiring the coach who he thought was the most impressive. This isn't the first time a hot-shot Denver assistant has become the Raiders’ head coach, either. Al Davish hired Denver assistant Mike Shanahan in 1988.

There is no doubt Allen has a chance to be a strong coach. He is regarded as one of the better young defensive minds in the NFL and he had instant success in Denver while earning the respect of the Broncos’ defensive players.

Denver was ranked last in the NFL in almost every defensive category following the 2010 season. After Allen took over, the unit improved immensely in 2011 and the defensive resurgence was a big reason why Denver advanced to the playoffs after a 4-12 record in the previous season.

Prior to the start of the season, Allen talked about what he liked from his new players in Denver and I'm sure he will have the same approach in Oakland.

“I think they’re trying to play fast,” Allen said. “I think they’re trying to play physical, and at the end of the day I’ve tried to preach to them, we’ve preached as a coaching staff that it’s not really about the X’s and O’s but it’s about the way we go out there and play the game. That’s what we’re trying to do and I think the guys are buying in and believing in it and trying to do that.”

Allen ran a 4-3 defense in Denver and the Raiders could stay with the 4-3 as well. Oakland has a talented defense, but it sagged badly down the stretch as the Raiders lost four of their final five games. The Raiders gave up way too many big plays. Fixing that issue will be one of Allen’s top priorities, along with solving the Raiders’ penalty problems. Oakland set NFL record for penalties and penalty yardage in 2011.

He will also be expected to provide stability where the three past Oakland coaches -- Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Jackson -- could not. All three of those men created their own distractions at one point.

Allen has a reputation for being hard working and for stability, as does McKenzie. The dysfunction at the top of the organization must end in Oakland. The Raiders have not been to the postseason since 2002 -- tied for the second longest streak in the NFL.

In McKenzie and Allen, the Raiders have two young, hungry leaders. But there are risks. Allen, who was New Orleans’s secondary coach before getting the Denver job, is fairly inexperienced and if it doesn’t work, people will question why McKenzie didn’t go for a more experienced coach or hire somebody he is more familiar with.

But give McKenzie credit going out of his comfort zone and hiring the man he felt best about. Al Davis certainly wouldn’t have had a problem with that.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

Ever since the Green Bay Packers temporarily shifted him to safety in 2008, the question has followed cornerback Charles Woodson: When would the move become permanent? After all, you don't often see players in their mid-30s locking down one of the most difficult positions in the NFL.

Subsequently, Woodson has received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (2009) and three consecutive All-Pro honors. At the end of his 14th season, at the age of 35, Woodson was arguably the best cornerback on the Packers' roster. It's more difficult to find a cornerback than a safety, but would moving Woodson help make the Packers' defense better overall next season?

The Packers will at least consider that question as they await word on the status of Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins, who is two months away from finding out if doctors will clear him to play or recommend retirement because of a serious neck injury suffered in September. If Collins returns, he could team with strong safety Morgan Burnett in 2012. If not, Woodson might be the Packers' best option if they want to improve their tackling at the position.

Coach Mike McCarthy termed the discussion "very premature" during a news conference Wednesday but did not rule it out. "We're not making any position changes today," he said.

Collins' replacement, Charlie Peprah, didn't play well in Sunday's divisional playoff game to the New York Giants, missing a tackle on Hakeem Nicks' 66-yard touchdown catch and, like Woodson, failing to break up a Hail Mary pass to Nicks at the end of the first half. The sure-tackling Woodson would presumably be an upgrade over Peprah, but as we've discussed many times, the move doesn't make sense unless the Packers have a credible cornerback to take his place.

A few months ago, it would have been reasonable to think Tramon Williams and Sam Shields could hold down the two primary cornerback positions moving forward. The Packers also invested a 2011 fourth-round draft pick in cornerback Davon House, a potential nickelback with a year of development. But while they each intercepted four passes, neither Williams nor Shields played as well in 2011 as they did in 2010. House, meanwhile, was deactivated for 14 of 16 games.

That makes the Woodson issue complicated. If you're going to have a hole on defense, it makes more sense for it to be at safety than cornerback. But would the Packers be better off with a foursome of Williams, Shields, Woodson and Burnett than Woodson, Williams, Burnett and Peprah?

I think you could make that argument. But in the end, Woodson's status probably will be contingent on a number of outside factors: Collins' health, whether the Packers can find instant reinforcements at safety or cornerback in the draft and whether Williams or Shields can use the offseason to restore themselves to 2010 levels.

(Note: I hope everyone is good with pushing forward on our football discussion even as the Green Bay Packers are mourning the death of a family member. I considered holding off out of respect for those impacted by the death of Michael Philbin, but in the end I think we can be respectful while also providing an outlet for those who want to read about Sunday's divisional playoff game.)

Fear is a strong word. I don't think the Green Bay Packers fear the consequences of their historically porous pass defense. They won 15 games with it during the regular season, after all. I'm not even sure they're worried about it. They discovered and have implemented the antidote throughout the past four months.

But if you're someone who likes to conceive the worst-case scenario, you don't have to think too hard.

The Packers tripped only once this season despite giving up an NFL-record 4,796 passing yards, mostly because they intercepted a league-leading 31 passes. In the playoffs, of course, the quarterbacks are better and less prone to mistakes. The Packers could face a Pro Bowl quarterback at every step between now and Super Bowl XLVI.

The bottom line: If an elite quarterback gashes them for yards but avoids the interceptions, he could knock the Packers out of the playoffs.

To be sure, there have been all kinds of attempts to poke holes in the Packers' near-perfect season. To me, this is the one instance with merit. The Packers' only loss this season came when Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards with no interceptions -- the only game this season the Packers didn't create at least one turnover.

First up this postseason will be the New York Giants' Eli Manning, who fell 67 yards shy of a 5,000-yard season and threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 13 loss to the Packers. The final score was 38-35, and the Packers' scoring included linebacker Clay Matthews' return of an interception for a touchdown.

With the exception of a few pointed statements from cornerback Charles Woodson, the issue has mostly bubbled below the surface. But speaking late in the regular season, Woodson reiterated his concerns about the defense's aptitude for postseason football.

"Defensively we still have some problems," Woodson said after the Packers allowed 441 total yards in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears. "We just give up way too many things on a consistent basis, so we have a long way to go. … Just not playing good football at times. We've been consistently inconsistent throughout the season. It's on each man to get it done. Moving forward we have a great opportunity. … Everybody on this team, to the man, has to look within himself and just get the job done."

As the chart shows, the Packers allowed a 300-yard passer in nearly half their games this season. They intercepted the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton three times to spoil a 432-yard day, for example, and held off the San Diego Chargers mostly because they intercepted Philip Rivers a career-high three times and returned two for touchdowns.

Manning, meanwhile, compiled eight 300-yard games during the regular season; the Giants were 4-4 in those games. He threw the seventh-most interceptions in the NFL, 16, but has thrown only one interception in the Giants' past three games.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has addressed the issue on almost a weekly basis this season. Speaking to Wisconsin reporters last week, Capers admitted that "we don't like" the yardage totals but added: "We've been able to win 15 games, and the reason for that, with our defensive stats the way they are, is the fact that we ended up No. 1 in the league in takeaways and No. 1 in the league in interceptions. That's something we obviously place a high priority on."

What has been the issue? As the second chart shows, the Packers' standard pass rush -- four or less rushers -- hasn't been nearly as effective as it was last season. They have given up an NFL-high 8.5 yards per attempt on those plays and managed only 11 sacks.

As a result, Capers has dramatically increased his blitz totals from last season. He elevated from a blitz on 32.8 percent of opponents' dropbacks in 2010 to 45.7 percent in 2011, the fourth-most in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The only NFL team that effected a bigger blitz uptick this season was the Houston Texans, who changed defensive coordinators in the offseason.

I included the blitz percentages for each of the 300-yard games in the first chart; they blitzed 51.6 percent of the time on Orton's 299-yard day.

The blitz is the ultimate risk-reward proposition, and it brought the Packers 18 of their 29 sacks and limited opponents to eight touchdown passes. (The Packers actually had more interceptions out of their standard rush, possibly a reflection of non-elite quarterbacks forcing the ball into coverage.)

Given his druthers, I doubt Capers wants to blitz as much as he has. In his session with reporters, he pointed to the Packers' Week 12 game against the Detroit Lions as "far more like [the way] we want to play." In that 27-15 victory, the Packers blitzed a season-low 22.4 percent of the time and limited Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to 276 yards. None of Stafford's 32 completions went for longer than 23 yards.

So is the answer to pull back on the blitz Sunday against the Giants? In that Lions game, I'm guessing Capers considered it a higher priority to cover Detroit's slew of pass-catchers than to pressure Stafford. The Giants have a similar situation, especially now that receiver Mario Manningham is healthy and available to complement Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Perhaps, perhaps.

To be clear, this is not meant to ring alarm bells. I haven't been impressed with most of the attempts to poke holes in the Packers' success this season. 15-1 is 15-1, and it's clear the Packers know how to win. They are nine-point favorites in this game for good reason. All I want to do is note that a season-long issue was never resolved. The Packers have to hope it won't bite them now.

DETROIT -- More than anything, the Green Bay Packers laughed at our national storyline last week. Yes, the Detroit Lions combine a strong passing game with a fierce pass rush. But as we've seen many times before, favorable matchups alone don't determine the outcome of many games.

The Packers were admittedly on their heels for much of Thursday's first half at Ford Field, but they never trailed en route to a 27-15 victory. They forced three turnovers, committed none of their own and for the most part kept their cool during a heated and chippy game.

"It just kind of shows what kind of team we have," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We're getting better each week. A lot of people picked against us this week and thought this was [when] we were going down. I still don't think there is a specific recipe to beat us. Our defense is playing better. They were playing very well today and got three turnovers. And our offense, when we're not turning the ball over, we're tough to beat."

We might have been worried about how the Packers would slow down a pass-heavy Lions offense that entered the game ranked third in the NFL in points per game. The Packers were not.

Coordinator Dom Capers dramatically shifted his game plan after two weeks of heavy blitzing. Instead, according to ESPN Stats & Information, he sent four or fewer pass-rushers on a season-high 77.6 percent of quarterback Matthew Stafford's drop backs. Capers maximized the players he devoted to coverage and left Stafford checking down to running backs and tight ends for most of the game.

In fact, Stafford's average of 5.2 yards per attempt was his lowest mark of the season and an indication of his inability to get the ball downfield. Lions wide receivers caught 10 passes for a season-low 101 yards, and all three of Stafford's interceptions came when the Packers had at least seven men in coverage.

That, of course, is the micro-explanation. In the bigger picture, the Packers are growing more confident by the week that they have a chance to do something special this year. "Yes," was all Rodgers would say on that topic, so I'll spell it out: The Packers are two-thirds of the way to an undefeated regular season and, potentially, eight games away from another Super Bowl championship.

"The only statement we made today," said nose tackle B.J. Raji, "is that we don't plan on losing anytime soon. No disrespect. This is a good team we played, the Detroit Lions. But we don't like to lose. We haven't lost in a while and we're getting used to this."

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. My ability to defend the Detroit Lions' aggression: Nothing that happened Sunday at Soldier Field will change the emerging national narrative of the Lions as a dirty team. And in all fairness, it's getting harder and harder to split hairs in explaining the difference between tough and dirty as it relates to their play. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said the Lions play to the "echo" of the whistle, and that's a fair and accurate way to describe it from a technical standpoint.. But visuals of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh ripping off Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's helmet, and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford slinging the Bears' D.J. Moore to the ground by his helmet, carry far more weight in the court of public opinion. Monday, coach Jim Schwartz asked why no one was calling the hit by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers on receiver Calvin Johnson dirty. It was a "clothesline right in the neck area," Schwartz said. Technically, Schwartz is right. But the volume of instances the Lions have produced this season, explainable or otherwise, is reaching critical mass.

2. Minnesota Vikings' competitiveness vs. Green Bay Packers: The Packers are supposed to be the Vikings' top rivals, but the Vikings have produced a number of complete clunkers against them in recent years. They lost 45-7 Monday night, absorbed a 31-3 loss at home in 2010 and were embarrassed 34-3 at Lambeau Field in 2007. We should give the Packers some credit for their performances in those games, but on each occasion the Vikings seemed mentally disengaged from the start. Monday night's game seemed over as soon as the Packers' Randall Cobb returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown -- with all of one minute and 18 seconds gone in the game. NFL teams have to show up 16 days a year. For some reason, the Vikings are habitually missing that train against a division rival.

3. Remi Ayodele, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle: Although he has not been seeing much playing time, Ayodele had started the Vikings' first eight games as the free agent replacement for nose tackle Pat Williams. In those eight games, Ayodele was unofficially credited with two tackles. The Vikings finally replaced him in the starting lineup Monday night with rookie Christian Ballard, who is a better pass rusher. Ayodele isn't the reason why the Vikings are 2-7, but he has to qualify as one of the least productive free agent acquisitions in recent memory. He signed a three-year, $9 million deal that includes $4.25 million in 2011 compensation.

RISING

1. Canton credentials for Devin Hester, Chicago Bears returner: Hester is one return away from tying the NFL record for touchdown returns of 19, set by Deion Sanders. He's reached that precipice in less than half the career games it took Sanders and, at 29, would seem to have a number of highly productive years remaining in his career. It's reasonable to believe he'll not just break Sanders' record but ultimately crush it. So if Hester's career arc rises so high above the best returners in NFL history, it would be hard for Hall of Fame voters to ignore him. Here's the way Urlacher put it Monday: "He's the greatest of all time at what he does, and in my opinion, when you're the greatest of all time at your position you should be in the Hall of Fame. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer in my opinion."

2. Dom Capers, Packers defensive coordinator: We don't have a recording of every word he spoke last week, but we can assume that Capers took cornerback Charles Woodson's blunt assessment of the Packers defense in stride. Capers started coaching four years before Woodson was born, but you're never too experienced to tune out constructive criticism. We'll never know what Capers would have done Monday night had Woodson not spoken out, but he certainly reinforced his reputation as a flexible manager by turning loose his players on the blitz. "That's the great thing about Dom," Woodson said. "You can talk to him. Tell him what's on your mind. Tell him what you think."

3. Bears competitiveness in the NFC North: After watching the Packers' three-phase romp Monday night, it's hard to conceive them not winning the division. But of all the teams remaining on their schedule, the Bears might be the most formidable. One way to stop a high-flying offense is to hit it in the proverbial mouth and then capitalize on mistakes. One of the few things the Vikings did to the Packers was put pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked three times and was forced to scramble away from pressure on six other plays. The Bears can put the same kind of pressure on Rodgers and are better equipped to take advantage of that situation. We'll see if the teams' Week 16 matchup carries any postseason implications.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- This is what happens when grown men come together for a common good, exercising maturity and minimizing ego to address a problem that has proved vexing to all parties.

As you probably know, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson offered a blunt assessment of his team's defensive scheme and performance last week. Standing in the bowels of Qualcomm Stadium, Woodson called the defense a "liability" and implored defensive coordinator Dom Capers to find different ways to rush the passer.

Woodson and Capers quietly met last week to talk through the situation, emerging with an approach Monday night that overwhelmed the Minnesota Vikings in a 45-7 victory at Lambeau Field. The Packers held the admittedly outmanned Vikings to the lowest yardage total (266) and second-lowest number of first downs (14) of their opponents this season, missing a shutout only because of a special teams fumble in the red zone.

"I think tonight we got a little bit more of what we like as a defense," Woodson said, "with the guys that we have. Just getting after an opposing offense. If you looked out there tonight, guys had fun. It's all determined on how the game is called. When Dom calls it that way, guys pin their ears back and go play football."

And how did Capers call it? Most notably, he blitzed on a whopping 74.4 percent of the Vikings' 39 dropbacks. It was by far his highest rate since joining the Packers in 2009, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Included in that total: Capers blitzed at least one defensive back on 19 dropbacks, also a high for Capers in Green Bay.

Woodson was all over the field, finishing with nine tackles, three defensed passes and one tackle for loss. Linebacker Clay Matthews, capitalizing on the resulting frenzy, recorded his first multiple-sack game of the season. Overall, Christian Ponder completed only 16 of 34 passes for 190 yards and finished with a 52.3 passer rating.

It's only fair to point out that the Vikings have one of the NFL's least explosive passing games. With a rookie quarterback and relatively few playmakers in their passing game, the Vikings aren't a risky team to blitz. But from a psychological perspective, the Packers were yearning for the kind of results that would quell their growing concern over recent weeks. It was important to remember what it's like to crush an offense's spirit.

"We finally feel like we played up to the level of which we're capable of and the level which we know how to play," Matthews said. "It feels good. Obviously, our offense is going to put up points. It was up to our defense to hold up their end of the bargain. And we were able to do that tonight. We feel real good about that. You can see how much drastically better it makes our team better when our offense and defense are on all cylinders."

Indeed, the final result was the second-worst loss in Vikings history, based on margin of defeat. (Hat tip to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.) Woodson noted on several occasions how much fun players had executing Capers' full arsenal of blitzes. But for the Packers, nothing could have been more fun than seeing Matthews break out after managing three sacks over the first eight games of the season.

Matthews didn't leave his spot at left outside linebacker much, something we theorized might happen, but the blitzes helped limit how many players the Vikings could devote to blocking him. One of his sacks came after a one-on-one defeat of Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholt, and the other resulted when Matthews blew past fullback Ryan D'Imperio and tailback Adrian Peterson.

Those are matchups the Packers will take any day.

"We just understand that playmakers have to step up and make plays," Matthews said. "Tonight was no different than any other week. Everybody is accountable. That's a word that everyone on defense has to understand. That's exactly what happened. Everyone made their plays when they needed to."

It would be a bit premature to declare the Packers' defensive issues solved based on one dominating night against a 2-7 team. Woodson, in fact, made a point to note that they played well "in one game." Independent of Capers' playcalling, the Packers avoided the kind of communication breakdowns that had left receivers running open downfield in recent weeks.

But it should be encouraging for any Packers fan to see the pride that has bubbled to the surface in the past two weeks. The Packers started 8-0 without the help they expected from their defense. They could continue to ride the coattails of their presumptive MVP, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, or they could raise their standards to the point where "every game looks like this," as linebacker A.J. Hawk said.

"Last time I checked," said defensive lineman B.J. Raji, "we're a championship defense. We haven't really shown that with the numbers, but we know how to play football around here. We understand what it takes to win."

All it took was a healthy exchange of ideas. What a novel concept.

Charles Woodson spoke candidly last week about the Green Bay Packers' pass defense, acknowledging its weaknesses and making one specific suggestion for improvement. All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews is sitting at three sacks through eight games, and Woodson implored coaches to "find ways to get Clay to the quarterback." He added: "We can't continue to allow him to be stuck on a side and double-teamed every time he gets upfield."

So as the Packers prepared for Monday night's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, it seemed fair to examine how the Packers have used Matthews this season. Are there, in fact, ways to elevate his sack totals to reduce pressure on Woodson and the rest of the Packers' secondary? It might not be a critical factor against the Vikings' run-oriented offense Monday night, but the issue rests atop a short list of questions the Packers must answer as they pursue a second consecutive Super Bowl championship.

According to numbers from ESPN Stats & Information, and by Matthews' own observation, Woodson has a strong point.

Matthews has lined up as the Packers' left outside linebacker, over the opponent's right tackle, on 95.6 percent of the snaps he's played this season. The chart provides the details, but suffice it to say, Matthews' pre-snap positioning has been more predictable than in recent seasons. As a result, Matthews said this week, he has "absolutely" faced more double teams in 2011.

"You're definitely seeing more help in regards to bringing guards over or tight ends or backs that are chipping," Matthews said. "It's pretty obvious, but at the same time, that's not an excuse. We have to continue to create pressure, whether it's me or one of the interior linemen or the other outside linebacker. We have to find ways to get to the quarterback and take pressure off of our DBs."

There are some football justifications for anchoring Matthews on the left side of the defense. He has proved adept against the run and in covering opposing tight ends, both of which are more likely to originate from that side of an opposing offense. Covering tight ends or running backs has separated Matthews from 20 percent of the pass plays he has been on the field for (72 of 360).

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters this week in Green Bay that "we try to be as creative with Clay as you can possibly be," and Matthews said it is "definitely a possibility" that he could move around more Monday night.

But for what it's worth, coach Mike McCarthy has prioritized communication problems as the Packers' top area of defensive concern -- not Matthews' pre-snap positioning. The Packers have had some well-chronicled coverage miscues in their secondary that have resulted in big plays, whether safeties have bitten on run fakes or provided coverage over the top to the wrong receiver.

And if Matthews is double-teamed more often, McCarthy said, he expects other players to take advantage of the corresponding opportunity.

"Our biggest improvement on defense is that we need to clean up some communication," McCarthy said. "The recurring big issue we've had is giving up big plays. That's what we're focusing on. … Pass rush comes down to winning your one-on-ones. Someone is going to have a one-on-one situation, and anytime you do have a one-on-one to rush the passer, it's important to win those."

In an ideal world, of course, that would be a fair expectation. But after eight games of waiting for another pass-rusher to step up, the Packers' best option remains neutralized. Even Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, speaking this week on his ESPN 540 radio show, acknowledged that "I don't think we've had the same kind of pressure through the first eight games that we've had in the past."

The Packers' defense would improve immediately if it eliminates the communication issues McCarthy is concerned about. But Woodson wasn't just talking about getting better. He wants to win the Super Bowl. The Packers need an active Clay Matthews to ensure that. The problem has been identified, and a possible solution floated. Will it happen? Stay tuned.

SAN DIEGO -- The Green Bay Packers returned two interceptions for touchdowns Sunday. Their quarterback produced his most efficient game of a marvelous season, throwing almost as many touchdown passes (four) as he did incompletions (five). And yet their matchup against the San Diego Chargers was in doubt until the final minute.

That dichotomy left the Packers something short of jubilant after a 45-38 victory at Qualcomm Stadium, one that elevated their record to 8-0 but exposed new concerns about their defense.

On the one hand, the Packers were thrilled to have handed Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers the first three-interception game of his career. And most everyone was out of superlatives for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. (All except nose tackle B.J. Raji, who said: "I don't want to say anything crazy. I just think if he keeps doing what he's doing, he'll be the one they'll be talking about as long as this game is around.")

And if the Packers fall short of their Super Bowl hopes this season? I imagine we'll be talking about their pass defense as a primary cause. Most players were cautious in their assessment of Sunday's game. But perhaps the most important one, cornerback Charles Woodson, bluntly laid it out after Rivers rolled for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make this game closer than it should have been.

Speaking steadily and with a steel gaze in his eyes, Woodson said the Packers played "a lot of bad football" Sunday. He termed the defense "the liability on this team" and said the Packers must get linebacker Clay Matthews in better position "to be the Claymaker."

Most important, Woodson acknowledged the Packers can't expect elite play from Rodgers to carry them every week from now until Super Bowl XLVI.

"We can't ask our offense to do anything more than what they’ve done," Woodson said. "For those guys to just go up and down the field and score points, I mean, we have to understand that it's not going to always be that way. There's going to be some time when we're going to have to come up bigger than the offense. That's just the reality. We're very fortunate to have the guys we have on the offensive side of the ball. But we have to carry our weight as well."

Although he passed for a season-low 247 yards, Rodgers scrambled for 51 yards and finished with his highest passer rating (145.8) of the year. In the Packers' perfect eight-game start, Rodgers has completed 72.5 percent of his passes, thrown 24 touchdowns, limited himself to three interceptions and produced a passer rating of at least 110 in each game, an NFL record.

For his part, Rodgers said that "I'd like to think I can keep it up" in the second half of the season. And tight end Jermichael Finley expressed confidence that the offense can continue its elite play. "It doesn't matter what [the defense] does," Finley said. "That's a long story short."

At the same time, I trust and heed what Woodson says. He is not prone to post-game outbursts, and if he publicly identifies a point of concern, I take it seriously. Two years ago, for example, he accurately noted the Packers' mistake in releasing safety Anthony Smith and smartly questioned the Packers' strategy of sitting back in coverage as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre carved them up.

So we find ourselves at a bit of a crossroads in our regard for the Packers. They are without question the best team in the NFL midway through the season. But two years ago, we learned the danger of entering the playoffs with a shaky pass defense.

Should we be concerned about a defense that is allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game? Or, after eight victories, should we accept it as part of the Packers' winning formula? After all, the Packers have now gone six consecutive games with at least two interceptions. Sunday, safety Charlie Peprah and cornerback Tramon Williams accounted for a third of the Packers' scoring by returning their interceptions for touchdowns, and Peprah sealed the game on a second interception with 14 seconds remaining.

In all fairness, however, no team that returns two interceptions for scores, and has a quarterback dealing like Rodgers, should be sweating out a game in the final minute.

"We like to think that we have a lot of playmakers on our defense, especially in the back end," Woodson said. "We feel like if the ball is in the air, we'll come up with our fair share certainly. But how many times are you going to have two interceptions for a touchdown? … Yeah, today it played out big for us. But we have to be more sound as a defense throughout the whole game."

I don't want to rain on the Packers' parade based simply on Woodson's comments and on yardage totals. As we've noted several times this season, the Packers have limited opposing quarterbacks to one of the lowest passer ratings (79.3) in the NFL. Oftentimes, passer rating is more illustrative of total pass defense than yards allowed.

In fact, according to Raji, Packers coaches presented an even more obscure stat -- passer rating differential -- to players this week as an assurance of what they're doing well this season. The Packers have led the NFL all season in that statistic, which measures the difference between your quarterback's passer rating and that of opponents in your games. It's generally considered a key indicator of a team's success potential.

"It's a huge deal," Raji said. "I don't know how it will sit after today, but ultimately we are 8-0 with work to do. That sets the ceiling pretty high for our football team."

Yes, the Packers are undefeated and have room for demonstrable improvement. Atop that list, according to Woodson, is creating a better environment for Matthews, who had one quarterback hit Sunday and has only three sacks this season. Woodson's advice for defensive coordinator Dom Capers was direct.

"We have to find ways to get Clay to the quarterback, whatever that may be," Woodson said. "Draw some things up for him and let him do his thing. Because we can't continue to allow him to be stuck on a side and double teamed every time he gets upfield. I think for us, finding ways to get him to be the 'Claymaker' which he is, we have to find ways to get him to the quarterback."

Matthews spoke only generally about the situation, saying: "Not to take anything from this victory today, or the performance we had at the end, but we also gave up too many [yards] and it seems to be a constant theme that we need to address."

Getting Matthews more involved would take some pressure off Woodson and his mates in the defensive backfield. As it is now, Capers is blitzing more than he ever has in three seasons with the Packers, leaving defensive backs in less favorable positions. Sunday, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Capers blitzed on 54.2 percent of Rivers' dropbacks. Blitzes led to all three interceptions, and Rivers threw all four touchdowns when the Packers limited their rushes to four men.

The way Rodgers is playing, it's quite possible the Packers could run away with the Super Bowl regardless of how their defense plays. It's worked so far. Is it reasonable to expect elite play from their quarterback and multiple interceptions from their defense every week? We'll find out soon enough.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier made it official Wednesday. Christian Ponder is his starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, and Donovan McNabb is now a high-priced backup.

Frazier hit all the obvious points in explaining his decision to reporters. In reality, the only unanswered question was the timing: Why now? Most notably, Frazier said, the Vikings are 1-5 and Ponder has displayed "major jumps in his performance and his composure and poise and command" in practice.

That jump, of course, has coincided with a schedule that will bring the NFL's best team to the Metrodome on Sunday. The Green Bay Packers are 6-0 and, despite some defensive struggles this season, can offer a schematic nightmare at a rookie NFL quarterback.

Coordinator Dom Capers technically employs a 3-4 front, but we all know the Packers spend more time in variations of their nickel alignment. They've been known to use anywhere from two to five defensive linemen, between one and five linebackers, and between three and six defensive backs, depending on Capers' whim at the moment.

So it's instructive to examine how Capers has approached games against rookie quarterbacks since joining the Packers in 2009. Thanks to some quick work from John McTigue of ESPN Stats & Information, we have an interesting trend to pass along.

As the chart shows, Capers has actually blitzed less and played more coverage against rookies than he has against quarterbacks with at least one year of experience. It's an admittedly small sample size of three games -- this season against Cam Newton and in 2009 against Josh Freeman and Matthew Stafford -- but it's worth noting nonetheless.

Capers has been known to craft wildly different game plans on a weekly basis, and he was more aggressive against Freeman (41.2 blitz percentage) than he was with Stafford (27.1) or even Newton (27.3). Often, flooded zones can be just as effective in disrupting a still-learning quarterback than constant blitzes.

Ponder said it is "obviously going to be a challenge, but it's not too different from what we've seen before." He added: "[T]he biggest thing for me is to try to watch film to prepare for it and try to get as comfortable as possible. It won't be too big of a challenge. We've seen some stuff like this before."

We obviously don't know what Capers will have cooked up for Ponder. Some of it could depend on the state of the Vikings' offensive line; center John Sullivan (concussion) and right tackle Phil Loadholt (knee) did not practice Wednesday. But regardless, I wouldn't be certain that it's something we've seen before, or at least often. And I certainly wouldn't assume it will fall in line with traditional approaches to rookie quarterbacks.

There is a lesson to be learned from the last time the New Orleans Saints played in the NFL's kickoff game, and fortunately it happened right in front of our very own NFC North eyes.

The Saints, as you might recall, entered last season's kickoff game against the Minnesota Vikings with their reputation as blitzing defense intact. They had battered and bruised quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game, and there was every reason to believe they would follow a similar path in the teams' September 2010 rematch.

Instead, defensive coordinator Greg Williams opened in a relatively conservative Cover-2 look that took the Vikings by surprise and left them out of sorts for most of the Saints' 14-9 victory. After his team went three-and-out on five of its 10 possessions and managed only 12 first downs, then-coach Brad Childress said: "I have to take my hat off to them. It was set up as a big blitz game. The blitz was very, very infrequent. So they did a nice job with that."

As they prepare for Thursday night's game against the Saints, the Green Bay Packers are no doubt expecting the proverbial unexpected. Coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that his previous Packers teams have seen "between 20 and 30 percent" of so-called unscouted looks in their season openers, making it doubly important to "stay true to your base principles," he said.

The term "unscouted look" usually refers to a scheme, play, coverage or blitz that a team has never before put on film. That isn't exactly what the Saints did to the Vikings last season; they had played Cover-2 before under Williams but rarely for the majority of a game. But there is little doubt that the Saints, and probably the Packers for that matter, will do something new or totally out of character Thursday night at Lambeau Field.

The unscouted look is an especially important weapon for established teams. Both the Packers and Saints are entering their sixth season under the same head coach. Both Williams and Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers are entering their third seasons. There shouldn't be many secrets between these teams.

But that's what makes Week 1 among of the most intriguing points on the NFL calendar. Somebody is going to come up with something new that causes a ripple effect on the way to victory. We'll know in about 60 hours or so what it is. (What? You expected me to tell you what it's going to be?)