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Every team in the NFC West had a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

Coaches in Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis have promoted run-first philosophies. Arizona has invested first- and second-round picks in running backs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, respectively.

Run, run, run.

And yet the division focused on the passing game quite a bit during the 2012 NFL draft -- on both sides of the ball. NFC West teams drafted a league-high three wide receivers in the first two rounds. Teams from the division drafted three cornerbacks in the first three rounds, tied with the NFC North for most in the league.

The charts show how many receivers and corners each division added through the first three rounds. The combined total for the NFC West (six) was the most for any division, one more than the NFC North.

St. Louis drafted cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (second round) and Trumaine Johnson (third round). Arizona used a third-round choice for cornerback Jamell Fleming. Arizona (Michael Floyd) and San Francisco (A.J. Jenkins) used first-round picks for receivers. St. Louis added receiver Brian Quick in the second round (and another receiver, Chris Givens, in the fourth).

NFC West pass defenses could face additional pressure given the scheduling rotation in 2012.

Every NFC West team faces New England with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.

The division also faces Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson), Detroit (Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew) and Chicago (Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall).

San Francisco draws New Orleans (Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston) and the New York Giants (Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz). Arizona faces Philadelphia (Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) and Atlanta (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones). Seattle faces Dallas (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant) and Carolina (Cam Newton, Steve Smith).

The top five teams in 2011 passing yardage -- New Orleans, New England, Green Bay, Detroit and the Giants -- show up on NFC West schedules. Green Bay, New England, the Giants and Saints comprised the top four in yards per passing attempt. The top seven teams in passing touchdowns -- Green Bay, New Orleans, Detroit, New England, Dallas, Atlanta and the Giants -- play a combined 16 games against the NFC West.

And, of course, NFC West teams must face each other, which means games against Larry Fitzgerald, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Sidney Rice and others.

We're going to get some mileage out of the research I did, and had forwarded to me, for our 2011 All-NFC North team. The first installment is left over from the debate that ultimately led me to choose Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson over the Minnesota Vikings' Percy Harvin.

I checked out their playing time as part of comparing their production. As it turned out, Nelson and Harvin were on the field for almost exactly the same amount of time. Nelson played 609 snaps and Harvin 605. (All numbers in this post exclude penalties, which means they vary slightly from the figures we've used during the season.) The percentages of their team's total snaps were close as well: 58.9 for Nelson and 58.4 for Harvin.

That makes sense for Nelson, who was part of the NFL's deepest receiving corps. But I have a hard time understanding how Harvin -- by far the Vikings' best receiver in 2011 and one of their few playmakers -- was on the sideline for more than 40 percent of a mostly punchless team's snaps.

Across the NFL, 54 receivers played a higher percentage of their team's snaps than Harvin did. That includes teammate Devin Aromashodu, who eventually stepped into the starting lineup after Bernard Berrian's departure and Michael Jenkins' injury. Aromashodu caught 26 passes while playing on 674 snaps, 69 more than Harvin. (Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe led Vikings pass-catchers by playing 76.1 percent of the team's snaps.)

I think we all assumed that Harvin would be the Vikings' No. 1 receiver, and it was immediately surprising when he played about half of the snaps in the Vikings' first two games. At the time, coach Leslie Frazier said: "We have certain packages where we want to feature him, and not necessarily overuse him, but use him to help our football team."

Many of us dropped the issue given Harvin's season-long productivity, but in the end the Vikings finished the season with the NFL's fifth-fewest passing yards while their best receiver was on the sideline for 41.6 percent of their plays. That's hard to defend.

On the other hand, it's possible the Vikings believed Harvin would be more effective with managed snaps. He did, after all, catch a career-high 87 passes while rushing for 345 yards out of the backfield. The Vikings also had him as their primary kickoff returner on 30 of the kickoffs they faced.

Frazier denied during the season that his playing-time plan for Harvin was related to his migraine history, but it's worth noting that Harvin had no reported issues this season. Did the limited contact contribute to that? Assuming Frazier was being truthful, the two events were coincidental.

Regardless, in the big picture Harvin is too young to be on a pitch count. He won't turn 24 until May. It's true that he was managing a rib injury late in the season, but that doesn't account for 431 plays on the sideline. There is every reason to believe that Harvin could and should play at least as much as the No. 1 or No. 2 receivers on other teams.

For context, here are the NFC North receivers who played a higher percentage of snaps than Harvin in 2011:

• Calvin Johnson: 93.2
• Nate Burleson: 87.1
• Aromashodu: 65.1
• Titus Young: 63.1
• Greg Jennings: 62.2
• Roy Williams: 59.6
• Nelson: 58.9

Consider that Jennings played more snaps in 12 1/2 games before suffering a knee injury than Harvin did in 16. In the end, Harvin had the best year of his career when playing limited snaps. The Vikings must spend part of this offseason deciding if that was the reason, or if they artificially capped his production by overcompensating on his playing time.

It took longer than expected. Preliminary decisions were questioned. Debates extended into the wee hours. We went through a first draft, then a second and even a third. Countless observers were consulted. It wasn't until I had a full week to mull the 2011 All-NFC North team that I was prepared to make the big reveal.

Via Twitter, @jpberthiaume asked: "Do people really care about these 'teams?'" I guess it's a fair point. I doubt few, if any, of the players listed in the chart wrote a fifth-grade essay about their plans to one day make the All-NFC North team on ESPN.com, even if it was only because the NFC North hadn't yet been formed in those days and ESPN.com was operating out of a Bristol-based closet.

So I'll let you be the judge. This is annually a fun exercise, even if it doesn't lead to a deep understanding of the human condition or even reveal any breakthroughs about the just-completed season. If nothing else, it offers us a blank template to recognize the best-performing players in the division without the hindrance of the politics and reputation.

Some notes on some of the tight decisions, for which I seriously received input from multiple angles:

• One of the fiercest debates came at wide receiver. Everyone agreed that the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson deserved one spot, but there was a split about the other two. Did the Green Bay Packers' Greg Jennings, who missed three games because of a knee injury, deserve an automatic bid? And if he did, should the Packers' Jordy Nelson or the Minnesota Vikings' Percy Harvin get the third spot? I thought Jennings' 67 receptions, 949 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games merited a spot. And ultimately I chose Nelson over Harvin. I realize Harvin caught 87 passes in a punchless offense and added 345 rushing yards to his total, but in the end I couldn't overlook a player who scored more touchdowns (15) than all but four players in the NFL this season. Plus, as Hatterbot pointed out: "Rushing yards don't count in the WR category."

2011 All-NFC North Team

Pos.	Player, Team
OFFENSE
WR	Calvin Johnson (DET)
WR	Greg Jennings (GB)
WR	Jordy Nelson (GB)
LT	Jeff Backus (DET)
LG	Rob Sims (DET)
C	Scott Wells (GB)
RG	Josh Sitton (GB)
RT	Bryan Bulaga (GB)
TE	Jermichael Finley (GB)
QB	Aaron Rodgers (GB)
RB	Matt Forte (CHI)
DEFENSE
DE	Jared Allen (MIN)
DT	Kevin Williams (MIN)
DT	Ndamukong Suh (DET)
DE	Julius Peppers (CHI)
OLB	Clay Matthews (GB)
MLB	Brian Urlacher (CHI)
OLB	Lance Briggs (CHI)
CB	Charles Tillman (CHI)
CB	Charles Woodson (GB)
S-NB	Tramon Williams (GB)
S	Louis Delmas (DET)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK	Mason Crosby (GB)
P	Tim Mastay (GB)
PR	Devin Hester (CHI)
KR	Percy Harvin (MIN)
ST	Corey Graham (CHI)

• I went with the Lions' Rob Sims at left guard in part on the advice of John McTigue of ESPN Stats & Information, who noted that Sims was the only NFC North left guard to play the position for 16 games this season. Sims also had the best pass-sack ratio (19.7 passes per sack) of the group, based on video study.
• There is no doubt that the Lions' Brandon Pettigrew (83 catches) had a more productive season then the Packers' Jermichael Finley (55). But the Lions often used Pettigrew as a substitute for their punchless running game, and that's why his per-catch average of 9.4 yards was lower than any other tight end with at least 30 catches. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the average pass to Pettigrew this season traveled 6.5 yards in the air. The average pass to Finley traveled 11.4 yards. Finley caught five passes of at least 30 yards. Pettigrew's longest was 27. Both players had their share of drops, combining for a total of 15, but I thought Finley made a bigger impact on his catches than Pettigrew did.
• I really debated the Bears' Julius Peppers and the Lions' Cliff Avril at defensive end. Avril (11.5) had a half-sack more than Peppers (11) and forced twice as many fumbles. But one of the advantages we have on this team is investigating beyond the conventional numbers. Our friends at Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited Peppers with 53 quarterback pressures, the second-highest total in the NFL. Avril ranked No. 8 with 37, but in a close race, I chose the maximum mumber of plays impacted over Avril's slight edge in "playmaking" statistics.
• I used a similar approach in choosing the Vikings' Kevin Williams and the Lions' Ndamukong Suh as my defensive tackles. It's true that the Bears' Henry Melton led the NFC North's defensive tackles with seven pressures, but PFF had Suh with 27 quarterback pressures, an NFL high for an interior lineman. Williams tied for No. 3 with 25. Melton wasn't that far behind at 23, but I also took into account that the Bears nearly benched him for inconsistency at one point in the season. (Coach Lovie Smith in November: "He hasn't showed up as much. Whether teams have adjusted to him or whatever, we need to get more production from him because he's capable of it." Meanwhile, I thought Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji took a step backward in 2011. PFF credited him with only 10 stops (the cumulative number of plays made that constitute an offensive failure) in 842 snaps.
• If you want to say I chickened out at linebacker, go ahead. I originally left open the middle and one of the outside spots, but in the end I went with our division standbys: Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. For starters, Briggs was one of six non-offensive linemen to play 100 percent of his team's snaps in the NFL this season. There's something to be said for being available to your team. And while I do think that the Packers' Desmond Bishop and the Lions' Stephen Tulloch had good seasons, I couldn't find a statistic or an opinion that convinced me they were better than Urlacher. Someday, there will be turnover among NFC North linebackers. But it didn't happen this season.
• Safety play was poor throughout the NFC North, so I'm not at all ashamed to have chosen a third cornerback to replace one of the safeties on this team. It came down to the Lions' Chris Houston and the Packers' Tramon Williams. Both had their ups and downs in coverage. Houston had five interceptions and two touchdowns in 14 games, while Williams had four interceptions and one touchdown in 15 games. In the end, I chose Williams because I think it was pretty clear he was pushing through a really limiting shoulder injury for much of the first half of the season.
• I chose the Packers' specialists, kicker Mason Crosby and punter Tim Masthay. Crosby converted 24 of 28 kicks, including a 58-yarder, and ranked third in the NFL with 49 touchbacks. Masthay downed a division-high 23 punts inside the 20-yard line despite a division-low 55 punts.
• I mistakenly left off a coverage specialist from our original post. There should be no debating that the Bears' Corey Graham deserves that spot.
• Go ahead. Rip away....

Coming later this week: Some supplementary NFC North awards, including our top coordinators.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The first inkling came on the Green Bay Packers' seventh offensive play Sunday. On third down from the New York Giants' 29-yard line, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers did what he often does when a play breaks down. So did receiver Greg Jennings.

Rodgers stepped up in the pocket to escape Jacquian Williams, the Giants' blitzing linebacker. Jennings, in turn, took off toward the end zone. The Giants' secondary lost track of him. Jennings turned to look for the ball over his left shoulder. Rodgers threw it over his right. The ball fell incomplete at the 4-yard line, and the Packers settled for a field goal.

At that moment, I turned to someone in the press box and remarked how rarely we have seen the Packers miss easy touchdown opportunities during this historic season.

The Packers' season ended Sunday with an offensive thud, a 37-20 loss to the New York Giants that was wholly out of character and inexplicable on most every level. And I'm sure as you review how the Packers reached such an unsatisfying conclusion, some will recite a well-rehearsed litany of their season-long defensive problems. A few of you will wonder why Lambeau Field is no longer the greatest home-field advantage in NFL postseason history; the Packers are 2-4 in their past six playoff games there after winning 13 consecutively from 1939-2001.

But here, as they say, is the stone-cold truth: One of the most explosive and efficient offenses in NFL history -- the one that almost single-handedly was responsible for a 15-1 regular-season record -- stumbled at the starting line and never regained its footing. Credit goes to the Giants' defense for scheming to take away the deep pass, but independent of that, I think we can agree it's been a while since we've seen the Packers' offense play so poorly. ESPN Stats & Information had it with six drops, tied for the most by any NFL team in a game this season. The Packers committed a season-high four turnovers, including a fumble by Rodgers as he was trying to hit a wide-open Jennings in the third quarter. They had only two plays go for more than 20 yards, a 29-yard run by running back James Starks and a 21-yard pass to receiver Randall Cobb once the game was out of hand.

"This year," receiver Jordy Nelson said, "we've made the easy plays into big plays. And we didn't make the easy plays today. That's what hurts you. Every once in a while, you'll get a big shot, but if you can't make the easy plays, you aren't going to make any plays."

I couldn't have put it better if I tried. Why that happened, however, will be a mental mystery that will haunt the Packers all offseason.

How can you explain how a team that dropped 30 passes in 16 regular season games dropped six in one playoff game? What causes a team to commit four turnovers in one game when it had only 14 in the regular season? What made fullback John Kuhn fumble for the first time in his career? Why didn't Rodgers slide away from Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, as he usually does, on his third-quarter miscue?

"I ain't God, so I can't tell you why we were out of synch," tight end Jermichael Finley said. "We just didn't play our style of ball."

It would be easy to say the Packers were rusty after a playoff bye week. And I guess we should note that Rodgers hadn't played since Dec. 25 and Jennings since Dec. 11. Is it that simple? Were the Packers rusty? Perhaps, but at some point, you must wonder if we were holding them to an impossible standard.

What Sunday's mistakes told me was how much the Packers grew to depend on elite -- and not just great -- play from their offense on a weekly basis. The Packers were an elite team as long as their offense scored at a rate that left them with the second-highest point total in NFL history. But as soon as a few mistakes piled up, they got wiped out of the playoffs by a team that won its division with a 9-7 record.

"I felt like we had a pretty good rhythm," Rodgers said. "We moved the ball pretty effectively. We just had some drops and some uncharacteristic turnovers. … We just had some chances and didn't make the most of them."

None was more critical than Rodgers' misfire to Finley on third-and-five from the Giants' 39-yard line in the third quarter. With the Packers trailing 20-13, Finley ran a slant route and was wide open for a first down at about the 25-yard line. Rodgers threw him a fastball that sailed wide and off Finley's fingertips. Rodgers was sacked on fourth down, and the Packers never had an opportunity to tie the game again.

"I missed my spot a little bit," Rodgers said. Finley added: "It was out in front of me. I put one hand out. I tried to get it. I have to catch that ball …. It was one of those plays I couldn't make."

Those are the types of plays we grew accustomed to the Packers making this season, be it a sharp throw-and-catch on third-and-5 or an ad lib that leads to Jennings getting wide open in the end zone. To be sure, the Giants ran an aggressive scheme designed to take away their deep pass with "off" coverage but also flood intermediate routes with maximum coverage. Only eight of Rodgers' 46 attempts traveled 15 yards in the air, and he completed only two of them.

But regardless of the situation this season, the Packers have relied on their offense to bail them out. Even as they jogged off the field trailing 20-10 at halftime, there was no sense of panic.

"We thought going in with the way we'd be scoring on offense, the game wasn't that far away from us," said nose tackle B.J. Raji.

For the first time all season, however, the Packers offense dropped the ball -- and the Packers weren't a team equipped to compensate for it. We all know what happened. The Packers will spend the next six months figuring out the how and the why. But in the end, all they'll have to show for one of the greatest regular seasons in team history is one of their most surprising conclusions. Not everyone thought the Packers would repeat as Super Bowl champions, but I'm not sure many thought their offense would bring them down.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 1
Preseason Power Ranking: 1

Biggest surprise: Wide receiver Jordy Nelson had a standout performance in Super Bowl XLV, but few were expecting the kind of breakthrough season he produced in 2011. On a team stocked with elite talent from receiver Greg Jennings to tight end Jermichael Finley, it was Nelson who led the Packers with 68 receptions for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns. Only two players in the league, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots and Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, caught more touchdowns. Nelson continually got behind defenses who either misjudged his speed or were drawn elsewhere. He deftly handled a midseason discussion about race and his position, and ultimately proved to be one of the league's top downfield threats. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch, and his touchdowns included distances of 93, 84, 58, 55, 50 and 40 yards.

Biggest disappointment: There aren't many options for a team that won 15 regular season games, the sixth time that's happened in NFL history. But few people in the Packers organization were thrilled by the performance of the pass defense, which allowed an NFL-record 4,796 yards and pushed the Packers to the bottom of the NFL in total defense. (They ranked No. 5 in 2010.) It didn't cost them a game in 2011, partly because they mitigated the yardage total with a league-high 31 interceptions and partly because their offense was one of the league's best. The big concern, of course, is that a hot quarterback could capitalize in the playoffs and end the Packers' dreams for a repeat Super Bowl.

Biggest need: The Packers tried to piece together their right outside linebacker position this year with 2010 street free agent Erik Walden, second-year player Frank Zombo and reserve Brad Jones. Walden didn't make much of an impact as a pass rusher, managing three sacks in 16 games. Zombo was hurt most of the season and Jones was ineffective. Previously, we figured the Packers could skate by as long as All-Pro Clay Matthews was on the opposite side. But offensive attention shifted to Matthews this season, limiting him to six sacks, and no one picked up the slack. The Packers finished tied for No. 27 in the NFL in sacks (27) and it might be time to devote another high draft choice to the position to provide a pass-rushing alternative.

Team MVP: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the favorite to win the NFL MVP, making him a pretty decent candidate for the team award. In a year of obscene yardage totals from Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford, Rodgers was the league's most efficient and least mistake-prone quarterback. He set an NFL record with a 122.5 passer rating and became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 4,000 yards while also throwing six or less interceptions. It's true that the Packers' offense continued humming along when Rodgers sat out the regular season finale, but those who saw large chunks of his season know that he was operating on a never-before-seen plane for the first two-thirds of the season. Rodgers has perfected the art of the back-shoulder throw and helped deliver the phrase "throwing open" into the public NFL lexicon.

Penalty watch: We could devote an entire post to the milestones surpassed and records set for this team. Two that didn't get nearly enough attention: 14 turnovers and 76 penalties, both of which qualified as the lowest figures in a 16-game season in franchise history. Penalties don't always correlate with wins and losses. But viewed together, we can say with some confidence that the Packers didn't make many mistakes this season.

A few thoughts on as wild of a "meaningless" Week 17 game as you'll possibly see.

What it means: The Green Bay Packers improved to 15-1, becoming the sixth team in NFL history to win at least 15 regular-season games in one season, despite deactivating three of their most prominent players (quarterback Aaron Rodgers, cornerback Charles Woodson and linebacker Clay Matthews). They also used the game to experiment on offensive line combinations. Amazingly, the Packers were able to protect some key players while still riding momentum into the playoffs. The Lions missed a chance to lock up the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs, leaving their positioning at the mercy of the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions will be the No. 6 seed, and travel to the New Orleans Saints, if the Falcons defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons were leading 35-0 in the second quarter at last check. The Lions have now lost 20 consecutive games in the state of Wisconsin.

Air Supply: On a windy and snowy day at Lambeau Field, both starting quarterbacks set franchise records for passing yards in a game. Backup Matt Flynn made the most of his opportunity to start, throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns, also a team record. The Lions' Matthew Stafford threw for 520 yards, bringing their combined total to an even 1,000 in the game, and tied his team record with five touchdown passes. The Madden-like final statistics also included 244 receiving yards for Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, 116 for tight end Brandon Pettigrew and 162 for Packers receiver Jordy Nelson.

FlynnWatch: I'm not sure what else Flynn could have done to audition for a starting job elsewhere next season. The Packers used two different left tackles, Chad Clifton and Marshall Newhouse, and didn't have receiver Greg Jennings or running back James Starks for this game. But Flynn smartly used the remaining talent the Packers surrounded him with, most notably Nelson (three touchdowns). Perhaps most impressive to teams considering him in free agency this spring, Flynn also led the Packers to 14 points in the final eight minutes, 18 seconds of the game, playing as if he was the quarterback fighting to secure a fifth seed.

Official grumbling: Kudos to Lions center Dominic Raiola, who stepped in and calmed down Lions coach Jim Schwartz (a little bit) in the second quarter after a series of poor calls robbed the Lions of both challenge opportunities before halftime. There is little doubt that the Lions were on the short end of both calls that led to challenges, a fumble that was reversed on tight end Tony Scheffler and a fumble by kick returner Stefan Logan. That left the Lions unable to challenge what should have been a touchdown pass to receiver Titus Young, whom officials ruled didn't get both feet down in the end zone when he in fact did. But in the end, it's fair to say the Lions had plenty of opportunities to win the game. I hope no one leaves the Lions locker room blaming those calls for the loss. The Lions had a 41-38 lead with 2:44 remaining, and their defense couldn't slow down a watered-down Packers offense. That's on them. The Packers' winning drive included two third-down conversions, one of which came after defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh jumped offside.

What's next: We'll await the Lions' playoff seed and opponent for next weekend's wild-card game, to be determined later Sunday. The Packers will have a playoff bye week and host a divisional game the weekend of Jan. 14-15.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Greetings and Happy New Year from the Metrodome. Let's start off a busy day of news with Adam Schefter's report on a nice holiday present heading the way of Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson.

According to Schefter, Johnson is on the verge of earning a $4.5 million bonus on top of his $8.875 million base salary. To earn the bonus, Johnson needed to qualify under five separate categories of performance. He's already hit three of them and is reach of at least two more. Among them:

• Leading the NFC in touchdowns. His 15 leads the Green Bay Packers' Jordy Nelson by three.
• Leading the NFC in receiving yards. His 1,437 yards leads the New York Giants' Victor Cruz by 79 yards.

We'll keep you updated.

Most of you know I'm not a big fan of the Pro Bowl. I don't necessarily have a way of making it better, but that doesn't mean I have to like the current incarnation. In the end, the rosters are rarely a true rendering of the best players in the NFL.

Fan balloting ended Wednesday, and you might be excited that NFC North players received more votes than those of any other division. I'm not. Mostly I'm impressed with your tenacity at the virtual ballot boxes. The Green Bay Packers' Chad Clifton, who hasn't played in two months, was the leading vote-getter among tackles? Well done.

(NFC West colleague Mike Sando has the complete divisional breakdown if you're interested.)

Players and coaches are next up for voting. Teams for both the NFC and AFC will be announced Tuesday, to be followed shortly by injury- and playoff-related pullouts. In advance of the announcement, let's consider some of the more interesting Pro Bowl-related questions in the NFC North:

How will injuries impact the final voting?

Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson, Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte and Packers receiver Greg Jennings were all having obvious Pro Bowl years before their seasons were cut back by injuries. Peterson has returned after missing three games but ranks behind 16 other players with 932 rushing yards. Forte's 1,487 all-purpose yards still rank No. 2 in the NFL, but he might not play again this season and thus would have only 12 starts on his stat line.

Jennings, meanwhile, is probably done for the regular season and doesn't rank among the NFL's top 10 in either receptions or receiving yards.

In an ideal world, voters wouldn't hold a few games missed for injury against deserving candidates. But let's face it: some players, fans and coaches use the NFL statistics leaders to cast their ballots.

Will Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford make it?

Stafford finished No. 4 in fan voting among NFC quarterbacks, behind the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees and the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton. The New York Giants' Eli Manning and the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo are also strong candidates.

Stafford ranks fourth in the NFC in passer rating, yards and touchdown passes. He's on the edge.

Should Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh make it?

Suh finished second among NFC defensive tackles in fan voting, but he quite frankly hasn't made the same impact as he did as a rookie in 2010. His three sacks rank behind eight other defensive tackles in the NFL, including two from the Bears alone; Henry Melton and Amobi Okoye have combined for 11 sacks.

Suh also missed two games because of his NFL suspension, further limiting his opportunities for production. We'll see.

Will Packers linebacker Clay Matthews make it?

Those of us who have seen most Packers games would agree Matthew has made an impact beyond his six sacks. But assuming that at least some voters use the stat packet for their guide, it must be noted that 37 players have more sacks.

With that said, Matthews also has two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He's had a Pro Bowl season.

How many NFC North cornerbacks will make it?

I would say Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, who is tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions, is a lock. But there are two other names to at least consider.

Lions cornerback Chris Houston has four interceptions, two of which he's returned for touchdowns, but has missed two games because of a knee injury. Meanwhile, Bears cornerback Charles Tillman has only two interceptions but has been widely complimented for his work against Lions receiver Calvin Johnson this season and overall has had an excellent year.

Chances are Woodson is the only player named Tuesday, but it wouldn't be surprising for Houston and Tillman to be named alternates.

Are both Bears linebackers in?

Lance Briggs has been named to every Pro Bowl since 2005 and Brian Urlacher returned last season after injury-related absences. Both have been healthy and productive this season and have the advantage of name recognition, but you never know how the Bears' late-season slide will impact their candidacies.

For what it's worth, Urlacher needs 36 tackles over the final two games of the season to match his 2010 total. Briggs has already surpassed last year's performance in terms of tackles.

Will Packers receiver Jordy Nelson get any support?

I'm going to guess not, but it's worth noting that Nelson has the second-most touchdown receptions (10) among wide receivers. He also needs 14 more yards for a 1,000-yard season.

KANSAS CITY -- Well then. The Green Bay Packers are scoreless at halftime and trail the Kansas City Chiefs. A few thoughts.

• The Packers have had a few games with concentrated drops this season, but none like the first half Sunday. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has completed only six of his 17 passes, and while drops are a subjective judgment, I would conservatively say at least six of those incompletions should have been caught. Tight end Jermichael Finley is responsible for half of that total. Those who worried about Finley's ability to fill in as the lead receiver while Greg Jennings is sidelined appear justified.
• Offensive pass interference is a relatively rare call, so the fact that receiver Jordy Nelson has been whistled twice already suggests that someone from the Chiefs has gotten in the officials' ears. Just a guess.
• There is no doubt some serious belly-aching about the drops, but the Chiefs have controlled this game mostly on offense. Quarterback Kyle Orton has completed 14 of 19 passes, and overall the Chiefs have 210 yards and 13 first downs while holding the ball for 20 minutes, 33 seconds of the 30-minute half. The Packers' defense hasn't had many answers, and if it weren't for a fourth-and-goal stop late in the second quarter, the Chiefs would have a two-score lead.
• Punter Tim Masthay did his part in limiting the scoring with a strong 71-yard punt late in the second quarter, flipping field position and preventing the Chiefs from gaining possession anywhere close to field goal range.
• With all of that said, the Packers will get the ball to open the third quarter. As they have many times this year, they can shift momentum of the game with a strong drive. Stay tuned.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge on Week 15:

March toward history: No Super Bowl champion has opened the following season with 14 consecutive victories, but a win Sunday at the Kansas City Chiefs would give the Green Bay Packers a 14-0 record, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and a total of 20 consecutive victories -- including playoffs and dating back to last season. The Packers' last defeat came on Dec. 19, 2010, so a win Sunday means they will have gone beyond one year -- at least 370 days -- without a loss. Even if the Chiefs pull the upset, and as of Friday they were 14-point underdogs, the Packers could still clinch the top seed in the NFC playoffs if the San Francisco 49ers lose Monday night to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jennings' impact: The Packers have arguably the NFL's deepest receiving corps, and it will be fun to see how Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones and Randall Cobb compensate for the loss of Pro Bowl receiver Greg Jennings, who will miss the next few weeks because of a knee injury. (Tight end Jermichael Finley will also be involved.) Most notably, Jennings leaves a void in the Packers' downfield passing game. Since the start of the 2008 season, Jennings has an NFL-high 39 receptions of at least 30 yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That's more than double the next-highest Packers receiver on that list -- Driver with 18. Nelson, James and Cobb are all capable of getting downfield. We'll see if they absorb Jennings' production or if the Packers shorten up their passing game with Jennings sidelined.

Go west: It's been more than four years since the Detroit Lions won a game on the West Coast, and they'll return to the scene of that victory Sunday. They defeated the Oakland Raiders 36-21 in Week 1 of the 2007 season, and on Sunday they'll have an opportunity to clinch their first winning campaign in 11 years if they can defeat the Raiders again. On paper, this seems like a good matchup for the Lions. As we discussed earlier this week, the Raiders' poor-tackling defense could be a sieve for Lions skill position players who run well after the catch. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown 13 interceptions in seven games this season. The Lions have taken advantage of errant passing for much of this season and have 18 interceptions, tied for the second-highest mark in the league. Stranger things have happened, but the Lions have a good opportunity to pick up an important victory Sunday.

Crunch time: The Chicago Bears have little margin for error after losing their past three games to fall to 7-6. They can't worry about style points Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and would be well-advised to keep quarterback Caleb Hanie as reigned in as possible. Five of Hanie's six interceptions over the past three games came on passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield. It might sound smart to be aggressive and trust your players to make good decisions, but after scoring a total of 33 points over the past three games, the Bears would be better off keeping things short and simple against the Seahawks.

Harvin factor: The Minnesota Vikings have the toughest task imaginable Sunday in trying to defend New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees with a defense that hasn't intercepted a pass in an NFL record eight consecutive games. The Saints have won seven games indoors already this season and seem primed for a high-scoring game. But it's only fair to note that the Vikings' offense has debuted the full force of receiver Percy Harvin in the three games they have played without tailback Adrian Peterson. Over that span, Harvin has caught 26 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing 14 times for 70 yards. I'm not sure if the Vikings can win a shootout with the Saints, but they have at least demonstrated firepower beyond Peterson of late.

I've noted on a couple of occasions the uniquely efficient season that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has produced. Through 13 weeks, Rodgers ranks first in the NFL with an average of 9.4 yards per attempt and second in completion percentage at 69.6.

Traditionally, it's difficult to pair strong performances in both categories. Shorter passes typically lead to high completion percentage, while longer passes boost the average yards per attempt but are generally completed at lower rates.

With three games remaining in the regular season, it's worth noting that Rodgers is not only throwing downfield with high frequency, but he is also completing those difficult passes at a higher rate, by a long shot, than any other NFL quarterback. (Pun intended.)

Rodgers has thrown 43 passes this season that have traveled 21 or more yards in the air, tied for the ninth-highest total in the league. As the chart shows, he has completed 62.8 percent of them, substantially better than Tony Romo, Drew Brees and Andy Dalton. Rodgers' completion percentage on those deep throws is better than the rate on all throws for all but six other NFL quarterbacks.

Accuracy and arm strength are important factors in such success, but we shouldn't overlook the value of team awareness and chemistry, either. Consider the 37-yard touchdown he threw to receiver Jordy Nelson last Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

As Rodgers related Tuesday on his ESPN 540 radio show, Packers coach Mike McCarthy alerted him via his headset microphone that the Raiders were trying to swap personnel. Rodgers got his teammates to the line of scrimmage without really calling a play. His general plan was to snap the ball before the departing players got off the field to incur a penalty, and then take a "free" shot downfield.

(Guard T.J. Lang, in fact, told ESPN.com columnist Ashley Fox that he didn't know Rodgers planned to throw.)

Said Rodgers: "… [W]e just ran up real quick and snapped it and Jordy realized what we were doing -- that they had too many guys on the field. And in that situation you just want to give them an opportunity to make a play on the ball. So I gave it a lot of air, the wind was fighting it a little bit, but Jordy made a great reaction to the ball for a touchdown."

You don't outperform the league to such a degree based on just one factor. Players often credit their teammates and coaches for individual success as a matter of respect, but in this case, it is totally warranted. Rodgers has played the biggest role in the Packers fielding the NFL's best downfield passing offense, but it wouldn't be this good without this supporting cast.

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

FALLING

1. Certainty in the short term, Chicago Bears: Their season derailed by injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and tailback Matt Forte, you wonder if the Bears are approaching the end of days for their nucleus of the past eight years or so. Already, they have bid farewell to center Olin Kreutz, tight end Desmond Clark, tight end Greg Olsen and defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Linebacker Lance Briggs asked for a trade last summer. Will the Bears oblige him this winter? Will they start over on offense (again) by replacing offensive coordinator Mike Martz? And is there any chance that general manager Jerry Angelo, 62, will retire this winter, as rumored? Those questions are at least fair game at this point.

2. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings quarterback: Sunday's turnover-riddled performance was one of the worst for an NFL quarterback in the last four seasons, according to the Total Quarterback Rating system. Above all else, Ponder carried with him into the draft a reputation for smart play and solid decision-making. There are typically a combination of factors that go into a stretch of turnovers, and that includes a lack of playmakers surrounding the quarterback. But there is no defending some of the mistakes Ponder has made. He was dealing with a hip pointer last week, but for his sake I hope he is able to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings need to see him bounce back from the inevitable adversity rookie quarterbacks face.

3. Left tackle confidence, Green Bay Packers: The decision to rotate Marshall Newhouse and rookie Derek Sherrod makes me nervous. Perhaps it was too much to expect Newhouse, the final pick of the fifth round in the 2010 draft, to be able to hold down the position indefinitely while starter Chad Clifton recovered from a hamstring injury. Newhouse doesn't fit the pedigree of an NFL left tackle. He's 6-foot-4, and fair or not, starting-quality left tackles aren't usually available late in the fifth round. Sherrod, on the other hand, is of classic left tackle size and was the Packers' first-round pick in 2011. If anyone projects as Clifton's long-term replacement, it's Sherrod. But I hate seeing a playoff team's left tackle position unsettled in Week 15. That's asking for trouble.

RISING

1. Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions defensive end: I wonder how many people outside the NFC North realize that Avril -- and not Kyle Vanden Bosch or Ndamukong Suh -- leads the Lions in sacks. Avril added two more to his season total Sunday against the Vikings and how has a career-high nine through 13 games. Avril has also forced six fumbles, a figure that is tied with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs for the NFL lead. As we discussed Monday, Avril has made himself some money this season. The only question is whether the Lions will be the ones writing the check next year.

2. Moment of truth for Packers receiver Jordy Nelson: The caveat has followed Nelson this season, even as he has caught 51 passes for average of 18.8 yards and scored a team-high 10 touchdowns. He has been beating favorable coverage, the theory goes, after opponents prioritize receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley. That might have been the case for some of Nelson's big plays this season, but now we'll get an opportunity to see what Nelson can do against what figures to be more attention from opponents as Jennings recovers from a sprained knee. The guess here is that Nelson won't miss a beat.

3. Arrow, Detroit Lions: They have absorbed more than their share of national criticism this year, but the Lions are also deserving of some significant big-picture praise. Sunday's victory over the Minnesota Vikings, as nail-biting as it was, ensured the franchise its first non-losing season in a decade. Their next victory would be their first winning season since they finished 9-7 in 2000. In all reality, 9-7 represents the high point of what most national observers thought possible for this team. For as hard of a time as I've given coach Jim Schwartz this season, he would deserve a special award -- Coach of the Past Three Years -- for turning out a winning record so quickly after the 0-16 disaster of 2008

No. 12 deserves the NFL's Most Valuable Player award this season. But it's not who you think.

Contrary to popular belief, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not this year's MVP. That distinction, for the second straight year, should go to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Now, before you roll your eyes, open your mind and hear me out.

Brady won the award last year during New England's 14-2 run, and he deserves to be just the second back-to-back MVP since 1998. This is not to discredit Rodgers, who is having a tremendous season. But sometimes numbers and hype get in the way of what the Most Valuable Player award, by definition, actually means.

The award is meant for the player who is the most important to their team. Let that sink in, because this is a key element to this debate.

Rodgers has been lights out and putting up great numbers for undefeated Green Bay (12-0). But what happens if you take Rodgers off the Packers? They won't be 16-0, but the defending Super Bowl champs would still keep the ball rolling with highly touted backup Matt Flynn and make it to the playoffs.

Green Bay has enough stars on offense (Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson) and big-time playmakers on defense (Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, B.J. Raji) to win plenty of games without Rodgers. I think Green Bay could even win the NFC North this year without Rodgers, considering the Chicago Bears (7-5) lost quarterback Jay Cutler, the Detroit Lions (7-5) are inconsistent and the Minnesota Vikings (2-10) stink.

In contrast, consider this: Where would the Patriots be without Brady?

With the NFL's worst-rated defense and no true superstars on the roster minus Brady, some believe New England would be similar to the Indianapolis Colts (0-12) this year without Peyton Manning. I'm not ready to go that far. But New England certainly would have a losing record.

Little-known backup Brian Hoyer or rookie quarterback Ryan Mallett have virtually no chance of getting this Patriots team to the playoffs. New England is too weak in other areas and couldn't afford poor play at quarterback.

And please do not point to what happened in 2008. That Patriots team had a top-10 defense and was much more balanced. Quarterback Matt Cassel is a former Pro Bowler who led the Patriots to 11 wins. Cassel was way more advanced and developed than Hoyer and Mallett.

The "Brady factor" in New England is clearly stronger than the "Rodgers factor" in Green Bay.

Without Brady, the Patriots would be challenging the Buffalo Bills (5-7) and Miami Dolphins (4-8) for third or fourth place in the AFC East this season. I'm sure New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan would be happy about that.

For those who want to focus only on the numbers, Brady's statistics are right on Rodgers' heels. In fact, Brady (3,916) has thrown for more yards than Rodgers (3,844) and is on a faster pace to eclipse Dan Marino's single-season passing record of 5,084 yards.

Also, Brady has thrown for 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the past month. Brady hasn't thrown a pick since Nov. 6. Rodgers has two interceptions the past three weeks.

The coach of the year award often doesn't go to the coach with the most victories. The award usually goes to the coach who overcomes the most hardship and does more with less. That is why San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will most likely get the nod this year over Green Bay counterpart Mike McCarthy.

Just like McCarthy probably will not win the coach of the year, Rodgers should not be the MVP this season. The cupboards are very full in Green Bay, and neither faced much hardship in their quest for an undefeated season and another Super Bowl title.

Brady is doing more with far less talent around him and is much more valuable to New England's success.

So forget that other guy wearing No. 12. Brady is this year's MVP.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- That'll do it. The Green Bay Packers will finish this season 16-0 unless they decide they don't want to. They took the best shot Sunday of arguably the best team they're scheduled to face for the rest of the regular season, and at the first moment when the outcome appeared in doubt, the Packers flew downfield with scary precision and perfect clock management for the game-winning score.

Sunday's 38-35 victory over the New York Giants served notice that the only team likely to stop the Packers' march to 16-0 is the Packers themselves, either through a self-destructive defeat or a late-season decision to rest their starters. They'll play three of their final four games at Lambeau Field, where they haven't lost in 14 months, and each of their remaining opponents -- the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions -- are dealing with issues that could bring them to the Packers at far less than full strength.

That the Packers finished Sunday's game with another two prominent players sidelined, on top of the three starters that were declared inactive for the game, speaks to the Packers' current strength. Cornerback Charles Woodson's concussion makes him a candidate to miss next week's game against the Raiders, but the Packers left MetLife Stadium on Sunday with the supreme confidence that they found yet another way to win.

"We can be taken to the line," receiver Greg Jennings said, "but at the same time we can make the comeback and win these close games. … We had to be that fighter that would punch back and not let them sneak away with one today, and we were able to do that."

As promised, the Giants got after the Packers' passing offense for a good portion of the game, sacking quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice and unofficially hitting him on six other occasions. But twice in the fourth quarter, the Packers fought back emotional surges from the Giants.

Rodgers completed eight of his final nine passes for 110 yards, engineering a touchdown drive after the Giants had closed to within 28-27 and getting in position for Mason Crobsy's 31-yard field goal after the Giants tied it at 35. The second possession was particularly illustrative of why it's going to be so tough for someone to beat the Packers this month. Based on interviews in the Packers' locker room, here's what I can tell you about it:

The calculator in Rodgers' brain had been spinning on the sideline, considering various scenarios for when the Packers might regain possession. As it was, they got it back at their 20-yard line with 58 seconds and one timeout remaining.

Rodgers said he was "half-expecting" coach Mike McCarthy to call a draw on the first play to minimize the chance for a turnover deep in Giants history. (That's an indication of how well Rodgers thought the Giants' defense was playing.) But in what several players described as a calm huddle, Rodgers got an aggressive playcall from McCarthy.

"Things were just relaxed for us," guard T.J. Lang said. "It was the same approach we always have, no matter what the score is or how much time is left in the game. There was a little more urgency, but nobody was going to try to play out of the system or make some superhero play."

Rodgers figured the Packers needed to get to their 40-yard line within their first two plays to give the drive a chance. They got past it on the first one, a 24-yard catch-and-run to tight end Jermichael Finely against a surprising straight man defense.

"I probably made the best move of my career on that play," Finley said.

From their 44-yard line, the Packers were again surprised to see the Giants match up their receivers in a man-to-man defense with a single-high safety. The Giants didn't want to play a classic late-game zone, but most everyone would recognize the mismatch of man coverage against the Packers' fleet of receivers. The Packers didn't miss it.

"We made an adjustment on that one," Rodgers said. "Jordy did a little double move and gave me enough room on the sideline to put it in a spot where he could get it."

The play netted 27 yards. In two plays, using a total of 17 seconds, the Packers had moved 51 yards and were in field goal position. An 18-yard pass to Jennings made it a chip-shot for Crosby, and the Packers calmly drained the clock to three seconds before setting up the field goal.

"That drive was really just an example of us trusting the things that we've done in practice so many times," Rodgers said.

So there you have it. The Giants gashed the Packers defense for 447 total yards and 24 first downs, despite holding the ball for only 26 minutes, 57 seconds.They made one costly mistake, an Eli Manning interception that linebacker Clay Matthews returned 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and committed a modest six penalties. They had the Packers perhaps one incompletion from playing for overtime. But with the game in the balance, they couldn't so much as slow down the Packers' machine.

The Packers didn't just find a way to get in field position. Their tight end made the move of his career. Two receivers ran precise routes. And as a team, the Packers flew downfield in a rage hat separated them from every team in this league.

"This is exactly what we needed," Matthews said. "Of course, we would love to have blow out victories each and every week. But when it comes down to it, there are some good teams out there and the Giants are no exception. They fought hard. They brought us to the last play. Fortunately were able to march down, get a much needed victory in a much-needed way."

What we saw Sunday was the most impressive installment yet in what has the makings of a historic season. I'm ready to say it. This is a 16-0 team. Whether they do it is entirely up to them.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Some thoughts on the game of the season in the NFL:

What it means: The New York Giants gave the Green Bay Packers everything they could handle. But in the end, the Packers improved to 12-0 and won their 18th consecutive game. They officially clinched a 2011 playoff spot and can win the NFC North title Sunday night if the Detroit Lions lose to the New Orleans Saints. Only one other team -- the New England Patriots from 2003-04 -- has had a longer winning streak in NFL history. Those Patriots won 21 consecutive games, including playoffs. The Packers' last loss was Dec. 19, 2010, at the Patriots.

RodgersWatch: Wow. All I can say is wow. After the Giants tied the game at 35, Aaron Rodgers took over at the Packers' 20-yard line with 58 seconds left. He completed all four of his ensuing passes, including bullets of 24 yards to tight end Jermichael Finley, 27 to receiver Jordy Nelson and 18 to receiver Greg Jennings. That was more than enough to get the Packers into field goal position, and ultimately Mason Crosby's 31-yard field goal won it. Rodgers finished the game with 369 yards, four touchdowns and the sixth fourth-quarter victory of his career.

MatthewsWatch: Linebacker Clay Matthews made two critical plays in the second quarter, returning an interception 38 yards for a touchdown and then stopping a Giants drive by forcing a fumble on a sack of quarterback Eli Manning. Those plays helped mitigate the Packers' difficulties in stopping the Giants' downfield passing game. Manning threw for a total of 347 yards, including completions of 67, 51 and 42 yards. The most egregious instance was the 67-yarder, a brutal catch and run by tight end Travis Beckum. Safeties Charlie Peprah and Morgan Burnett each had two chances to tackle him and missed.

Jennings TD explanation: I'm sure there will be some discussion about receiver Greg Jennings' 20-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Jennings appeared to lose control of the ball as he ran out of the back of the end zone. Some will wonder if Jennings completed the infamous "process" of the catch. But as former NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira pointed out on Twitter, the "process" rule applies only to plays in which the receiver falls to the ground. And Jennings did have control with the ball in his left hand before losing it.

Injury report: The Packers were already playing without three starters: inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop, along with right guard Josh Sitton. They finished the game with two more prominent players on the sideline. Running back James Starks didn't return after injuring his ankle in the second quarter, and cornerback Charles Woodson suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter.

What's next: The Packers will host the Oakland Raiders next Sunday at Lambeau Field.