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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Detroit Lions in 2012.

Dream scenario (12-4): The team moves past its string of silly/immature problems, tightening up not only its off-field behavior but also its discipline on the field during games. Mikel Leshoure and Jahvid Best give the Lions a power/speed dimension in the backfield they lacked for most of last season. Rookie receiver Ryan Broyles' knee heals quickly enough to provide a legitimate fourth option among receivers and further spread out opposing defenses. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley realizes his playmaking potential and teams with Ndamukong Suh to provide consistent and dominant interior play. Fairley, Suh, Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch protect an undermanned secondary and Lions make big defensive plays against opponents feeling pressure to keep up with their offense.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Best and Leshoure don't provide the balance the Lions hope for, either because of injuries or skill deterioration. Broyles takes longer than expected to return, Titus Young has a sophomore slump and opponents flock to receiver Calvin Johnson. Left tackle Jeff Backus can't hold up for another season as the Lions hope. Despite the formidable defensive line, the Lions can't cover for their secondary and give up too many big plays.

Bill Polian's list of 10 pivotal players in the NFL this season includes Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley. You'll need an Insider subscription to see the entire file, but here is what Polian wrote about Fairley:

Fairley could be the missing piece in making the Detroit defense dominant. If the big Auburn alum can reach his potential, a trio of him, Ndamukong Suh and the emerging Corey Williams could make the Lions' D-line extremely hard to handle up the middle and wreak havoc on the pocket (which will help an improving secondary).

Fairley

I still think the Lions need more from the running back position to be legitimate title contenders, but if Fairley steps up, an already improved defense will be taken to another level.

The most interesting part of the choice is that Polian didn't bother suggesting that one of the Lions' defensive backs needs to step it up, whether it's safety Amari Spievey or cornerback Aaron Berry or anyone else who might play a prominent role in improving the team's pass defense. Polian instead focused on the impact of strengthening what is already one of the NFL's more dominant defensive fronts.

That appears to be in line with the Lions' philosophy when you look at how they've focused their roster building in recent years. Over the past three years, they've committed big money to sign defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and retain defensive end Cliff Avril. They've used the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to select Suh, and the No. 12 overall pick brought them Fairley.

On the other hand, the Lions did use the No. 33 overall pick of the 2009 draft to select safety Louis Delmas. But for the most part, they have cobbled together the secondary with second-tier moves (and players), knowing it would be protected by a more-talented defensive line. It stands to reason that Fairley's emergence in 2012 would only enhance that approach.

Earlier: The Lions have high expectations for Fairley now that he is recovered from a foot injury he originally suffered last summer, despite a recent marijuana charge.

Thoughts on the Titans' draft from two people involved in evaluating personnel for NFL teams:

Guy No. 1:

“If guys like David DeCastro, a third offensive tackle and Ryan Tannehill go before 20, that will help push someone the Titans like a lot to 20.”

“They could like Michael Floyd, they could like Kendall Wright. But I don’t think a receiver is going to outweigh a defensive player.”

“Dre Kirkpatrick could be there for them. He’s a playmaker. He’s been coached hard. He can help them."

“There may be a lot of options for them at defensive end and defensive tackle and I wouldn’t dismiss linebacker either.”

Guy No. 2:

“Last year their big thing was ‘stop the run, stop the run, we don’t like these little defensive linemen.’ Every time I hear something now it’s, ‘We’ve got to rush the passer, put heat on the passer.’

“They’d take Kirkpatrick if he’s there. I don’t think he will be there. Then I don’t think there is a corner that’s attractive at 20.”

“It’s too soon for a guard or center, but if DeCastro fell I could see them taking him.”

“I’m talking myself into Dontari Poe for them. Jerry Gray has had Pat Williams and Sam Adams. Poe will give some push and chase some sacks to Kamerion Wimbley and Derrick Morgan. Last year they liked Nick Fairley. Poe has a similar profile to Albert Haynesworth but better football character. He hustles, he tries hard. He’s only played five seasons of football.”

On Monday, we learned that Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure had been cited twice in the past month for marijuana possession. The second resulted in an arraignment that reportedly is scheduled to take place this week.

On Tuesday, Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in Mobile, Ala.

As several of you point out, that makes three members of the Lions' 2011 draft class to have marijuana-related legal problems since the end of the season. Offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath paid a fine in January after being charged with misdemeanor possession.

Typically we don't get too worked up about a misdemeanor crime. But three similar incidents in a short period of time reflect poorly on the franchise, and a statement released Tuesday afternoon implies rising concern from the team. It read: "We are aware of the incident involving Nick Fairley. We hold all of our players to a high standard of behavior and the recent charges against Nick and Mikel Leshoure are not consistent with those standards. We are extremely disappointed. We will continue to gather information and will have further comment at the appropriate time."

I don't think these incidents will impact any player's status with the organization. If Culbreath wasn't released or disciplined (publicly), then you wouldn't think that Leshoure or Fairley would. However, all three will be subject to the NFL's substance abuse program, which triggers suspensions on a second offense.

In the end, this is a collection of relatively minor offenses, at least from a legal perspective. But the timing and close proximity suggests the Lions might need a more forceful internal deterrent. To combat post-whistle penalties last season, coach Jim Schwartz instituted an infamous zero-tolerance policy. Perhaps a similar program is necessary now.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- After surgery to repair a broken foot last summer, Detroit Lions nose tackle Nick Fairley couldn't run. He was told to stay off his feet if he watched practice. So with nothing better to do, he hit the weight room with a vengeance.

Over the next two months or so, according to Lions coach Jim Schwartz, Fairley packed an additional 18 pounds of weight on this frame. Speaking Wednesday at the NFC coaches breakfast, Schwartz said it was muscle, not the result of inactivity, and used it as an illustration of the kind of drive outside observers might not have seen in him last season.

"It's very difficult to gain a high ratio of muscle," Schwartz said. "And he did it."

We've spent plenty of time discussing the Lions' successful effort to keep their core together this offseason. But I would imagine they're no less excited about the prospects of a full and healthy season from Fairley, their first-round draft pick last year. Fairley pushed himself through 10 regular-season games after his foot healed, but provided only glimpses of what the Lions hope they'll get regularly in 2012.

A perfect example: Fairley started the Lions' Week 13 game against the New Orleans Saints. In 17 plays, he had four tackles, including two for a loss, and one sack against the Saints' pair of All-Pro guards, Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans. But soreness in the foot forced him to the sideline thereafter.

"I think that was probably our best glimpse of him," Schwartz said. "But he did something just about every day in practice that makes you turn your head and say, 'Holy Mackeral.' There's a big difference between being healed from the standpoint that he wasn't going to go out and break his foot again and re-injure, and being completely healed. …

"There's going to be some residuals from that. The good news is in my experience in players that have had those in the past, you get through a season and then it's behind you."

In the end, Von Miller's status as a complete player won him the NFL Defensive of Rookie of the Year award.

The Associated Press announced the Denver Broncos rookie linebacker had been chosen. He and San Francisco linebacker Aldon Smith were considered close competitors for the award. Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in the April draft, while Smith was the No. 7 pick.

Miller had 11.5 sacks and Smith had 14, which was a half sack shy of the NFL rookie sack record.

Miller broke his thumb in late November and played the rest of the season and in Denver’s two playoff games with a cast on his right hand. The injury greatly affected his game as he was essentially playing with one hand. Miller’s play did improve in the playoffs.

Voters probably went with Miller because he was considered a much more complete player than Smith, who just played in pass-rushing situations. Miller was on the field for 79 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps and Smith played on 48 percent of the 49ers’ snaps.

Miller was the centerpiece of an improved Denver defense that helped spur an unlikely playoff run. The Broncos believe Miller will be a star for years to come. He does need to become a better run stopper and that should come with time. He was replaced on running downs at different parts of the season.

But Miller showed the work ethic and desire to improve that area of his game. Coaches and teammates lauded Miller for his approach and he is likely becoming a leader on the team.

Denver selected Miller in last April's draft after considering several other prospects, including Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson and Nick Fairley. The Broncos took Miller because they thought he had the most explosion and he had the highest ceiling. So far, it looks like the right call.

The Detroit Lions are the biggest underdogs of wild-card weekend. The New Orleans Saints were 11-point favorites at last check. The game shapes up on paper as an epic shootout, and on Wednesday we discussed the circumstances that must occur for the Lions to pull off the upset in that scenario.

Namely, they will have to pressure quarterback Drew Brees with their vaunted front-four pass-rushers -- and force a turnover or two, as well. Thursday morning, my friend Jeff Duncan of the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune illustrated just how difficult that will be.

As Duncan writes, the Saints have the best tandem of guards in the NFL. Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks were both named to the 2011 Pro Bowl, giving Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and his interior teammates the most formidable set of opponents imaginable. Evans and Nicks helped limit opponents to a total of five sacks over the Saints' final eight games, and no NFL team allowed fewer sacks per pass attempt than the Saints this season (3.63 percent).

Suh was suspended for the teams' Week 13 meeting, when the Lions managed to put Brees under duress on only three of his 38 dropbacks. Rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley did most of that damage; Fairley had the Lions' only sack before departing because of a sore foot.

Perhaps Fairley can reprise his success Saturday night. But this is more about Suh, who was left off of the NFC's Pro Bowl roster after an inconsistent sophomore season. In most cases, teams advance in the playoffs because their top players rise up and carry them. The Lions need their best players, including Suh, to make an elite impact Saturday night. If the best two guards in the NFL swallow him up, as they have many other opponents this season, it's hard to imagine the Lions having a chance.

I'm charging my laptop batteries, packing extra notebooks, carbo-loading and hydrating. I hope you are as well. In three days, the Detroit Lions will visit the Superdome for what could go down as one of the wildest playoff games in recent NFL history.

It was only a few years ago when NFC North fans watched the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals combine for an NFL-record 96 points in a wild-card playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Saturday night's matchup between the Lions and New Orleans Saints has the same kind of feel, forcing us to re-calibrate our usual pregame questions. It's not worth discussing whether one of the defenses can stop the opposing offense. No, the issue is which defense has a better chance to slow down the scoring.

After all, the Saints (34.2 points per game) and the Lions (29.6) are two of the NFL's four highest-scoring teams. The starting quarterbacks, Drew Brees for the Saints and the Lions' Matthew Stafford, combined to throw for 10,514 yards this season, the highest collective total for a playoff matchup in league history. And for what it's worth, the 59-point over/under for this game as established in Las Vegas is the highest in NFL playoff history, according to R.J. Bell via ESPN's sports gambling blog.

Players on both teams have downplayed the possibility of a shootout, motivated by humility or pride, depending on the circumstance. Brees said: "It seems like, typically, when you get weeks like this where everybody's hyping up one side of the ball or the other, and kind of predicting it to be a shoot-out or whatever, the defenses are off kind of quietly in the corner making sure they come out with their best performance and they take that as motivation."

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh agreed. "I don't plan on anybody shooting our defense out," he told reporters in Detroit.

Convenient or otherwise, Lions coach Jim Schwartz probably best captured the essence of this matchup.

"I think that the best defenses allow one less point than their offense scores," Schwartz said. "I think we need to take more of a chess approach. Nobody cares in chess how many pawns you give up or if you sacrifice your queen. They care about if you win the game, whether you get checkmate or not. And I think that's the only thing that’s important, not stats."

So from our perspective, the question is whether the Lions can win a shootout at the Superdome. We've already discussed the Saints' options for slowing down Stafford. Now it's fair to ask to what extent the Lions defense can check Brees, who has led the Saints to a frightening average of 41.1 points and 492.6 yards in their eight home games this season.

The Lions "limited" the Saints to 31 points in the teams' Week 13 matchup, which was actually the Saints' second-lowest point total of the season at home. And three defensive starters who missed that game -- Suh, cornerback Chris Houston and safety Louis Delmas -- are expected to be in the lineup Saturday night.

Those factors give the Lions some reason for optimism. But let's also acknowledge that their defense started a second-half slip even before Suh's two-game suspension and the knee injuries to Houston and Delmas on Thanksgiving Day. Since Week 10, as the first chart shows, the Lions have given up more points and yards than all but two teams.

We can surely attribute some of that production to their fluid personnel situation, but at the very least we must note that the Lions defense is trending the wrong way as it enters the playoffs. With that said, there are at least two areas where the Lions could make some headway against Brees: With an overwhelming four-man pass rush and by creating turnovers. Let's look at each.

As we've discussed many times, the Lions relied heavily on standard pass rushes this season. They sent an extra rusher on only 21.1 percent of opponents' dropbacks, the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That strategy makes perfect sense with a defensive line that includes Suh, Cliff Avril (11 sacks), Kyle Vanden Bosch (eight), Lawrence Jackson (4.5) and even rookie Nick Fairley (one).

The Lions stayed with that strategy against the Saints last month, even with Suh and Jackson sidelined and after Fairley departed early because of a foot injury. As the second chart shows, Brees torched the Lions' standard pass rush in that game and he has done the same when other opponents have tried to stop him with maximum coverage as well. In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the Lions had Brees under duress on only three of his 38 dropbacks, as defined by forcing the quarterback to move or alter his throwing motion because of pressure.

But most NFL teams don't have the frontline the Lions will boast Saturday; in addition to Suh, Jackson and Fairley are also expected to be available. It's reasonable to think the Lions are capable of putting more pressure on Brees than he has seen from most four-man pass rushes this season.

If that's the case, the Lions' pressure could dovetail to our second point. Brees committed 15 turnovers this season, 14 via interception to go with one fumble. Five of those turnovers came in losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams.

Despite their second-half defensive struggles, the Lions forced 34 turnovers this season -- a figure higher than all but two NFL teams. In a back-and-forth shootout, even one takeaway could make a dramatic difference by stopping a Saints drive and giving the Lions offense an extra possession.

The Saints have the NFL's most prolific quarterback and have been unbeatable at the Superdome this season. There's a reason the Lions are 11-point underdogs in this game. It might not be likely or realistic, but there is a path the Lions could follow to victory Saturday night. It's narrow and would require a reversal of some extended trends. But in a shootout, anything can happen.

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Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 8
Preseason Power Ranking: 16

Biggest surprise: The Lions didn't think enough of tailback Kevin Smith to offer him a contract this summer. They had drafted bruising tailback Mikel Leshoure in the second round and planned to pair him with 2010 first-rounder Jahvid Best. Smith went home, worked out and waited by the telephone. Leshoure ruptured his Achilles tendon in training camp, Best was sidelined by a pair of concussions and the Lions brought Smith in for a look-see during their bye week. They signed him on Nov. 7, he made his season debut six days later and has provided the Lions a credible backfield presence ever since. Smith produced 535 yards from scrimmage, scored seven touchdowns and is expected to start Saturday night's wild-card playoff game at the New Orleans Saints. I'm not sure that many people thought any of that was possible five months ago.

Biggest disappointment: Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh appeared set for superstardom after a rookie season that included 10 sacks, a Pro Bowl invitation and first-team All-Pro nod. He was one of the NFL's most visible public pitchmen during the offseason, appearing in television commercials and countless national interviews. But Suh ended his second season in a much different place, thanks to a year-long debate on his aggressive play and a poorly-timed stomp of Green Bay Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving Day. Worse, Suh's play slipped and he finished the season with four sacks and 36 tackles. You can't always judge a defensive tackle by such statistics, but Suh's peers limited him to alternate status in Pro Bowl balloting. Suh has some on- and off-field repair work to do this offseason.

Biggest need: Smith's emergence aside, the Lions will have to take a hard look at their backfield this offseason. Best's history of concussions will make it difficult to depend on him for the long term. Early indications are that Leshoure will be ready for training camp, but he suffered a serious injury that will at least need to be tested before he can be considered a reliable contributor. So will the Lions prioritize this position for the third consecutive offseason? It's not out of the question. Meanwhile, general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz will have to take a hard look at left tackle, where veteran Jeff Backus is headed for unrestricted free agency. Will they try to ride Backus, 34, for a few more years? Or do they look for his replacement?

Team MVP: Calvin Johnson had one of the best seasons for a receiver in NFL history, catching 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns. The only receiver to match that across-the-board production in a single season was Randy Moss for the Minnesota Vikings in 2003. But Johnson needed someone to feed him the ball, and Matthew Stafford elevated himself into the upper tier of NFL quarterbacks with a monster season that was more responsible for the Lions' success than any other single factor. A late-season surge pushed Stafford to a stunning 5,038 passing yards, fourth-most in NFL history. Most important, he started all 16 games and was the calm backbone behind four comebacks from deficits of at least 13 points.

Breakout: The least-discussed member of the Lions' starting defensive line might have had the best season of them all. Left end Cliff Avril finished with 11 sacks, forced six fumbles and scored two defensive touchdowns on returns. A pending unrestricted free agent, Avril made himself some money -- from the Lions or someone else -- this season. The Lions would surely like to have him back but have a fair amount of money tied up in their defensive line, from Suh to 2011 first-rounder Nick Fairley to veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Checking in on Thursday's newsbits in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Tight end Kellen Davis (back) and defensive end Julius Peppers (not injury related) returned to practice Thursday. Still missing were linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle), running back Marion Barber (calf) and kick returner/receiver Devin Hester (ankle). None have been ruled out for Sunday's game at Lambeau Field.

Detroit Lions: Cornerback Don Carey (concussion), safety Louis Delmas (knee), defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), defensive tackle Corey Williams (hip) and defensive end Willie Young (ankle) all missed practice. The Lions re-signed cornerback Brandon McDonald to bolster their depth as Carey's concussion lingers.

Green Bay Packers: Running backs James Starks (ankle) and Brandon Saine (concussion) participated fully in practice and should be ready to play Sunday night. Linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf) and offensive lineman Chad Clifton (hamstring/back) made it through their second consecutive day of practice. Defensive lineman Howard Green (foot) was limited in practice. Defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) has still not been cleared.

Minnesota Vikings: The decision by USC quarterback Matt Barkley to return to school could have an indirect impact on the Vikings. If the Vikings ultimately want to trade down from their perch atop the first round, it would have helped to have another blue-chip quarterback to increase the value of their pick. Meanwhile, cornerback Asher Allen and guard Steve Hutchinson (concussion) missed practice for the second consecutive day.

Sifting through Thursday's news bits:

Chicago Bears: There were two big news stories Thursday at Halas Hall. We've covered the arrest of receiver Sam Hurd. We should also note that running back Marion Barber conducted an interview with two reporters Thursday. Via the Chicago Sun-Times, this is what Barber had to say about his late-game mistakes last Sunday in Denver: "My thoughts on it is getting to this next week and just preparing as much as I can to be ready for this game of course."

Detroit Lions: It's going to be tough for safety Louis Delmas (knee), cornerback Aaron Berry (shoulder), linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring) and defensive lineman Nick Fairley (foot) to play Sunday at the Oakland Raiders. All missed practice Thursday for the second consecutive day. Cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring) also missed practice. Cornerback Chris Houston (knee) was again a limited participant, and running back Kevin Smith (ankle) also got some practice work in.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers had no changes in their injury report. Running back James Starks (ankle), defensive lineman Ryan Pickett (concussion) and running back Brandon Saine (concussion) all sat out practice. Guard Josh Sitton was a limited participant for a second consecutive day.

Minnesota Vikings: Things continue to look good for tailback Adrian Peterson (ankle) to return after a three-game absence. Peterson told reporters Thursday that he will play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Receiver Greg Camarillo (concussion) returned to practice Thursday, and it appears the Vikings will have all players available for Sunday's game.

Getting inside the Friday injury report:

Chicago Bears: Safety Major Wright (shoulder) was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Craig Steltz is expected to start in his place. Other than quarterback Jay Cutler (thumb) and running back Matt Forte (knee), all other players will be available.

Detroit Lions: Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) are doubtful and not expected to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring), who did not practice Thursday or Friday, is questionable. So is defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), who did not practice all week. The Lions signed free agent defensive tackle Jovan Haye and waived cornerback Brandon McDonald, presumably for more depth along the defensive line.

Green Bay Packers: Running back James Starks (ankle) and linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf) missed a third day of practice Friday and were declared out for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. Tackle Chad Clifton (hamstring) and linebacker Vic So'oto (back) were also declared out. But linebacker A.J. Hawk (calf) practiced for the first time since suffering the injury Nov. 24 and is listed as questionable. D.J. Smith is expected to start for Bishop, and Robert Francois would play for Hawk if he isn't able to go Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback Christian Ponder (hip) and running back Adrian Peterson (ankle) practiced Friday as limited participants. Neither player is close to 100 percent, and Ponder took only a handful of practice repetitions all week. The Vikings listed both players as questionable for Sunday's game. At 2-10, you wonder if the Vikings will risk further injury to either of their marquee offensive players. Joe Webb would start at quarterback if Ponder can not.

Some of you were upset this week as our focus on the Detroit Lions centered around the suspension of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Via Twitter, @niknicaj wrote: "How about you stop posting articles about Suh and post some about this big game ahead. I'm sick of hearing about Suh."

I understand the desire to move on, but I also caution you to be careful what you wish for. Let's just say the Lions will face a steep challenge in Sunday night's nationally televised game at the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints are 5-0 at home this season and have scored at least 40 points in three of those games. Overall, they've outscored opponents 208-93 at the Superdome, and the Lions will face them with three defensive starters expected to be sidelined.

In addition to Suh, the Lions have practiced all week without safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee). All told, their absences could force a significant shift in the Lions' defensive philosophy.

To this point, the Lions have been one of the NFL's least aggressive defensive teams when it comes to the blitz. With Suh leading a powerful defensive line, the Lions have been able to field the league's sixth-ranked pass defense despite rushing four or fewer men on 79.3 percent of opponent's dropbacks. Their blitz percentage of 20.7 is the third-lowest in the NFL.

Every NFL team would love to rely on their defensive line to that extent, thereby maximizing the players devoted to coverage. But without Suh, and especially against Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the Lions might have to change their approach.

Suh has a modest three sacks this season, but he has drawn substantial attention away from the rest of the Lions' defensive linemen. Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cliff Avril, Corey Williams and Nick Fairley are no slouches, but they will face less favorable matchups at times Sunday night.

And as the chart shows, Brees has torn up teams this season that have tried to sit back in coverage. The Lions will not only face a stiff opponent Sunday night, but they'll also be forced out of their defensive comfort zone. It will be a tough assignment, to say the least.

I don't often post raw transcripts of daily interview sessions with NFC North players and coaches, but Tuesday marked the first time Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz has extensively addressed the ejection and suspension of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Speaking to Detroit-area reporters, Schwartz made clear he disapproved of Suh's actions and reactions to the events of Thursday. Schwartz took ultimate responsibility for the episode and said all concerned parties would be held accountable.

Here are the relevant questions and answers, courtesy the Lions' public relations staff:

On how he feels about Suh's suspension and if he will appeal

Jim Schwartz: "You know, the appeal is part of the player's process and that's outlined in the CBA and you know, the NFLPA, the player's agent, and stuff like that. That's not really a team issue. It obviously affects the team, but it's really not a team issue, so I really can’t comment on that.

"But, obviously, it hurts to lose any player for two games, much less a player like Ndamukong Suh. But there's accountability for our actions, you know, and that's a situation where something happened after the whistle.

"We want to be as tough and as physical and play as hard as we can between the snap and the whistle, but anything that happens after that -- we put our team in a bad position, we got to pay the consequences for and that's the position that we're in right now. That being said, we do have depth at [the] defensive tackle position. Nick Fairley is playing very well, as is Sammie Hill, and Corey Williams is probably playing the best football of his career, so we're going to be just fine."

"That’s part of not having players, whether it's from an injury, which we have some injury situations, or a situation like this. We'll get through it as a team, and when we get him back, we'll get back into the swing of things with him."

On if Suh is remorseful

JS: "I think I'll let him speak for himself when he gets that opportunity, but I have had a lot of conversations with him the last two days and I think he is in a different spot. You know, this is a very emotional game. There are a lot of things that happen on the field and a lot of things that maybe look different to us when we see them on film than we remembered them on the field. It happens to coaches, happens to players. But after the emotions die down and things like that, maybe you see things in a little different way.

"I don't want to speak for him, but ... I think his No. 1 thing is he didn't want to be a distraction for the team. He wanted the team to be able to focus on the Saints and then he wants to be accountable for his actions and get back on the field as quick as he can."

(Read full post)

The final tally for fines from last Sunday's game at Soldier Field is in: $62,500. Of that total, a relatively modest $30,000 resulted from the fourth-quarter fight instigated by Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and elevated by Chicago Bears cornerback D.J. Moore.

We discussed the issues involved in this week's Dirty Laundry post. Normally I don't get that excited about fines, but in this case it gives us a glimpse into how seriously (or not) the NFL viewed the physicality and chippiness of this game. In this case, the NFL didn't seem too concerned about the fight itself. According to its 2011 fine schedule, fighting is supposed to generate a minimum fine of $25,000 per player.

Stafford was fined $7,500 for throwing Moore to the ground by his helmet. Moore received a $15,000 fine for jumping up and tackling Stafford, and Lions guard Rob Sims was fined $7,500 for a late hit during the fight. Moore was the only player penalized during the game.

Meanwhile, the NFL fined Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley $15,000 for a roughing penalty on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. But the league did not discipline Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for contact that ultimately dislodged Cutler's helmet in the second quarter. As we discussed, it was up to the league to determine whether Suh "forcibly" removed Cutler's helmet or if it came off as part of incidental contact. The NFL chose the latter explanation, and it also didn't see fit to fine Bears defensive end Julius Peppers for a "clothes-line" hit on Lions receiver Calvin Johnson in the first quarter.

We already knew about two of the fines: $7,500 to Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch for a late hit on Bears tailback Matt Forte, and $10,000 for Bears receiver Earl Bennett for wearing orange cleats and thus violating the NFL's uniform code.

In the end, the fines tell us the NFL acknowledged Stafford's role in starting the "fight" but, like game officials, blamed Moore for escalating it into a multi-player confrontation that obviously fell short of the league's technical definition for a fight. That Sims was the only other player fined as a result is something of an upset, but as players like to say, this is football and not tiddlywinks.

As for Fairley, the NFL ruled he technically violated its policy on hitting quarterbacks. Even Lions coach Jim Schwartz admitted as much, saying earlier this week: "What he did is he tucked as he went, rather than just keep on pushing."

Upward and onward....