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We've had two coaching developments Wednesday afternoon in the NFC North. We'll start with the Green Bay Packers' apparent shift of assistant Ben McAdoo from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach, a move first reported by Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.

It was obvious that Packers coach Mike McCarthy had something in mind for McAdoo when he blocked requests from the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to interview him for their offensive coordinator jobs. McAdoo will fill the role once held by the highly regarded Tom Clements, whom McCarthy recently promoted to offensive coordinator to replace the departed Joe Philbin.

While McAdoo is obviously considered an up-and-comer in several corners of the NFL, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared skeptical earlier this week on his ESPN 540 radio show about the possibility of installing a coach with no experience at the position. Here's what Rodgers had to say about reports that McAdoo was a candidate for the job:

"I think that's an interesting conversation I hope I'm in the loop for, because going into my eighth season it'll be interesting to see what direction [McCarthy] wants to go in -- if he wants to bring in a former quarterback with experience to kind of help me with my transition into the middle part of my career being more of an established player in the league now. I'm not sure what the dynamic would be with a coach who hasn't coached the position before, but Ben is a very talented coach and if they do make that decision I'm sure he'll make a very smooth transition."

McAdoo, 34, has coached with McCarthy when both were with the New Orleans Saints (2004) and the San Francisco 49ers (2005). He was one of McCarthy's first hires when he got the Packers job in 2006 and has been their tight ends coach ever since. No matter how good a coach he is, it's fair to ask if he has the expertise to speak the language of a veteran MVP quarterback. McAdoo will also have the important job of developing the Packers' next backup quarterback, assuming that Matt Flynn signs elsewhere as a free agent.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears rounded out their staff by hiring Tim Holt as their offensive line coach. Holt was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' assistant offensive line coach in 2011, and it's expected that new offensive coordinator Mike Tice will retain a daily presence with the offensive line, much as defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli does with the Bears' defensive line.

Promoting Tom Clements to offensive coordinator was the logical choice for Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who lost incumbent Joe Philbin two weeks ago to the Miami Dolphins. But two key questioned remained unanswered in a news release issued Thursday to announce the change:

1. Will Clements double up as his own quarterbacks coach, a job he has held since 2006, or will McCarthy add a new one?
2. Will Clements call the plays, or will McCarthy continue to do so?

Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette suggests that Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo would be a candidate for the quarterbacks coach job if McCarthy keeps it separate from the coordinator's role. McCarthy has shown a willingness to shuffle assistants before, having moved longtime running backs coach Edgar Bennett to receivers coach a year ago.

There is no reason to think McCarthy will give up his role as the Packers' play-caller, but it's worth noting that he had Clements call plays during last Sunday's Pro Bowl. And in the Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions, McCarthy assigned the job to quarterback Aaron Rodgers because he wasn't playing. We'll let you know when the Packers address either of those issues.

Update: Thanks to @cspurls for pointing out via Twitter that a story on the Packers website reports McCarthy will still call plays. That information was not in the press release sent out by the team.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly reportedly backed out just as it appeared he was about to become the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kelly reportedly had been in the final stages of negotiating a deal with Tampa Bay. But general manager Mark Dominik said Monday morning that Kelly informed the Bucs he’ll be staying at Oregon.

So where does that leave Tampa Bay’s coaching search?

Well, Kelly may have been the first choice, but the cupboard is far from empty. Of the candidates known to have interviewed, only Joe Philbin, now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is officially out of the picture.

Former NFL head coaches Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer and Brad Childress already have interviewed. So have NFL assistants Tom Clements, Mike Zimmer, Jerry Gray and Rob Chudzinski.

The Bucs could turn to one of them. The Bucs also could seek to talk to other NFL assistants. Or they may have another surprise candidate like Kelly. It hadn’t been reported that Kelly was even on Tampa Bay’s radar until Sunday night, when he appeared close to a deal. It turned out the Bucs quietly had interviewed Kelly last week.

I was away from the blog today for some unexpected reasons, but I want to pop in now that Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has been hired as the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Some thoughts:

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Mike RoemerFormer Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is heading to Miami. Will backup quarterback Matt Flyn and QB coach Tom Clements follow?
  Philbin's life has changed dramatically in the past two weeks. He first interviewed with the Dolphins on Jan. 7, the day before the death of his 21-year-old son, Michael. I can't imagine the range of emotions he and his family are feeling Friday evening. To my knowledge, Philbin hasn't spoken publicly since the tragedy.
• Philbin was an offensive coordinator who didn't call plays, a combination that left him largely unknown to fans outside of the NFC North. But NFL teams clearly were aware of his even temperament and impeccable character, not to mention his connection to the most successful team of the past two seasons. In addition to the Dolphins, Philbin also interviewed with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Oakland Raiders were also reported to be interested, largely because their new general manager is former Packers executive Reggie McKenzie. It's nice to see teams take notice of an assistant who is neither a self-promoter nor one whose qualifications are easily measured in public.
• The obvious question is whether Philbin will push the Dolphins to pursue Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn, either in free agency or in a sign-and-trade. The biggest knock on Flynn is that his two career starts provide a small sample size for teams looking for a starting quarterback. But Philbin has coached almost every practice Flynn has taken part of in Green Bay. If anyone has the background and institutional knowledge to take a measured risk on him, it's Philbin. On the other hand, Philbin also has a larger body of work to conclude that Flynn might not be ready to take the next step. So the Philbin-Flynn connection could work both ways here.
• It will be interesting to see if Philbin wants to take highly-regarded Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements with him to be his offensive coordinator/play-caller. The Packers could block him from going, as they did when the Chicago Bears wanted to interview him for their offensive coordinator job in 2010. But even if the Packers promote him into Philbin's old job as offensive coordinator, it still wouldn't be a play-calling role unless coach Mike McCarthy gives that up.
• Another candidate for the Packers' offensive coordinator job would be receivers coach Edgar Bennett, who moved from running backs coach last season to broaden his horizons.
• Success has its challenges, and one is replacing the inevitable brain drain that occurs as opponents try to replicate. This month, the Packers have lost a top front office talent in McKenzie and one of their top coaches in Philbin. The pressure is on the Packers to continue to develop qualified successors.

Scratch Joe Philbin off the list of candidates to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He reportedly is headed to the Miami Dolphins.

I don’t think that’s left the Bucs suddenly hopeless. As I mentioned Thursday, I had Philbin at No. 7 on my rankings of the eight candidates known to have interviewed for the Tampa Bay job. Yes, the Bucs interviewed Philbin and may have liked him, but I don’t think he was all that high on their list.

As we’ve mentioned many times, the other known candidates are Mike Sherman, Mike Zimmer, Tom Clements, Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Gray, Brad Childress and Rob Chudzinski. In fact, I don’t think a sudden exit by any of those candidates would shatter Tampa Bay’s plans.

I believe the Bucs think several of the candidates could be good fits for their job and are just trying to figure out who they think is the right guy. I also think it’s entirely possible Tampa Bay’s list could grow after this weekend’s championship games.

There’s a school of thought out there that the Bucs could be waiting to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs also want to interview another candidate or two that’s been tied up with the postseason.

The only way this development hurts Tampa Bay is that Philbin will start hiring his staff for the Dolphins. That will narrow the pool of assistants available to the Bucs whenever they do hire a head coach.

All indications are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t ready to end their search for a head coach. Monday will mark the three-week anniversary of Raheem Morris’ firing.

Since then, the Bucs seemingly have been talking to anyone (almost everyone), but don’t appear close to making a hire. They could be waiting to talk to more coaches that are still involved in the postseason. Or they soon could be narrowing their lengthy list and bringing a few candidates back for second interviews.

What we do know is that by the end of this week the Bucs will have interviewed at least eight candidates. We don’t know exactly how those candidates stack up in the team’s eyes.

But I’m going to give you my rankings of the candidates that are known to have interviewed or are expected to interview by the end of the week. I'm factoring in some insight on what it appears the Bucs are looking for in an ideal candidate. I’ve also talked to coaches and front-office types who have worked with some of the candidates as well as media members who have covered them.

So let’s take a look at my list:

1. Mike Sherman. Even before Morris was fired, Sherman’s name was tied to this job. Part of it was due to the fact Sherman uses the same agent as general manager Mark Dominik, who undoubtedly is going to have a big say in this hire. The Bucs want a cohesive relationship between their front office and the coaching staff and all indications are Sherman and Dominik would work well together.

But there are more reasons why Sherman remains No. 1 on my list. The first is that he’s almost exactly the opposite of Morris in just about every way and that appears to be what the Bucs want. Sherman is 57 with lots of experience. Although his most recent job was a lackluster tenure at Texas A&M, he has been an NFL head coach before. A lot of people tend to forget Sherman’s time in Green Bay was pretty productive.

He produced a winning record in five of his six seasons. He comes from an offensive background and I think that scores points with the Bucs. Tampa Bay needs quarterback Josh Freeman, who it wants to be the foundation of the franchise, back on track after a disappointing 2011 season.

Also, there’s the fact that Sherman is a strong disciplinarian, another thing Morris was not.

2. Mike Zimmer. Like Sherman, Zimmer is mature and would clean up the lack of discipline and accountability that plagued the Bucs under Morris. Zimmer hasn’t been a head coach, but he’s got a long résumé as a defensive coordinator -- he's currently working in Cincinnati with stints in Atlanta and Dallas before that. Zimmer is universally respected in league circles and the only potential knock against him for this job might be that he doesn’t come with an offensive background.

But Zimmer could end up with this job if he can convince the Bucs he can bring in a strong offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

3. Tom Clements. He’s 58 and has never been an NFL head coach or coordinator. He’s been the quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers for six seasons and you could say that coaching Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers is a lot like being the Maytag repairman. But those who know him well say Clements is a big part of the reason the Packers made such a strong transition from Favre to Rodgers.

Prior to joining Green Bay, Clements was quarterbacks coach in Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New Orleans. He also played quarterback at Notre Dame (back when the Notre Dame quarterback pedigree meant a lot) and was a Hall of Fame player in the Canadian Football League.

Clements, who also is an attorney, is known for his no-nonsense approach.

4. Marty Schottenheimer. If you based it only on experience, which obviously is a big factor, Schottenheimer would be the hands-down choice. He spent 26 years as an NFL head coach, with stints with the Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers. Schottenheimer’s career record is 327-200, which almost makes it easy to overlook his 5-13 postseason record. Freeman potentially could be better than any quarterback Schottenheimer ever worked with (and that includes Drew Brees only as he was in San Diego, not after he got to New Orleans).

But Schottenheimer is the one candidate who age could work against. He’s 68 and hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2006. He’s been a successful builder before, but can he do it again at this age?

5. Rob Chudzinski. At 43, he’s the youngest of the known candidates. He had a two-year stint as offensive coordinator in Cleveland and helped Derek Anderson (yes, that Derek Anderson) get to a Pro Bowl. But Chudzinsk’s a hot name right now almost entirely because of his work in his first season in Carolina.

Without an offseason program, he installed an entirely new offense and rookie quarterback Cam Newton had a record-setting season. If Chudzinski did that for Newton, the Bucs have to be imagining what he could do with Freeman. But Chudzinski also would have to convince the Bucs he could bring them a proven defensive coordinator.

6. Jerry Gray. He currently is the defensive coordinator in Tennessee and had a pretty successful run as coordinator in Buffalo when Gregg Williams was the head coach. Williams also has a strong background as a secondary coach.

Gray also had a good NFL career as a defensive back and finished his playing career with the Bucs in 1993. The fact that he’s a former player helps his candidacy because he can relate to players. But the fact that he is 49, means that unlike Morris, he would not be a contemporary to the players.

7. Joe Philbin. The offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Philbin already has had a second interview for the job as Miami’s head coach. Philbin has led a very good Green Bay offense since becoming coordinator in 2007. But head coach Mike McCarthy has handled play-calling duties. Although Philbin had 19 years of experience in the college ranks, the Packers are the only NFL team he has worked for. His rise has been pretty rapid. Philbin joined the Packers (then coached by Sherman) in 2003 as an assistant offensive line coach and became tight ends coach the next year. He later became offensive line coach for one season before becoming coordinator.

8. Brad Childress. Yes, Childress had some success as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He had a winning record in two of his five seasons, but his tenure was marked by inconsistency and turbulence, including the fiasco in which Randy Moss returned to the Vikings. Some who have covered Childress say stability isn’t necessarily his biggest strength. In Minnesota, he seemed prone to go with the quick fix, bringing in Favre and begging him to stay for a second season. That’s the kind of approach that could remind the Bucs, who are going to remain committed to building through the draft, a little too much of the Jon Gruden era, in which there never seemed to be a long-term plan.

Before joining the Vikings, Childress was offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. But head coach Andy Reid called the plays. I do think there’s a chance Childress could be hired by Tampa Bay, but as the offensive coordinator for one of the other candidates.

I’m just looking at the latest on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ coaching search and starting to wonder if the Bucs are trying to set some sort of record.

The latest is the Bucs will interview Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and quarterbacks Tom Clements at some point soon. The Bucs are interviewing Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzkinski on Tuesday.

The Bucs previously interviewed former NFL head coaches Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer and Brad Childress as well as Tennessee defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.

Check my math here, but assuming the Bucs do interview Clements and Philbin, that will bring the number of interviews to eight. And that also is assuming the media as reported every coach who has interviewed. We chase these things like crazy, but sometimes an interview or two can slip through the cracks. The Bucs also could decide to interview more candidates that are still involved in the playoffs. There’s been some speculation about New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell possibly being a candidate.

But, for now, the number will stand at eight, probably later this week. I seriously think that might be some kind of record. ESPN Stats & Information does a wonderful job, but does not keep numbers on how many candidates have interviewed for any given job throughout history.

I’ve been through a few coaching searches in my day. Generally speaking, most teams interview three or four candidates and I think five is the highest number I’ve ever seen.

But I’m not seeing any huge drawback with Tampa Bay’s methodical approach. Indications are, the Bucs could narrow their list and bring back a few candidates for second interviews. That makes it sound like we might not see a hire for at least another week.

Assistant coaches are being hired all over the league and the Bucs may be missing out on some good candidates. But there still are lots of other assistants available. The East-West Shrine Game is this week and the Senior Bowl is next week.

Ideally, you’d like to have your full coaching staff in place for those two events, so the coaches can get a good look at the college prospects. But any assistant that’s available will be at the Senior Bowl and will be watching players on their own.

Besides, the coaching staffs aren’t the ones who do the bulk of the work at the college all-star games. The scouting staff does that.

Yeah, there comes a point when coaches need to start evaluating the current roster and getting ready for free agency. But, as long as Tampa Bay has its staff in place by the end of the month, there’s plenty of time for that.

I know a lot of Tampa Bay fans are looking at the candidates and saying there’s no one with a “wow factor." That’s true, but was there anybody with a “wow factor’’ out there to begin with? Maybe Jeff Fisher, who ended up in St. Louis. But Fisher is a good, but not tremendous coach and his stock was elevated in a year when Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy and a few other big names refused to join the league-wide candidate pool.

The Bucs aren’t going for the “wow factor" and there’s nothing wrong with that. The deliberate approach might be the right thing. Maybe the Bucs will get a coach who is the right fit. Then, two years down the road or so, maybe fans will say “wow’’ at what that guy has done.

At least two members of the Green Bay Packers coaching staff have emerged as head coaching candidates elsewhere, an unsurprising development for a reigning Super Bowl champion that followed up with a 15-1 season.

Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is scheduled to interview Wednesday night with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Chiefs are widely expected to retain interim coach Romeo Crennel, who replaced the fired Todd Haley last month, but are doing their due diligence nonetheless.

Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Tom Clements reportedly will receive a second interview for the head coaching job at Penn State. Clements' first interview apparently came via Skype, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Packers have a playoff bye this week, opening a small window for their assistants to interview for jobs. They are scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday before taking a long weekend for rest.

Mike McCarthy is biased. He grew up in the Pittsburgh area and has three siblings who graduated from Penn State. So from McCarthy's standpoint, the Nittany Lions' head coaching position is a prized job.

That's why McCarthy endorsed Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements for the job Friday. McCarthy said he was unaware that Clements was set to interview via phone Friday, as reported by USA Today, but said: "I think it's a great opportunity [and] I think Tom would be an outstanding candidate."

I'm no college football expert, but it's at least worth wondering how good a job this really is, at least in the winter of 2011. Not only will the next coach replace one of the sport's all-time legends in Joe Paterno, but he will also assume control of a program rocked by unprecedented charges of sexual abuse against longtime defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. There are no templates here and no one can say for sure what the program will look like next season from a legal, institutional and NCAA perspective. That's a lot of uncertainty to go with the prestige of the Penn State job.

By all accounts, Clements is a good man with a deft coaching touch, one who doesn't get enough credit for the development of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers blocked an opportunity he had to interview for the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator position in 2010 and, at 58, Clements is probably running out of time to advance his career.

Again, I don't know all of the ins and outs here, including whether Clements would be a courtesy candidate or if there is genuine support at Penn State. But put it this way: It will take a special person to go there, pick up the pieces and maintain the prominence of the Penn State program.

Ten weeks into most NFL seasons we have a good sense of head-coaching jobs coming open and the prime candidates for them.

This year feels different.

Jim Caldwell may coach a potential 0-16 team. But to hear Bill Polian talk, the Colts’ coach may well survive. In Jacksonville, Jack Del Rio’s got one year left on his contract and a lame-duck staff.

It’s widely held that Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver will make a change if he judges the team to have shown insufficient improvement this season, and it’s hard to envision a giant turnaround now for the 3-6 Jaguars based on how poorly the offense is producing.

As for prime head-coaching candidates, I sense no buzz about the hot, young offensive assistant who’s the next big thing. In previous years -- no matter if they panned out or not -- we’ve seen guys like Josh McDaniels, Jason Garrett, Todd Haley and Ken Whisenhunt tabbed as up-and-comers who were ready.

Who are those guys now?

While Northern Florida might hold out hope that Weaver will want a name and would be able to lure one, I don’t see Bill Cowher or even Jeff Fisher heading for EverBank Stadium.

The franchise should re-sign general manager Gene Smith, allow him to decide on Del Rio and make the recommendation on the next coach.

And if Smith's in the market, that next coach should be a young offensive mind who likes Blaine Gabbert and has the best shot at developing him. Smith needs to hit a home run finding the next Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton or, this year aside, Andy Reid.

I asked around this week, talking to a couple coaches and an executive about which NFL assistant qualifies as a QB guru who’s ready to be a head coach.

Through those conversations, I present this list of possibilities:

Mike Mularkey, Atlanta offensive coordinator -- Mularkey posted a 14-18 record as Buffalo's head coach in 2004-05. But he’s got enough distance from that now that he could be worthy of a second act.

He took over as offensive coordinator in Atlanta in 2008, when quarterback Matt Ryan was a rookie. He has a bruiser of a running back in Michael Turner to go with Ryan. Ryan became just the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 3,000 yards, and the Falcons won 11 games.

There is a connection to Smith: Mularkey’s son, Patrick, is a scouting assistant in Jacksonville’s player personnel department.

Jay Gruden, Cincinnati offensive coordinator -- Gruden’s done fantastic work this season with rookie QB Andy Dalton. But is one good year enough to vault him to a head coaching job?

He worked on his brother Jon’s staff in Tampa Bay from 2002-08, but as an offensive assistant he wasn’t a year-round guy. He stacked the work on top of his duties quarterbacking and then coaching the Orlando Predators of the AFL.

Jay Gruden has head coaching experience in the AFL and the UFL, where he led the Florida Tuskers to the 2010 championship game as head coach and GM.

Word is he’s different than his brother, calmer with a better presence with his players.

Rob Chudzinski, Carolina offensive coordinator -- His first tour as an offensive coordinator came in Cleveland from 2007-08. The 2007 Browns won 10 games with Derek Anderson shining at quarterback.

Now Chudzinski’s been lauded for his work with Cam Newton, revising and shaping the offense to feature what the rookie quarterback does best. He’s got a strong background with tight ends, too, and is regarded as a rising star by many around the league.

He’s also a quieter, unassuming type.

Tom Clements, Green Bay quarterbacks coach -- Clements worked in the same post for New Orleans (1997-99), Kansas City (2000) and Pittsburgh (2001-03). During those stops he worked with Tommy Maddox during his comeback player of the year season in 2002 and with Kordell Stewart and Elvis Grbac during their best seasons.

He also worked as offensive coordinator in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005.

With Green Bay, Clements guided Brett Favre in his final Packers' years while helping prepare Aaron Rodgers. He’s also had a hand in the progress of highly regarded backup Matt Flynn.

But does he have the qualities of a good head coach?

Pete Carmichael, New Orleans offensive coordinator -- He’s in his third year as Payton’s top offensive lieutenant after three seasons as the Saints' quarterbacks coach.

Carmichael’s been closely involved with an offense that has excelled with Drew Brees as quarterback, with a specific role in routes, protection schemes and quarterback responsibilities.

Like Clements in Green Bay, Carmichael works for a strong coach with an offensive background and so he doesn’t function as the play-caller. While very smart, he comes across as bland and that could be a big issue for a guy expected to be the face and the personality of a franchise.

The New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.

The Green Bay Packers were crowned champions after Super Bowl XLV.

They'll meet Thursday night to begin the NFL's march to Super Bowl XLVI.

So let's honor a whole bunch of Roman Numerals with XXV thoughts on this game. Why XXV? It's a nice, round Roman Numeral. And I didn't think you wanted XLVI of my thoughts on this game or any other.

1. The Packers have been downright defensive this week about their decision not to conduct players-only workouts during the lockout. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers refused to discuss it, possibly fearing his words would be interpreted as criticism of the New Orleans Saints' highly public workouts. Here's the truth: Many people around the NFL thought the Saints' efforts were more for public show than to get in actual football work. I can't see this issue being a factor in tonight's outcome.

II. Here's one issue that could: Rodgers' pass protection was spotty this preseason, and the Saints' rebuilt defensive line will force some matchup problems.

III. Every year at this time, we're asking whether Packers left tackle Chad Clifton, 35, has hit the wall. Every year, he answers the bell. But we're still asking the same thing.

IV. You think your stomach is twisted into knots? Here's what Packers guard Josh Sitton tweeted this morning: "Gameday. ... nervous as poop." And Sitton just signed a new $33 million contract extension!

V. It was surprising to see Sitton give up a couple of sacks in the preseason. The Saints' defensive tackle rotation of Shaun Rogers, Sedrick Ellis and Aubrayo Franklin no doubt noticed.

VI. No one blitzed more than the Saints last season, sending five or more rushers on 49.5 percent of the time in 2010. Sitton, Clifton and company can feel confident knowing that Rodgers has been the NFL's second-best quarterback against the blitz (based on Total Quarterback Rating) over the past three seasons.

VII. Trevor Ebaugh of ESPN Stats & Information has a cool scouting report on a play the Packers could use Thursday night against the Saints' defense.

VIII. If you're in transit to the game today, know that snack options are limited. Follow this link to see what I found Wednesday night.

IX. The Saints will be making some difficult guesses about the Packers' offensive approach.

X. With no regular-season running game to speak of last season, the Packers focused on their passing game. They ran more empty-backfield sets than any other NFL team (91). Will the Packers focus on that formation, allowing them to maximize their talented group of five receivers?

XI. Or will the Packers re-balance their offense now that Ryan Grant is healthy and James Starks is re-established?

XII. Or will the Saints see more of the no-huddle offense that Rodgers directed to near-perfection in the preseason? And will they work to get receiver Donald Driver the 42 yards he needs to be the team's all-time leading receiver by yardage?

XIII. It's hard to be ready for such a varied menu of options. Which is just the way the Packers like it.

XIV. Grant is the Packers' likely starter at running back, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if Starks finishes the game with more carries.

XV. If one relatively unknown player makes a name for himself in this game, I'm betting it will be Packers returner/receiver Randall Cobb.

XVI. If you think Packers fans are excited about Cobb's debut, imagine how they feel about the return of tight end Jermichael Finley. Never in NFL history has a tight end with 82 career catches gotten so much hype. ESPN's Rachel Nichols reports Finley got a pedicure Wednesday. Why wouldn't he?

XVII. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw at least one interception in each of his final 12 regular season games last season and had an NFL-high 22 over that span. Just saying.

XVIII: Kid Rock is a notorious Detroit Lions fan but will be singing Thursday night in the Lambeau Field parking lot. Hey, business is business.

XIX: Couldn't Rodgers book "The Make" for an opening act Thursday night?

XX: One of the more confusing stories recently to get national attention: Rodgers' claim that New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez's GQ photospread was "embarrassing." And?

XXI: The Saints' running game is in much better hands with Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram than it was with Thomas and Reggie Bush.

XXII: I can't say for sure that Packers defensive end Mike Neal (knee) won't play, but limited practice for three days after two weeks of inactivity caused by a knee injury means he probably won't make a huge contribution even if he does get on the field. The Packers have been counting on him to be a dual run-stopper and playmaker against the pass.

XXIII: This game has been billed as a battle between two elite quarterbacks, but I know which team I like if both backups were forced on the field. And no, it's not the Saints and Chase Daniel.

XXIV: There will be a lot of really good coaches on the field Thursday night, from McCarthy to Sean Peyton to Greg Williams to Dom Capers. But every team in the NFL should hope its quarterbacks will one day be coached by Packers assistant Tom Clements. A one-time Saints quarterbacks coach, Clements deserves a lot of credit for the development of both Rodgers and Matt Flynn.

XXV: Every single ESPN expert, including the AccuScore computer simulation program, picked the Packers to win tonight. So there you go. If I had made this No. I, you wouldn't have had to read all this way!

The Tennessee Titans staff might have included three coaches with offensive-line backgrounds. But John Clayton reports the Jets declined Tennessee’s request to talk to Bill Callahan about its open offensive coordinator post.

New coach Mike Munchak is a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who coached the position before being promoted, and he’s already hired another Hall of Fame lineman, Bruce Matthews, to coach the Titans’ line.

Callahan is assistant head coach offense for Rex Ryan, but Brian Schottenheimer is the coordinator and play-caller.

Other names floating around as offensive coordinator candidates remain unconfirmed.

Green Bay Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements' name surfaced Thursday in write-ups citing Nashville's ABC affiliate as the initial source. But an official there said the station did not report that Clements is a Munchak target. And the Packers said they do not confirm or deny information about requests for permission to interview their assistants.

Meanwhile, John Glennon spoke with Frank Bush, the former Houston Texans defensive coordinator, who confirmed he’s talked with Munchak about a position on the defensive staff.

And it appears Jerry Gray isn’t yet sure if he will be Munchak’s defensive coordinator.

If the starting quarterback is the most important player on an NFL team, what does that make the backup? Collectively, the NFC North will get that answer -- perhaps painfully -- in Week 15.

As of Thursday morning, there was a high likelihood that three backup quarterbacks will make starts. Jay Cutler is our only healthy starter, and without him, it's hard to imagine the Chicago Bears in first place of this division.

The Minnesota Vikings appear likely to start rookie Joe Webb against the Bears on Monday night. Green Bay Packers starter Aaron Rodgers (concussion) would need a dramatic recovery by Sunday night to avoid being replaced by Matt Flynn against the New England Patriots. Either Drew Stanton or Shaun Hill will start for a Detroit Lions team that has had Matthew Stafford for parts of only three games this season.

Each team took a unique approach to staffing its quarterback depth. In some cases, politics and stubbornness prevailed over visual evidence. In others, internal disagreement left teams scrambling. While we have a moment this week, let's examine how each NFC North team arrived in its current state.

Chicago Bears
Starter: Jay Cutler
No. 2: Todd Collins
Age: 39
Experience: 16 years
No. 3: Caleb Hanie
Age: 25
Experience: 3

How it happened: There were rumors for much of the offseason that new offensive coordinator Mike Martz preferred a veteran with experience as his backup to Cutler. The Bears' front office apparently thought otherwise, having developed Hanie for two previous seasons and probably unwilling to spend premium money to back up an established starter. But when Hanie injured his shoulder in the preseason opener, Martz finally prevailed. By that time, however, the group of available free agents was thin. Collins was the Bears' choice because he had played in a similar offense for several years in Kansas City. His only start this season was a four-interception disaster against the Carolina Panthers.

Bottom line: With Collins still stacked at No. 2 on the depth chart, the Bears are fortunate Cutler has remained healthy. Quite fortunate.

Detroit Lions
Starter: Matthew Stafford
No. 2: Shaun Hill
Age: 30
Experience: 9
No. 3: Drew Stanton
Age: 26
Experience: 4

How it happened: The Lions decided early last offseason to part ways with 2009 backup Daunte Culpepper. They wisely decided against promoting Stanton, a fan favorite who hadn't yet demonstrated the proficiency needed to guide an NFL team on even a short-term basis, and acquired Hill from the San Francisco 49ers. Hill played three seasons under current Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan in Minnesota, and in San Francisco had demonstrated a competitive edge that projected well for short-term appearances.

Bottom line: Hill has proved an ideal No. 2, putting the Lions in position to win most of the games he started. Meanwhile, Linehan altered his offense in Stanton's two starts to capitalize on his strengths as a runner out of the spread formation. At the very least, you can say the same thing about Stanton as you can about Hill: He's a gamer.

Green Bay Packers
Starter: Aaron Rodgers
No. 2: Matt Flynn
Age: 25
Experience: 3
No. 3: Graham Harrell (practice squad)
Age: 25
Experience: 1

How it happened: Flynn is a classic product of general manager Ted Thompson's philosophy to build depth from within. In the absence of any veteran competition, Flynn won the backup job in 2008 after the Packers made him a seventh-round draft pick, beating out fellow rookie Brian Brohm. To anyone's knowledge, the Packers have never considered a veteran option behind Rodgers, who has started 45 consecutive games since taking over the job. In a handful of appearances over the past three seasons, Flynn has completed 25 of 46 passes for 246 yards and two interceptions.

Bottom line: The fairest way to assess Flynn is that he is a complete unknown and thus a risk for any team with Super Bowl aspirations. More often than not, Thompson's young backups have risen to the occasion. And Flynn has put in three years working with two excellent quarterback tutors in coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. But the middle of a playoff chase is not the ideal time to find out if your backup can play winning football.

Minnesota Vikings
Starter: Brett Favre
No. 2: Tarvaris Jackson
Age: 27
Experience: 5
No. 3: Joe Webb
Age: 24
Experience: R

How it happened: Jackson was the five-year pet project of former coach Brad Childress and therefore had a tenured track to this job. Childress overlooked Jackson's underwhelming preseason and never gave veteran Sage Rosenfels a chance to unseat him. Webb was drafted as a receiver, and my strong suspicion was that Childress switched him to quarterback to provide an avenue to get Rosenfels off the roster. Ultimately, the Vikings traded Rosenfels to the New York Giants shortly before the season.

Bottom line: In parts of two games since Favre sprained his SC joint, Jackson demonstrated none of the improvement the Vikings claimed he had achieved in practice. He threw four interceptions, was inaccurate on routine passes and proved unable to stay healthy. The Vikings thought so highly of Webb at quarterback that they had moved him to receiver in the week before Favre's injury. So the prospect of Webb starting against the Bears' defense shouldn't sit well with any Vikings fan.

It wasn't my turn to cover the scouting combine this year. My Blog Network colleagues kept you apprised of the daily news, and the fellows over at Scouts Inc. broke down the actual workouts as they occurred.

Even from afar, however, it was hard not to see the NFC North connotations to the biggest story of the combine: The transition of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to the pro game. I'm not ready to suggest Tebow is headed our way, but I think he could do a lot worse than ending up in any number of our cities.

Given the near-constant flow of Tebow-related questions you send to the mailbag portal, I thought he would be a worthy topic for our featured post of the week. In brief: We have one team in Green Bay that already demonstrated success in tweaking the mechanics of a successful college quarterback, and we have another in Minnesota that employs Tebow's favorite receiver.

Before we get to the Packers, Vikings and even the Lions, let's make sure you're updated on Tebow's combine performance. Although he is saving his passing workout for a March 17 pro day, Tebow did produce a 38.5-inch vertical leap -- tying a combine record for quarterbacks. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds. The showing mostly confirmed what we already know: Tebow is an elite athlete for the position whose aptitude as a pro passer remains a mystery.

Speaking Monday, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said nothing happened at the combine to alter his original view on Tebow as a secondary prospect who shouldn't be drafted higher than the third round next month. Tebow's elite college career forged a romanticized view of his pro prospects, McShay said on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning."

"It's funny because there are so many people that are trying to talk the positives on Tim Tebow," McShay said. "I understand because there are so many positives as a college player, and physically when you watch him in a setting like this. ... But then they follow up and say, 'As much as I love him, he's still a third-round pick.'

"The bottom line is that he's just not an elite prospect and has so much room to grow. As great as he's been [at the combine] and as good as his interviews have gone, ultimately his skill set is a mid-rounder at best as a passer. We've all moved him up in our minds because of intangibles."

Yet it is those intangibles that had Packers coach Mike McCarthy and even general manager Ted Thompson expressing what I believe to be honestly glowing assessments of Tebow's potential. Remember, McCarthy and Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements provided the modern template for developing a young quarterback prospect during two years with Aaron Rodgers. Among the improvements they made was smoothing out Rodgers' throwing motion, now considered one of the prettiest (and most successful) in the NFL.

According to my colleagues who attended the combine interview sessions, McCarthy admitted he doesn't know enough about Tebow to make a full evaluation yet. But, McCarthy said, "I would definitely love to coach him."

McCarthy added: "I think the guy's a winner, just the way he plays the game. I know a lot's being said about his mechanics. Just the way he approaches the game of football, I think he'll do everything he needs to do to improve. But you look for football players. And his record in college, I think, speaks for itself. But I'd love the opportunity to work with a Tim Tebow."

Thompson, meanwhile, said Tebow's college success should merit more credibility than it seems to in public discussions.

"Based on his history," Thompson said, "I think that would be a little bit premature to start criticizing him and doubting his ability to play. He's been playing at a pretty high level for quite some time. Has to go down as one of the great college football players of all time, so let's don't sell him short just yet."

We all know better than to read into what any NFL official says about the draft. As the old saying goes: If they're not lying, then they're not talking. (Actually, I just made that up. But it sounds old and sage-like.)

What it does suggest, however, is that Tebow's ideal landing spot is a place like Green Bay that includes an established starter and a quarterback-friendly coaching staff with proven developmental success.

The Vikings haven't had much success developing quarterbacks -- see Jackson, Tarvaris -- but coach Brad Childress acknowledged he is drawn to Tebow's competitive spirit. Trust me when I tell you coaches revere the so-called "intangible" qualities of a quarterback as much as they do his ability to throw. If a strong arm was the only qualification for NFL success, Ryan Leaf would still be starting.

"I just think he's been -- taking everything else aside -- as good a competitor as I've seen," Childress said. "I've heard about his leadership skills and abilities. But he's as good a competitor as I've seen on the football field, and he competes in a different way and plays a physically-natured game."

In Minnesota, you would assume Tebow would have at least one year to develop behind starter Brett Favre, who seems more likely to play in 2010 than he does to retire. Regardless, I think Tebow would have the luxury of watching from the sideline for at least one year if he ends up in Minnesota.

Again, I'm not suggesting the Vikings will use a draft choice on Tebow, even with the presence of ex-Florida receiver Percy Harvin. But if he does land in Minnesota, Tebow has a better than average chance of developing into a legitimate player.

In fact, I wouldn't rule out Detroit as a positive environment for Tebow -- mostly because of the presence of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who will double as the Lions' quarterbacks coach in 2010. Linehan excelled in that role while working with Daunte Culpepper in Minnesota from 2003-04, and Tebow would be in good hands with him as well.

Should the Lions use a draft choice on a developmental quarterback? Given their needs across the board, the presence of young starter Matthew Stafford and coach Jim Schwartz's desire to have a veteran backup, Tebow might be a luxury the Lions can't afford.

But if I were going to draw up an NFC North motto for him, it would go something like this: "The Black and Blue: Tim Tebow could do a lot worse than here."

Ok, I'm off to my second job as an advertising copy writer.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota officials are contemplating two related issues Tuesday evening: The futures of quarterback Brett Favre and his Vikings position coach.

Coach Brad Childress said in a news conference he has neither a timetable nor an expectation for knowing whether Favre will return to play in 2010. “It would not surprise me one way or the other,” Childress said.

Childress pledged to “ably man that position one way or the other” in 2010. Given how successful the marriage was in 2009, I would think the Vikings will give Favre all the leeway they can before seeking a decision. As we noted Monday, the precedent has already been set for Favre to wait until after training camp to sign.

Long before then, however, the Vikings will have to decide whether to grant quarterbacks coach Kevin Rodgers permission to interview for the Bears’ offensive coordinator job. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune has the story.

I’ve heard great things about Rodgers from every Vikings quarterback who has played for him. But you have to wonder if it’s merely a coincidence that the Bears have now sought out two NFC North quarterback coaches. (Green Bay denied Tom Clements permission to interview earlier this month.)

Do the Bears consider Rodgers a serious candidate for their job? Or are they looking to pick the brain of a division rival? That’s what the Vikings will have to decide before granting Rodgers permission. They’ve worked hard to retain Rodgers before, giving him a raise in 2006 when the University of Miami wanted him to be its offensive coordinator.

Stay tuned.