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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.

We can say with some confidence that the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff is getting a thorough once-over from the NFL this season.

Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt is reportedly a candidate for the Oakland Raiders' defensive coordinator job, bringing the total to at least five Packers assistants who have been sought after for at least seven different jobs in the past three weeks. New Raiders coach Dennis Allen had been pursuing Greg Manusky for the job, but as my AFC West colleague Bill Williamson points out, Manusky is expected to join the Indianapolis Colts instead.

Whitt, 33, is one of two defensive assistants who survived the Packers' staff overhaul after the 2008 season. Packers coach Mike McCarthy promoted him from quality control coach to his current role, where he has received credit for his work with young cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Sam Shields.

His presumed connection to the Raiders is general manager Reggie McKenzie, a longtime Packers executive.

Despite the attention, the only Packers assistant to depart thus far is offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who is now the Miami Dolphins' head coach.

Dennis Allen’s lengthy search for a defensive coordinator in Oakland marches on.

The focus is now on Green Bay cornerback coach Joe Whitt Jr. His name emerged late Wednesday and it became even more relevant in the search when FoxSports.com reported Thursday that Greg Manusky -- fired as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator last month -- became the coordinator in Indianapolis on Thursday. He interviewed with Allen on Tuesday. Talks broke down late Wednesday and the Colts emerged.

Allen, formerly the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, has been having trouble securing a candidate. He was denied permission to talk to several candidates. The search winds its way to Whitt, who worked in Green Bay with new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie. Thus, the Green Bay coaching connection may finally develop in Oakland.

Whitt may be considered a risky choice since he is a position coach and is just 33. Normally, you’d like to see a candidate with more experience. But McKenzie clearly saw something in him and relayed it to Allen. Whitt was well respected by his players in Green Bay.

"Trust me," Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams once told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The guy knows his stuff. He will be a coordinator or a something one day. I don't know exactly when it's going to be, but I think he's definitely going to have one of those upper spots."

We’ll see where his candidacy goes, but Allen may be running out of options, so perhaps Whitt will emerge as the guy.

Honestly, I don’t think the Raiders should be too broken up over it not working out with Manusky. I know folks in San Diego would have loved to have seen Manusky stay in the division. His one-year stint as defensive coordinator there was a disaster.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Tribune reports assistant offensive line coach Steve Wisniewski will remain on the staff and work in some capacity with new offensive line coach Frank Pollack. Good move. Wisniewski is well respected and he did a nice job last year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field, two sons of Louisiana who played on the same high school team will face each other for the right to play in the NFC Championship Game. David Fleming of ESPN the Magazine brings us the story of Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams and New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, teammates at Assumption High School in 2000.

An excerpt:

Every season more than 250,000 high school seniors play football, but only one out of every 10,000 actually makes it to the NFL. Of those lucky few, about half of 1 percent go on to earn a Super Bowl ring. Put another way, a high school football player is nearly five times more likely to be hit by lightning than to one day hoist the Lombardi trophy.

So the story of Jacobs, the blue chip running back who fulfilled his destiny with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, and Williams, the walk-on corner who won a ring last year with Green Bay, is nothing less than remarkable. And not just because they were high school teammates who both beat the enormous odds, but also because of the way they did it. "You couldn't find two more different players, or people, who took two more different paths to the top," says Herb Washington, Assumption's quarterback in 2000 and now the school's offensive coordinator. "The way I describe it is, football fell in love with Brandon and bent over backwards for him, while Tramon fell in love with football and had to bend over backwards for it."

The full story is here. It's worth your time.

After the Green Bay Packers' 27-15 victory over the Detroit Lions, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Lions to move to 11-0, the Packers take their turn in the examination room.
   The San Francisco 49ers' loss Thursday night gave the Packers some breathing room in their race to clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC portion of the playoffs. There is now a two-game difference between the teams with five games remaining, which tells us the Packers are closer to clinching but that it won't happen in Week 13. (Unless there is an insurmountable tiebreaker the Packers have already achieved that I'm not aware of.) The Packers won three playoff games on the road last season on the way to Super Bowl XLV, but I'm guessing there are few opponents who would like to travel to Lambeau Field in January. As quarterback Aaron Rodgers noted Thursday, the Packers haven't had a home playoff game since the 2007 NFC Championship Game. It seems to be a matter of time before that changes.
2. Contrary to what some NFC North blog readers believe, I am aware that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was not the only player ejected from Sunday's game. I just didn't think the events surrounding special-teams player Pat Lee's dismissal warranted anything close to the coverage of Suh's departure. Lee was ejected after officials caught him retaliating with an open-fist punch/slap during a give-and-take with two Lions players in the first half. In the locker room, Lee said: "I released inside and one pulled me from the back and started holding me and from then I was fighting off. The whistle blew and I was still fighting off, and the ref didn’t do anything. He was just sitting there watching, and I just pushed off at the end, when I finally got loose, that’s when he threw the flag." The most interesting part of the episode is that neither Lee nor anyone on the Packers realized he has been ejected. Lee, in fact, lined up on the Packers' kickoff return team to open the second half before Lions coach Jim Schwartz called his presence to the attention of referee Terry McAulay.
3. The Packers defense had another good day against Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, who was targeted on eight passes but caught only four for 49 yards and a late touchdown. That means in their past four games against them, Johnson has caught a modest 13 passes for 179 yards. He has scored four touchdowns against them, but I think most teams would take that type of production against Johnson over a four-game span. Typically the Packers have matched up cornerback Charles Woodson against Johnson, but as Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out, this time it was Tramon Williams' turn. Williams made a great play to scuttle a potential touchdown in the first half, and his impact would have been more noticeable to the casual fan had he caught one or both of the interceptions he dropped. The latter almost certainly would have gone for a touchdown.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

The Packers obviously kept their poise in a game full of shenanigans, most of which were generated by the Lions. I think it's especially notable, and not totally explainable, that they did so with four significant players sidelined during different portions of the game. The Packers had backups playing at right guard (Evan Dietrich-Smith) and both inside linebacker positions (D.J. Smith and Robert Francois), in addition to replacing Lee on special teams. Dietrich-Smith proved to be the calm and collected participant in the episode that led to Suh's ejection, and overall the performance of their backups was a credit to the Packers' program. You would think at least one of those inside linebackers will be in the lineup Dec. 4 against the New York Giants. Starter Desmond Bishop (calf) was on crutches after the game.

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

FALLING

1. Communication in the Green Bay Packers' secondary: It's true that Packers defensive backs made three of the most critical plays in Sunday's victory over the San Diego Chargers. Safety Charlie Peprah and cornerback Tramon Williams each returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Peprah added a second interception to clinch the game with 14 seconds remaining. But anyone who has watched the Packers' pass defense has seen a number of blown coverages in recent weeks, be it on Michael Jenkins' 72-yard reception for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 or Vincent Jackson's 38-yard play Sunday for the Chargers. With each instance, we learn more about the value of injured safety Nick Collins, who has made most of the positioning calls for the Packers in recent seasons.

2. Clarity in the Detroit Lions' backfield: On several occasions, the Lions have downplayed their modest running game totals by noting how explosive they've been via the air. It's a fair point, and it's not worth obsessing over their running game as we move into the second half of the season. With that said, Monday's return of tailback Kevin Smith makes you wonder exactly what is in store for the backfield moving forward. Was it a sign that starter Jahvid Best's return is far from guaranteed? Is Smith just extra insurance for the people ahead of him, a list that includes Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams? Or are the Lions like the rest of us -- unsure where this is all headed -- and making sure they are fortified for each contingency?

3. High-mindedness in Minnesota: Sure, it sounded like a tough plan in theory for the Minnesota Vikings to release cornerback Chris Cook. He has been charged with a particularly infuriating crime, felony strangulation of his girlfriend, and the Vikings would have gotten a public relations boost in some areas had they cut their losses. But let's get real for a moment. Rare is the NFL team that will justify releasing a 24-year-old cornerback who was making substantial progress this season because of an untried legal issue. Cook's next court date isn't until Nov. 22. In the meantime, the Vikings have given Cook a paid vacation to get himself straight. I can't blame them.

RISING

1. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears linebacker: There were plenty of heroes in the effort to limit Philadelphia Eagles stars Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson in Monday night's victory. Linebacker Lance Briggs, for one, played an inspired game. But Urlacher seemed to be running all over the field all night, collecting 10 solo tackles and tipping two passes. Vick managed 33 rushing yards and McCoy only 71 -- of which 33 came on one play. What you saw Monday night was a 33-year-old Urlacher playing the way he did when he was 23. An impressive effort, not to mention a lot of 33's.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterback: Rodgers could be a staple in this feature, but we try to save him for special occasions. In this case, Rodgers capped his MVP first half with a number of accomplishments worth noting. First, his 64-yard pass Sunday to receiver Jordy Nelson was one of the best throws I've seen him make. Rolling to his right, Rodgers didn't have time to set his feet and simply flung the ball about 55 yards in the air. Second, that pass helped elevate Rodgers' completion percentage on throws of 20 or more yards downfield to 65.2 percent this season. That's a better completion percentage than all but three NFL quarterbacks have on all of their throws. Amazing.

3. Earl Bennett, Bears receiver: How much different did the Bears' offense look with Bennett back after a near two-month absence? He caught all five of the passes quarterback Jay Cutler threw him Monday night, totaling 95 yards and what amounted to the game-winning touchdown. It's long been established that Cutler loves throwing to him, but Monday you saw why: Bennett is tough, sure-handed and reliable in clutch situations. Other than tailback Matt Forte, you really couldn't say that about any other Bears skill position player this season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SAN DIEGO -- Form held here in the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Green Bay Packers, who entered this game against the San Diego Chargers one off the NFL high with 13 interceptions, have already returned two for touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers. They were the 12th and 13th interceptions of the season for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Safety Charlie Peprah had the first, a 40-yard return in which he broke four tackles along the way, at least by my count. The second was a bit smoother: Cornerback Tramon Williams anticipated a Rivers pass to receiver Patrick Crayton and took it back 43 yards untouched for the touchdown.

It's 21-7 here as the second quarter begins. The Packers have given up 107 passing yards, but their interceptions have more than compensated. The Packers offense has had only one possession. It ended with Aaron Rodgers' 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jermichael Finley.

Reviewing the Green Bay Packers at their bye:

Record: 7-0

Seven-game capsule: The Packers are the best team in football by most objective measures. They're off to the best start for a Packers team since 1962 and have won a franchise-record 13 consecutive games, dating back to last December. Their quarterback is having an MVP season, their place-kicker is perfect and their injury-depleted defense has compensated for some deficiencies with an NFL-high 13 interceptions.

MVP: We could fill up an entire post with quarterback Aaron Rodgers' statistical accomplishments this season. I'll continue to pound away at my favorite. Rodgers is leading the NFL in two quite disparate categories: completion percentage (71.5) and yards per attempt (9.9). That means he's completing a greater percentage of passes than all quarterbacks even though he's throwing downfield with more efficiency than anyone else. In his fourth season as a starter, and sixth in the Packers' current offensive scheme, Rodgers has mastered the position and is taking it to new heights.

Runner-up: There are a lot of candidates on a 7-0 team, so I'll use this space to reiterate that linebacker Clay Matthews has had a really strong season, even with his total of three sacks. I'd argue that he sealed two games for the Packers with specific plays: Stuffing New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram on the goal line in Week 1 and tackling Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on a fourth-down run late in Week 2. And Matthews' run defense is a big reason the Packers are allowing the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game this season.

Biggest surprise: The Packers have actually succeeded in spreading the ball around equitably to their unmatched stable of skill players. James Starks has received 55 percent of carries given to running backs, while Ryan Grant is at 38 percent. Based on their production, both numbers are fair. Receiver Greg Jennings has caught 42 passes, but the Packers have five receivers/tight ends who have caught between 11 and 25 passes. Rodgers has spread his 20 touchdown passes among six different pass-catchers. Jennings has five, but Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson have four apiece while James Jones has three and Donald Driver has two.

Biggest disappointment: Nose tackle B.J. Raji has two sacks this season, and Packers coaches have given him 25 tackles based on film review. But I think most of us would agree Raji has had an underwhelming follow-up to his breakout 2010 season. His inconsistent pass rush is one of the reasons the Packers' pass defense is giving up the second-most yards per game in the NFL. To be fair, other reasons include injuries to safety Nick Collins, cornerback Tramon Williams and safety Morgan Burnett. It's also worth noting that Raji really turned it on in the second half of last season. Perhaps the same thing will happen in 2011.

Stat to note: Rodgers is averaging 30.3 yards on his 20 touchdown passes. Four have been longer than 70 yards, and he's the third player since the 1970 merger to throw a 70-plus yard touchdown in three consecutive games. (Sorry, that's more than one stat. Couldn't help it.)

Looking ahead: The Packers are going to the playoffs, presumably as the NFC North champions. The real question is whether they'll secure home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed and if they can do it with a perfect 16-0 record. I see three potential pitfalls: Week 9 at the San Diego Chargers, Week 12 at the Detroit Lions and Week 13 at the New York Giants.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:

Ford Field debut: Unless you count last year's rescheduled game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, Monday night will mark the first prime-time regular-season game in the history of Ford Field. It's the Lions' first appearance on "Monday Night Football" since Oct. 8, 2001. This game against the Chicago Bears has long been sold out, and the Detroit Lions sold 2,000 extra standing-room only seats. The building will be flush with people hoping to see more magic from the Lions and receiver Calvin Johnson, while also putting a three-game gap between the home team and their division rival. Here's a tip for those 2,000 of you trying to position yourself in the stadium: Johnson has caught seven of his eight touchdown passes on the right side of the field this season. Just sayin'.

Protecting Cutler: What's the best way to keep Bears quarterback Jay Cutler off his back Monday night? Improved pass protection or minimal pass plays? I'm sure the Bears would like both, but they might have to settle for the former. The Lions have an opportunistic and feisty defense, but they can be run against. Through four games, opponents are averaging 4.8 yards per rush against them, the 10th-highest mark in the league. The Lions have a modest nine sacks this season, but the Bears don't want to take their chances against Ndamukong Suh and company. As of this moment, it appears the Bears will have a different set of starters on the right side of their offensive line, including right tackle Frank Omiyale, who was benched last week against the Carolina Panthers. Run, Bears, run.

Quick starts: The Green Bay Packers scored 28 points in the second quarter of last year's divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. That trend has continued in the 2011 season and would be the perfect avenue to taking out what will surely be an electric crowd Sunday night at the Georgia Dome. The Packers rank second in the NFL with 80 first-half points and are tied for the NFL lead with seven touchdown passes in the first half, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Receiver Greg Jennings has 17 first-half receptions, second in the NFL. There is no doubt the Packers will try to jump on the Falcons early, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them use their new no-huddle scheme to do so.

Getting outside: Why did the Falcons trade up in the draft to select receiver Julio Jones? Largely because the Packers' cornerback tandem of Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams dominated their receivers on the outside in last year's pair of matchups. Woodson and Williams limited Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to 4.6 yards per attempt on passes outside the numbers, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and Ryan finished those two games with a cumulative Total Quarterback Rating of 3.2 on such passes. Both cornerbacks have struggled at times this season, Williams in part because of a bruised right shoulder, and it will be interesting to see if the Falcons try to capitalize with Jones, who has 24 receptions in his first four NFL games.

So close: Will Sunday be the day the Vikings break the ice? They have been historically close to this point; rarely has an NFL team started 0-4 by such a slim margin. The Vikings' four losses have come by a combined 19 points, fewer than all 0-4 teams since the 1970 merger except for the 1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13) and the 1974 Detroit Lions (14), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. I think that's why coach Leslie Frazier hasn't instituted personnel changes or shown any indication he plans to veer from his original vision. He believes the Vikings have been too close in their four losses to merit an overhaul. Maybe all they need is a home game against a 1-3 opponent to get things started. Hello, Arizona Cardinals.

Getting inside Friday's injury report, which includes the return to practice of a certain rookie defensive tackle in Detroit:

Chicago Bears: We already knew that right tackle Gabe Carimi (knee) and receiver Earl Bennett (chest) wouldn't play Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears officially declared them out Friday. Five other players are questionable, however, including: Safety Chris Harris (hamstring), receiver Roy Williams (groin), safety Major Wright (head/neck), guard Lance Louis (ankle) and running back Marion Barber (calf). All will be game-time decisions, but Harris and Williams seem to have a decent chance of playing against the Green Bay Packers.

Detroit Lions: Rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot) made a much-anticipated return to practice, but he is at least a week away from getting into a game and maybe more. Four players are questionable for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings: Receivers Rashied Davis (hamstring) and Maurice Stovall (hand), tight end Brandon Pettigrew (shoulder) and linebacker DeAndre Levy (knee). Pettigrew missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, but returned Friday. Levy practiced Thursday and Friday and it would be a mild surprise if he doesn't play Sunday. All other players, other than offensive lineman Jason Fox (foot), will be available.

Green Bay Packers: Cornerback Tramon Williams (shoulder) is probable and expected to start against the Bears. Other than the Packers' three long-term injuries -- defensive end Mike Neal (knee), safety Nick Collins (neck) and linebacker Frank Zombo (shoulder) -- everyone on the roster will be available to play Sunday. That includes linebacker Clay Matthews (quadriceps) and cornerback Charles Woodson (foot).

Minnesota Vikings: Receiver Percy Harvin returned to practice after going home sick Thursday. Harvin is listed as probable, as are six other players. Cornerback Chris Cook (groin) is questionable, but indications all week have been that he will play against the Lions.

News that Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins will miss the season is enough to take your breath away. For no other reason, it takes us back to the chaotic first half of the Packers' 2010 campaign, the one where they were literally losing prominent players on a weekly basis. The Packers persevered to win Super Bowl XLV, but I don't think anyone thought they would find themselves in such a familiar karmic situation so early in 2011.

Collins suffered an undisclosed neck injury during in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-23 victory against the Carolina Panthers. Medical officials wheeled him off the field as a precautionary measure, but as of Sunday night the Packers reported he had "normal feeling and complete movement" in his extremities during an overnight stay in a North Carolina hospital.

Collins returned Monday to Lambeau Field wearing a neck brace, coach Mike McCarthy said. A consultation with team doctors led to the decision to shut him down for the season. McCarthy said it is "too early in the evaluation process" to make a long-term prognosis, and surgical options haven't been determined. Hopefully, McCarthy said, the injury is just "a bump in the road" on the way to a Hall of Fame career.

"It's tough," a subdued McCarthy told Wisconsin reporters Monday afternoon. "We've been through the injury stuff before, but it's something that you never get used to as a head coach."

Charlie Peprah will replace Collins in the starting lineup, just as he stepped in for the injured Morgan Burnett for the final 12 games of last season. In this case, however, Peprah will be lined up next to Burnett and won't have the luxury of a Pro Bowl player next to him. McCarthy said "we have all the confidence in the world in Charlie," but I think we can all recognize it is a much different situation when you lose one of the NFL's top safeties so early in the season.

As they prepare for Sunday's NFC North clash against the Chicago Bears, the Packers are now dealing with two significant injuries in their defensive secondary. Pro Bowl cornerback Tramon Williams was inactive Sunday because of a bruised shoulder, and his status for the Bears game is uncertain. It's worth pointing out that with Williams playing most of Week 1 and Collins playing three quarters of Week 2, the Packers have still given up an NFL-high 800 passing yards this season.

The Packers proved to have the depth and mental toughness to push through last season's injury debacle. The 2011 season is only two weeks old, and already they've taken their first punch in the mouth.

A few thoughts on the Green Bay Packers' second victory of the season:

What it means: The Packers never trailed by more than a touchdown during their run to Super Bowl XLV last season. Sunday, they fell behind 13-0 in the second quarter before getting their feet underneath them. Regardless of the quality of opponent, erasing a 13-point deficit on the road is a sign of a strong team. As Week 2 closes, the Packers are 2-0 and tied with the Detroit Lions for the top spot in a very early NFC North division race.

Injury update: The Packers reported that safety Nick Collins had "normal feeling and complete movement" in his extremities Sunday night following a scary moment in the fourth quarter. Collins left the field on a medical gurney after a collision with Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart. He'll remain hospitalized in North Carolina as a precaution and re-evaluated upon returning to Green Bay. The injury at least temporarily left the Packers without half of their Week 1 secondary. Cornerback Tramon Williams was inactive because of a bruised shoulder injury.

Pass defense: Say what you will about game situations and play-calling, but there is no getting around this fact: The Packers have given up more than 400 passing yards to each of their first two opponents. Sunday, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton totaled 432 yards. But you can erase big yardage totals by making enough plays, and the Packers forced four turnovers and had four sacks. Linebacker Clay Matthews stopped Newton on a fourth-down run late in the fourth quarter as well. Meanwhile, cornerback Charles Woodson had two of the interceptions and also recovered a fumble.

Spreading the ball: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished with 308 yards on only 19 completions, throwing long touchdown passes of 84 yards (Jordy Nelson) and 49 yards (Greg Jennings). Nine different players caught at least one pass, but tight end Jermichael Finley was the only pass-catcher with more than three catches.

What's next: The Packers will open their NFC North schedule next Sunday with their annual game at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 2:

Pressuring Cutler: We know that the New Orleans Saints defense has sent extra pass-rushers more often than any other NFL team since the start of 2010 season. We also know that the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler has been sacked on a higher rate of his drop backs (10.9) than any other quarterback in the NFL over that stretch. What we don't know is how effective the Saints' blitz will be Sunday at the Superdome. As we've discussed, the Bears have one of the best screen plays in the league. And in Week 1 at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers torched the Saints' blitz for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 22 plays. The Bears, meanwhile, were effective against the Atlanta Falcons' blitz in Week 1, completing eight of 12 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. One thing is for sure: We'll find out how much progress the Bears' pass protection has truly made.

Defending Brees: The Saints drafted Mark Ingram and acquired Darren Sproles to give themselves a more balanced offense, but I'm guessing they'll need to take to the air to beat the Bears. We've discussed the likelihood of an inspired game from linebacker Brian Urlacher, but responsibility for stopping quarterback Drew Brees will start with defensive end Julius Peppers. After his two-sack performance against the Falcons, Peppers figures to get heavy attention from the Saints' blocking scheme. That will give defensive tackle Henry Melton an opportunity for another disruptive game from the middle. I don't like the Bears chances if Brees has time to find open receivers. Peppers, Melton and/or another pass-rusher must have a big game. For what it's worth, every ESPN expert, human and digital, picked the Saints in this game.

Defending Cam: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is hardly an unknown, but few probably thought the Green Bay Packers would be preparing to play a 400-yard passer in Week 2. Newton earned those yards last week against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing 13 passes at least 15 yards downfield. The Panthers benefited from a number of blown coverages from the Cardinals' defense, something you normally wouldn't expect from the Packers. But cornerback Tramon Williams' shoulder injury at least gives the Panthers an opening to attack. Even if Williams plays, the Panthers would be well-advised to test him early. I'm guessing the Packers will have more answers than the Cardinals did, but the Packers face a bigger challenge than you might have thought even a week ago.

Lions streaking: Would you believe the Detroit Lions' five-game regular-season winning streak, dating back to last season, is tied for the second-longest among NFL teams? No matter what you think about parity in the NFL, the Lions should make that streak six games against the Kansas City Chiefs. That's what playoff-caliber teams do: Win the games they're supposed to, especially at home, and grab a few on the road as well. Indeed, every NFL expert picked the Lions to win this game. In case you're wondering, the Lions' last six-game winning streak came 16 years ago in 1995, when they won seven consecutive games. But who's counting?

Home advantage: Since 1982, the Minnesota Vikings have won two-thirds of the games they've played at the Metrodome. Even in last year's 6-10 debacle, they won four of the six games played there before the roof collapsed. Regardless of what you think of it as a facility, the Metrodome has traditionally served as a rallying point and an occasion to reverse karma for the franchise. I don't want to say that any Week 2 game is a must-win. But if the Vikings plan to compete for a playoff spot this season, this is the kind of game -- especially against an NFC opponent -- they'll need. For what it's worth, new quarterback Donovan McNabb has won both starts at the Metrodome while with the Philadelphia Eagles, completing 65.7 percent of his passes and surpassing 300 yards in both efforts.