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MINNEAPOLIS -- The juxtaposition was stark Monday night at TCF Bank Stadium. With three minutes remaining in a battle of division rivals, most Chicago Bears had already donned celebratory hats with the words "Division Champions" emblazoned across the front. The Bears were looking ahead and considering a world of opportunity in front of them.

The Minnesota Vikings, on the other hand, were resting comfortably in a Bizarro World of misplaced nostalgia and an endless farewell tour of their quarterback. The Bears clinched the NFC North title on a night when last season's champions were clinging to their past.

"I wish I could figure it out myself," said quarterback Brett Favre, referencing the process that lifted him into the starting lineup Monday. But he was also giving voice to those who are still digesting the Bears' return to prominence.

Here's a start: In a 40-14 victory, the Bears played like they know where they're going. "This is just one of our goals," defensive end Julius Peppers said. "There are other things that we want to accomplish."

The Vikings? In ceding its two-year reign on the division, the franchise seemed disproportionately caught up in a long-planned celebration of their 50th anniversary. The event compelled the team to shoehorn Monday night's game into the kind of outdoor stadium it has struggled in for decades. And while we won't soon forget the moving sight of former players carrying former coach Bud Grant off the field at halftime, it was overshadowed by Favre's characteristic but still stunning compulsion to enter the fray.

To recount:

On Friday, Favre was excused from practice and meetings to visit a terminally ill child in Milwaukee.

On Saturday, Favre was ruled out of the game amid continuing indications that his career was over. But on Sunday night, Favre sent interim coach Leslie Frazier a text message suggesting he might be ready to play after all.

During a postgame news conference, Favre never said the numbness in his right hand had dissipated or that his sprained SC joint had healed substantially. Instead, it was clear that the toughest man in NFL history couldn't resist one final, nationally televised opportunity to prove it.

"Why I would even consider playing, I have no idea," Favre said. "I knew it was my last home game. ... And as crazy as it sounds, I was looking forward to playing in a blizzard. ... I think my stubbornness, hard-headedness and stupidity is what has allowed me to play for 20 years."

Favre proved his point, playing reasonably well for five series before suffering a concussion with 11 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. In a twist of irony, Favre admitted the concussion came when his head slammed into the frozen turf.

Favre said last week that he wasn't interested in a last hurrah, but it sure looked like one. Frazier, for one, seemed swept up in it.

According to Frazier, Favre told him: "'This is my last home game in Minnesota. I want to pay for these fans. I want them to see me play.'"

The Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention last week, so Favre provided a moment of interest at the end of a lost season. But it was still somewhat jarring to watch that ultimately irrelevant theater playing out parallel to an opponent romping its way to a division title.

When this season began, many of us were predicting an irrelevant season for the Bears rather than the Vikings. The Bears missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year in 2009 and coach Lovie Smith had one more season to get back. The last thing any of us thought would happen is that it would actually happen -- not with two new coordinators, a revamped offensive line and a seemingly tired defensive scheme.

"I heard a lot of that from the outside looking in," linebacker Lance Briggs said. "We all realize that Lovie was on the hot seat. Chicago is the kind of city that if you're not doing well, they'll let you know about it. It's nice to be successful because Lovie really is a great coach, and I really can't imagine playing for anyone else."

Indeed, Smith has navigated the Bears to a 10-4 record using a simple but foolproof -- at least this season -- approach. Consider Monday night's game.

Smith's Tampa 2 scheme kept the Vikings' offense in front of it, as it is designed to do. According to ESPN Stats & Information, 26 of the Vikings' 33 passes traveled 10 yards or fewer in the air. Smith's always-reliable special teams produced a 64-yard punt return touchdown by Devin Hester, and tailback Matt Forte produced a 92-yard rushing night.

"We know what it takes to win," quarterback Jay Cutler said, and I believe every word of that sentence. But at this moment, the Vikings appear to have no such clue. They are a franchise lost in last year and yesteryear.

"Sometimes," Favre said, "you just have to try."

But what exactly were Favre and the Vikings trying to do Monday night? I wish I could figure that out myself.

MINNEAPOLIS -- A few thoughts after a championship night in the NFC North with the Bears winning 40-14:

What it means: This season began with questions about the Chicago Bears' long-term direction under general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith. It will end with nothing less than the NFC North title. Monday night's victory clinched the division championship and left the Bears on track for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, which comes along with a first-round bye. At 10-4, they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the 10-4 Philadelphia Eagles. And according to ESPN's Playoff Machine, there is a scenario where the Bears could clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win their final two games and the Atlanta Falcons lose their final two games.

FavreWatch: I would call Monday night the swan song of Brett Favre's career, but we already did that earlier this month. The day began with Favre listed as "out" on the injury report and accelerated into bizarre territory when he was upgraded to questionable. It became downright stunning when he started after sitting out two weeks of practice because of a sprained SC joint and recurring numbness near his right shoulder. Favre took the Vikings to a touchdown on their opening drive and threw with stunning zip throughout his five series. But his night ended with a head injury after Bears rookie Corey Wootton slammed him to the unforgiving turf at TCF Bank Stadium with 11 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Favre lay motionless for several moments before walking slowly to the sidelines.

CutlerWatch: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is heading to the playoffs for the first time in his NFL career. He threw three touchdown passes Monday night, including a beautiful 67-yard pass to receiver Johnny Knox that gave the Bears a 10-7 lead in the second quarter.

HesterWatch: As we noted earlier, Bears returner Devin Hester returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, setting a new NFL record with 14 career kickoff or punt returns.

TCF BankWatch: It didn't go unnoticed that Favre suffered the injury when his head bounced off the turf at TCF Bank Stadium. Field conditions were far from ideal, as players slipped at increasing rates as the game went on. It's impossible to know how much of that was based on Monday's unavoidable snow fall and how much could be attributed to the lack of heating coils under the field itself. After a week's worth of consternation about the change of venue, the crowd totaled 40,504. Most important, it offered the Vikings no perceptible home-field advantage and their margin of defeat was actually greater than last week's loss at Ford Field to the New York Giants.

My favorite play: Bears safety Chris Harris stood up and slammed Vikings tailback Toby Gerhart on third-and-2 in the second quarter. It was the kind of hit that told you the Bears came to play. I'm not sure I can say the same about the Vikings.

What's next: The Bears will host the New York Jets and the Vikings will travel to the Philadelphia Eagles, both on Sunday.

MINNEAPOLIS -- And there it is.

Devin Hester just put the Chicago Bears on the brink of winning the NFC North championship with a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown, giving the Bears a 27-7 lead over the Minnesota Vikings and allowing setting a new NFL record along the way.

Hester now has 14 punt or kickoff returns in his career, one more than Brian Mitchell's previous record.

We'll have more on this blowout shortly after the game.

MINNEAPOLIS -- With all sincerity, I can say that Brett Favre made it through five really amazing possessions in a surprise start Monday night at TCF Bank Stadium. But it appears his night might be over because -- would you believe -- he suffered a head injury when he was sacked on the slick and frozen turf here.

(I would say "career," but we've allowed ourselves to be fooled too many times.)

Favre completed 5 of 7 passes for 63 yards before Chicago Bears rookie defensive end Corey Wootton slammed him to the turf with 11 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Favre has a sprained SC joint, but replays showed his helmet bouncing off the turf at the end of the sack.

He lay motionless for several moments before slowly walking off the field. The Vikings announced him with a head injury and said his return was doubtful. Rookie Joe Webb has replaced him.

Players complained about the potential for head injuries throughout the week. Would Favre have suffered the same injury if this game were at the Metrodome? We'll never know, of course. But having Favre's storybook evening cut short in that manner will be a hot topic of conversation nonetheless.

MINNEAPOLIS -- You will hear a lot Monday night about Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s historic success in cold weather. Make sure you keep in mind these actual facts, as provided by ESPN Stats & Information:

• Favre was 39-6 in his first 45 starts when the game-time temperature was below 40 degrees. Those spanned the seasons between 1991-2004.
• Since 2005, however, Favre is 5-11 in below-40 starts. In those 16 games, he has thrown 11 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions.

At this moment, the temperature at TCF Bank Stadium is 21 degrees.

MINNEAPOLIS -- I guess Brett Favre feels better than he looked during pre-game warm-ups.

The Minnesota Vikings announced Favre as their starter for Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears. About 45 minutes earlier, Favre had concluded a modest throwing session in which all of his passes were under 20 yards. I don't really know how to gauge what Favre did before the game. All I can say is it was more than soft-tossing but nothing close to full velocity. Perhaps Favre threw indoors before or after, but if I'm the Bears, I would question whether he will really be able to open it up in this game.

The Vikings will need some kind of spark, however, now that tailback Adrian Peterson has been confirmed as a surprise deactivation. Coach Leslie Frazier said last week he fully expected Peterson to play despite a bruised knee suffered in a collision with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, but Frazier also said that Favre would "definitely" not play Monday night.

We'll keep you updated. Once the game starts, be sure to join me over at Monday Night Live for our night-long chat.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Just returned from my third and final trip to the field at TCF Bank Stadium. A few observations:

• Quarterback Brett Favre took the field shortly after 6 p.m. ET to begin lightly throwing and testing the sprained SC joint near his right shoulder. Favre threw at intervals of 10 and 15 yards, throwing harder than he did 10 days ago in his last practice appearance but not nearly as hard as he would need to for a game. Athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers were all in attendance. If Favre plays Monday night, it won’t be based on the throwing session I watched.
• There are absolutely some icy parts of the field. As I watched Favre, several members of the grounds crew were using sledgehammers to try to break up a patch of ice about five yards away from the sideline.
• The field itself is not frozen but is definitely hard. I’m not sure what this means, but snowplows are kicking up the rubber portions of the Field Turf that are in place to soften the material. The snow piles surrounding the perimeter of the field have turned gray because they have so many rubber bits embedded in them.
• The Vikings will have to declare Favre’s status around 7 p.m. ET.
• Entrance of fans into the stadium has been orderly. From what I can see, the bleacher seats have several inches of snow piled on them.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Just returned from a quick, early trip to the field at TCF Bank Stadium. More than anything, it's just really messy down there.

According to the NFL, the field was 35 degrees while heaters blew warm air under the tarp. The heaters were shut down a little before 4 p.m. ET, and at about 4:50 p.m. ET, grounds crew workers began removing the tarp. The only part of the field I could check out is the far perimeter, which not surprisingly is pretty hard.

In the meantime, grounds crew workers are shoveling and plowing snow into piles in two corners of the stadium. As long as the snow continues to fall at this rate, it will require constant effort to keep the field relatively free of snow.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Greetings from TCF Bank Stadium, where I'm watching workers feverishly shoveling and plowing snow off the field tarp. As of 4 p.m. ET, surface heaters have been turned off and we're awaiting reports on initial conditions of the field.

At some point, we're expecting to see Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre take some practice throws in an unexpected attempt to play Monday night against the Chicago Bears. Thankfully, ESPN's Ed Werder is reporting that Favre is the impetus behind this last-minute drama.

While I'm skeptical of Favre's motivations for trying to play after missing two weeks of practice, I would prefer that scenario over him taking the field for a one-play ceremony.

More to come.

We have arrived in a vortex of circumstances that will thrill some, annoy others and frighten a few. Monday night, there will be an outdoor NFL game in Minnesota for the first time in 29 years. The conditions will be right out of NFL Films archives.

A weather front has already moved in to the Twin Cities area, and new accumulations of up to five inches are expected by the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. The game-time temperature will be 25 degrees, with wind chills dipping into the single digits by the end of the night.

We've discussed most aspects of this scene over the past eight days, beginning with the Dec. 11 collapse of the Metrodome roof. ESPN.com's blog editors have created a handy filter for those posts. So as we await Monday night's kickoff, here are a few random thoughts I've had:

• There has been a surge of old-school mindset from former players who routinely worked in wintry weather and on frozen fields. The general message to the players who will take the field Monday night: Suck it up. I don't doubt that a game can be played in these conditions. I just question whether it's necessary, especially on short notice. I equate frozen fields with a house that has no air conditioning. You can certainly survive it. But what's the point? Quality of life is better in A/C, and the quality of the game is better on a heated field. Snow and ice might be an initial draw for television purposes, but I doubt for many of the participants.
• Vikings punter Chris Kluwe walked the plank Sunday by insisting the field at TCF Bank Stadium is unplayable. None of his teammates, and no one from the organization, has backed his claims. Kluwe can be a bit flaky at times, but I can't fathom a motivation he would have for fabricating his observations. The field was frozen as of early this week, and never has it been thawed in the manner vaguely outlined by University of Minnesota officials. At the very least, the Vikings and NFL took a substantial leap of faith in expressing confidence that it be thawed and safe throughout the game.
• There is no doubt that some of the players' public complaints arose from a perceived hypocrisy within the NFL, which has fined players up to six figures this season for illegal hits in the name of player safety. I think we can agree that a hard field isn't a friend of concussion prevention. And let's not forget that the violence of impact in the NFL is substantially higher now than it was 29 years ago. Just as the NFL believes players have a choice in avoiding illegal hits, the league and the Vikings had a choice in deciding to play this game outdoors. A number of domed stadiums around the country were available and willing to accommodate the game.
• The process for de-icing the field has been kept pretty well under wraps. But has anyone else noticed that the use of an unnamed chemical to start the process suddenly disappeared from the daily updates? When it's all said and done, it will be interesting to find out whether it was actually used.
• It's been funny to listen to Vikings officials speak of preserving their home-field advantage by playing at TCF Bank Stadium. It's true they lost their advantage over the Giants last Monday night at Ford Field, but they should probably check their recent history before considering a game in these conditions to be a sure-fire advantage. The last time the Vikings won an outdoor game in December or January in a cold-weather environment was a January 2005 playoff victory at Lambeau Field. The time before that? December 1999 at Giants Stadium. Over an extended period, and for good reason, the Vikings are at their best in a dome.
• Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has campaigned for an open-air stadium to replace the Metrodome, but most observers considered it a strategy to compel the state of Minnesota to pay for a roof. Regardless, Wilf and his brother Mark plan to sit in the stands Monday night, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune. I'll be interested to see if the experience enhances or changes Wilf's mind on the issue.
• TCF Bank has been the big winner this week. The local institution is paying a relatively modest $35 million over 25 years for naming rights to the stadium. According to Bloomberg News, the bank has already reaped $7.5 million worth of exposure from this episode -- and that's not counting the numerous mentions it will get during ESPN's national broadcast.

From the start, it has been difficult to accept official claims that the field at TCF Bank Stadium would be properly thawed and maintained for Monday night's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

University of Minnesota officials had outlined a vague plan to make it playable, suggesting they would use a chemical to melt a sheet of ice and then heaters and tarps to keep it warm. NFL and Vikings officials had expressed confidence that the field would be playable, but in reality we wouldn't know if the plan worked until some relatively independent observers got a look at it.

That happened Sunday, when the Vikings held a brief walk-though practice at the stadium the Vikings chose to replace the damaged Metrodome for this game. The practice was closed to the media. But shortly afterward, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe issued a series of tweets that made clear he thought the field fell far short of expectations and implied it would be dangerous if in the same condition Monday night.

Kluwe tweeted that the field is "unplayable" and added: "The field is as hard as concrete an hour and a half after they took the tarp off, and anyone that hits their head is getting a concussion.

"I find it interesting that the NFL can claim an emphasis on player safety, and then tell us the field is fine. It's beyond hypocritical

"I can only hope, however unlikely, that no one gets catastrophically injured at the trainwreck that's about to take place tomorrow night."

Kluwe typically takes a sarcastic tone on Twitter, but on Sunday wrote: "To everyone -- that was a totally serious post on the field conditions. It is like walking on concrete. They took the tarp off at the same time they'll take it off before the game. The problem isn't heating it, it's retaining that heat."

Kluwe later tweeted he had been asked to stop speaking publicly about the issue, but his reaction will provide a stern test for school, team and league officials. Kluwe has been outspoken about the issue all week, but I don't see an upside for him in exaggerating the conditions for rhetorical purposes.

On their website, the Vikings posted a quote from interim coach Leslie Frazier, who said: "It really seems to me that there are going to be safe conditions. It’s not something that our players have to be concerned about. We can just go out and play football, so it should be good for both teams."

Of course, Frazier is hoping to be named the team’s permanent head coach and isn’t likely to speak out on this issue.

And to be fair, the field could be further thawed if warmed for the next 30 or so hours. But if Kluwe's theory is right, it will re-freeze shortly after the tarp is removed for pregame warm-ups. Weather forecasts calling for 3-6 inches of snow Monday afternoon and evening in the Twin Cities surely won't help matters, either.

To my knowledge, the only other Vikings player who has tweeted about the field is tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. On his Twitter page, Shiancoe was generally complimentary about the state of the field but added: "Only thing.. there are random patches of hard and slippery field." He posted a picture of one of those areas here.

The shotgun plan to play at TCF Bank Stadium, rather than moving to a neutral location, was both ambitious and risky. If all goes well, Monday night's game will be a nostalgic tour through the Black and Blue division of yesteryear. But if the field is frozen and even borderline unsafe, it will be an embarrassing pock for both the team and the NFL -- especially considering how prominent the playing field issue has been all week.

I'm not sure what could be done at this point. The timing of the stadium readiness plan left the Vikings past the point of no return when they took the field Sunday afternoon. No matter what condition it would be in, they wouldn't be in position to shift venues and still play the game Monday night.

As always, stay tuned.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Here is one of the more amazing things I’ve heard Thursday about Location TBA Stadium fiasco: The Minnesota Vikings have established an internal deadline to decide where Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears will be played.

One problem: They haven’t told anyone when it is, including the 63,000 or so people who own a ticket to the game.

Interim coach Leslie Frazier, the only team official who has spoken publicly about the issue Thursday, confirmed the existence of a "cut-off point" but said it was not his place to reveal it. Frazier said that "everything I’ve been told" suggests the game will be at TCF Bank Stadium but also acknowledged that "of course, things could change."

Wow.

It’s always possible that I’m overreacting, but something smells fishy to me.

First, I feel for Frazier. He should not be thrust in the position of team spokesman on what is a non-football issue. Frazier has enough on his plate right now, including the likelihood that he will be starting rookie quarterback Joe Webb in this game.

Second, I realize this is an unprecedented situation, but the lack of official information from the Vikings is startling. They are intentionally stringing out their ticket holders, and the Bears, until an unspecified time -- at which point it’s possible the game will be moved to a neutral site.

In fact, the Vikings’ highest priority appears to be not rescheduling their 50th anniversary celebration, long ago planned for Sunday and Monday. Sorry. In the NFL, the game is always the top priority. Being unwilling to confirm the location of that game four days before it’s supposed to be played, no matter what the situation, strikes me as incredible.

More to come.

If you're a Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears player, here is what you know:

• The field you're scheduled to play on in four days is still frozen solid and covered in a sheet of ice. Temperatures aren't projected to exceed 20 degrees before next week.
• There are no permanent heating coils installed underneath the field, a standard feature in NFL outdoor stadiums located in northern climates.
• A University of Minnesota official has outlined a vague plan to apply an unnamed chemical to melt the ice.
• Then, portable coils would be placed above the field -- don't forget, heat rises -- and covered with a tarp.

Would you feel comfortable about that plan to provide an NFL-caliber playing surface?

I'm guessing many players will not, and already a few of them are raising their cyber-voices. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and Bears safety Chris Harris, among others, have again taken to Twitter on Thursday morning to voice their concerns.

Harris posted this message on his Twitter page and addressed a similar tweet to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell: "Players have concerns of traction n the impact of falling on surface that could be as hard as asphalt. What if ur head hits it?"

Kluwe usually employs humor on his Twitter page, but he sounded pretty serious Thursday morning: "Early reports are a 2' layer of ice underneath the snow on the field at TCF. With no heating coils, expect a hockey game, not football."

With both teams resuming practice Thursday after two days off, I expect to hear more of the same in the coming hours. I would be shocked if the NFL Players Association doesn't chime in soon.

The plan to soften the field could work, but the best you can say at this point is that it's untested. If it fails, players will be subjected to a working condition that is no longer necessary in the modern-day NFL.

It's true that NFL games were once played on frozen turf, but we should all consider the advent of heating coils as progress rather than lamentable. Thawed fields are safer and, just as important, provide a better venue for well-played football. Watching players skate around on ice Monday night doesn't sound like an entertaining evening to me.

For that reason alone, we all have to be prepared for a last-minute shift in locations. Atlanta's Georgia Dome, Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium and St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome are all candidates. Stay tuned.