NFC north

CHICAGO BEARS

The pass rush was a major area of concern in the offseason, but RE Alex Brown has emerged as a bona fide pass rusher. He produced four sacks in a game and followed it with two forced fumbles, including one that created the game-winning safety in overtime against the Titans, LE Adewale Ogunleye and DT Tommie Harris have contributed, too. The linemen run wind sprints alter practice twice a week to make sure they have a conditioning advantage in the fourth quarter.... Somehow, LG Ruben Brown got a reputation as a problem player in Buffalo, but he has emerged as a leader and perhaps the team's best offensive lineman. An eight-time Pro Bowl pick with the Bills, Brown always has been an athletic player with great strength at the point of attack and the ability to block in space. PROBLEM SPOT: The team still isn't sure Qasim Mitchell is the long-term answer at left tackle. He similes with speed rushers, but coaches have been encouraged by his play recently. He'll be pushed by the return of Marc Colombo, who missed two years with a knee injury. Colombo is a huge man (643, 325) with a great temperament. John Tait is entrenched at right tackle, and there are no plans to move him.--Mike Mulligan

DETROIT LIONS

One problem with the Lions' bend-but-don't-break defense is that when a big blitz is needed, the players aren't as likely to succeed because they don't have the repetitions.... The Lions traditionally have been strong on special teams, and that has continued under coordinator Chuck Priefer. But special teams are the only aspect of the game at which the Lions are strong. They don't do anything particularly well on offense or defense.... CBs Dre' Bly and Fernando Bryant were given big contracts to dominate in the secondary and haven't done that. Injuries have been an issue, but Bly is not playing at the same level as he was when he made the Pro Bowl last season, and Bryant has yet to establish himself as a man-to-man force. PROBLEM SPOT: The Lions started out very strong against the run, but teams have figured out how to attack the front seven. Opponents are avoiding Ts Shaun Rogers and Dan Wilkinson and are hitting the edges, where LE Cory Redding, WLB James Davis and SLB Teddy Lehman lack experience. The Lions will struggle until those players learn to fill cutback lanes and become more consistent.--Tom Kowalski

GREEN BAY PACKERS

One reason QB Brett Favre could play for years to come is he almost never gets sacked. The team has allowed the fewest sacks in the league, and Favre has avoided being sacked in five of nine games. The combination of bootlegs and sprintouts Favre runs keeps defenses off-balance.... FB William Henderson is in the twilight of his career but has been surprisingly effective in the passing game the past few years. Henderson is built like a bodybuilder and looks like a robot when he runs, but he has good hands and enough agility to get out into the fiats and make plays. He no longer is the blocker he once was, but when the team needs a clutch reception, Henderson is the man. PROBLEM SPOT: There will be no hiding 5-10 rookie CB Ahmad Carroll in the next month and a half. Carroll will be put to the test against a group of receivers who all are at least 6-0, including eight who are 6-2 or taller. Carroll, who has 4.35 speed and weighs 185, isn't afraid to be physical with bigger receivers but gets in trouble when he grabs too much. His technique is improving, but he has trouble finding the ball and gets beat even when his coverage is pretty good.--Tom Silverstein

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

TE Jermaine Wiggins and WR Nate Burleson have gained QB Daunte Culpepper's trust in the absence of WR Randy Moss. Wiggins has excellent hands and good instincts in finding open areas. He also is good at hurdling defenders who attempt to tackle him low. Burleson's concentration sometimes wanes, leading to dropped passes, but he is perhaps the team's best third-down receiver. He runs precise mutes and shields defenders well when catching low passes.... Rookie Spencer Johnson has worked his way into the defensive tackle rotation with Kevin Williams and Chris Hovan. Coaches like Johnson's quickness and ability to get off blocks.... The team misses kickoff specialist Aaron Elling (ankle). Replacement Jose Cortez has been ineffective, and the deterioration in field position has been noticeable. PROBLEM SPOT: Poor positioning and poor discipline at linebacker have played a big role in the three-game losing streak. MLB E.J. Henderson and rookie WLB Dontarrious Thomas have been slow to handle adjustments and have taken themselves out of plays by lining up wrong or covering the wrong receiver. Thomas has been benched, but Henderson must continue to grow into the position.--Kevin Seifert

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