Hello and welcome hung-over Packers celebrants! Did you enjoy some awesome sauce last night in your exciting victory over the Saints? I hope you did. I promise not to yell and disturb the hangover gremlins in your braincases.

Also, welcome everyone else, because not quite everyone who reads this is a Packer fan. Just most of you.

For today's 10 Questions, I tapped another non-Packer blogger and chatted with Melissa Jacobs of TheFootballgirl.com. Melissa has been in 'the biz' for quite a while, cutting her teeth at ESPN producing on Sportscenter and working with Jim Rome. If she survived Rome, she deserves our respect people. However she'd get it with her vast knowledge of the game we love anyway.

Even though she's a Niners fan, she does not want your pity. Just a reasonably good quarterback.

There's a great group of writers over at her site which covers multiple angles on the NFL—player interviews, fantasy, media, even a little humor. So check it out.

Meanwhile, let's get going with today's 10 Questions..... with Melissa Jacobs.

1)     Having now come out on the other side of lockout Hell, it seems as if insofar as fans are concerned we're back to business as usual. Do you think we'll see any sort of backlash long term or, given that we missed no regular season games, the free agency period was epic and the NBA lockout looks to be even worse, have the fans who were grumbling a month ago forgiven and forgotten already? Also, looking at the new CBA, do you think enough was settled on both sides for things to be quiet for the entire ten year deal? Especially in terms of the owners, the large market vs small market fight seems more lulled then done.

Melissa: I thought there would be backlash, I really did. All I heard during the offseason was how awful the millionaires AND the billionaires were, and an abundance of threats to cancel season tickets.   But once the CBA ratification was imminent, fans got amnesia.  Interest seems to be higher than ever.  Fantasy participation is likely increasing.  The NFL is in cruise control of domination at this point; even a missed regular season game probably would have had fans salivating once they resumed.  Easy to say in retrospect.

A major issue I see with the CBA is Roger Goodell’s continued role of “discipline czar.”  The Terrelle Pryor suspension brought this issue back in the spotlight, and every decision Goodell makes will continue to be controversial.  That’s because a) the player conduct policy was written to be loosely interpreted and b) there is no real checks and balances system.  Yes, the NFLPA can appeal suspensions, and the arbiter in none other than Roger Goodell!  (Except for drug policy violations).  That’s too much power for one man, weakens the union, and is quite frankly, Un-American.  Look for this issue to heat up.

2) We've seen a lot of injuries this preseason but the most devastating (to Colts fans and early Fantasy Football drafters) could be the lingering neck injury to Peyton Manning, which didn't even happen during camp. The Colts are a team who have pretty much won or lost based on Manning's arm and some very good wide receivers and now it seems as though they may be missing Manning for a significant amount of time. The upside is, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars are a bit of a mess. The downside is, Houston looks strong and the AFC has a bunch of very good teams—the Colts can't afford to slip. Can Kerry Collins keep them afloat early this season?

Melissa: Poor Kerry Collins.  Two weeks ago he was golfing or fishing and now he has to hear all the ways (in great detail) he’s not as good as Peyton Manning.  I feel kind of bad doing it too, but yeah, Collins doesn’t have the arm, the speed, the accuracy, the pocket presence, and ability to read defenses the way Peyton does.  The Colts need Peyton back, and quick.  There are a lot of potential L’s in the first half of the season with the Texans, Steelers, Chiefs, and Saints.

If this isn’t the Texans year, they should just fold as a franchise.

3)  Getting back to those injuries; a there seem to have been a large amount of season ending hurts in camp/preseason action this year. To me, this is a result of missing OTA's and mini camps—players are behind in getting their feet again and the play has at times been sloppy, resulting in some freaky injuries. Has it seemed to you as if we've seen more than the usual PCL/ACL injuries and broken bones? Do you think we may be in for a season with an unusually high injury rate?

Melissa: Even with Peyton, Arian, and all, I don’t know if the number of injuries is significantly higher.  But I do think we should brace ourselves for an injury-ridden season.  I agree with you that OTAs and mini-camps are a huge deal.  As much as some guys want to think their off-season conditioning programs are superior, they simply are not.  These players had little time to prep and the only reason we haven’t seen even more injuries is because preseason games are played at 75%, maybe even 70% this year.  But wait until we see 100% speed this week.  I’m particularly worried about teams playing on the East Coast this week as the rain is supposed to continue through the weekend.

4) At the risk of both of us having hits put out on us, let's talk about your Tim Tebow piece from the preseason. Things have not gone to plan for the Broncos QB (or let's face it, the team) this August. Orton remains in town and ensconced as the starter. Tebow is taking criticism in less than graceful fashion and seems a bit chapped he had the job—at least in his mind—taken from him. Is Denver handling this right? If you were John Fox or John Elway, how would you approach this?

Melissa: Well, I think Fox made the right call in naming Orton the starter.  He’s perfectly adequate, and gets smarter in the pocket every year.  I’m with Merrill Hoge and many others who just don’t think Tebow has the mechanics to play in the NFL, and the intangibles don’t compensate.  If I was Elway I wish I could ship Tebow in a lovely package to St. Louis in exchange for the first round pick that McDaniels wasted.

Tebow did not handle the criticism properly.  He was never entitled to the job.  In fact, the Broncos were only trading Orton if they got a great deal in return.  But it must be hard for Tebow.  He’s been a “golden boy” his whole career, but often times the realities of the NFL turns golden into average quickly.  Tebow could use a media coach.  He still has likability capital, but that can run out quickly.

I know you're a big 49ers fan so let's move from global to local.  Given the struggles of nearly every team in the NFC West last season, there are a lot of questions as to how the division will rebound this season. Let's take a look at where the teams lie coming into 2011...

5) The Arizona Cardinals gave up quite a bit to acquire Kevin Kolb from Philadelphia and then even more to sign him long term. Is Kolb the answer and what do you expect from the Cards this season?

Melissa: Initially, I thought the Eagles got an incredible deal. Rodgers-Cromartie allows the Eagles to do some interesting things with their secondary, and a second round pick could translate into greatness.  To me, Kolb was unproven and while he clearly has an impressive arm, I thought he had accuracy problems.  But Larry Fitzgerald lobbied the team to get him for a reason.  And so far, the chemistry has been pretty solid.  I don’t know what other options the Cards had on the market. Certainly no one better than Kolb.  The quarterback position is too important to settle.  Because of that, if Kolb’s the real deal, the Cardinals will compete in the NFC West.

6) While the Cards grabbed Kolb, the Seattle Seahawks are rolling with former Viking Tarvaris Jackson and have added Sidney Rice and former Raider Zach Miller at tight end. Offensively it seems like they'd upgraded quite a bit (well Jackson is debatable) but defensively, they've still got issues. They backed into the playoffs last year and surprised the league by beating the Saints. Did Pete Carroll do enough to ensure a better season and a repeat of the Division title?

Melissa: Did the Seahawks really win the division?  Oh yeah.  No way that happens again this season.  You mentioned their rather porous defense.  But really Jackson’s the issue.  I love Zach Miller, and think he’s being heavily undervalued in fantasy leagues.  And I think Sidney Rice is an upgrade, although I’m kind of in the “Brett Favre made Sidney Rice” camp.  That matters not, though.  The true issue for the Seahawks is the improvement of the Rams, and potential improvement of the Cardinals, all related to their respective QBs.

7) Sam Bradford was a huge help to the St, Louis Rams last year and the offense across the board played far better than expected even with injuries to the receiving corps. Everyone seems healthy now and Bradford has Josh McDaniels—who some credit with Tom Brady's rise in New England—installing a new offense. How far have they come in their rebuilding progress and what hurdles do you see in their way this year?

Melissa: I think the addition of McDaniels is huge.  I don’t give him credit for Brady’s rise, but I do consider him an offensive guru.  The Rams improved their line and Steven Jackson’s healthy, but this is Bradford’s team now.  I’m loving the addition of Mike Sims-Walker and see Amendola used even more effectively as Wes Welker Redux under McDaniels.  The main obstacle for the Rams I the schedule. The NFC West gets the NFC East, and the Rams open against the Eagles.

Here’s a pretty safe prediction:  The NFC West will not be sending a wild card team to the playoffs.

8)  New Head Coach Jim Harbaugh comes from a much more offensive mindset, rather than the defensive frame Singltery was in. Harbaugh was able to turn Stanford around pretty effectively and brought some coaches along with him who helped bring that along. All that said, what really are you expecting from this first year coach, especially given he's lost most of his off-season?

Melissa: I’m not expecting much, really.  Winning the Harbaugh sweepstakes was nice but it doesn’t much if he’s being through into NFL head coaching circles cold.  Obviously timing and accuracy will be key and I’m not sure Harbaugh’s had the time, or the talent in place to develop a rhythm.  There are deep concerns about the offensive line, sad considering the high draft picks utilized there recently.  The secondary doesn’t seem improved.  I’m glad Frank Gore got his deal but I kind of which he was playing in a contract year, which often brings a little incentive. Oh, and have I mentioned Alex Smith? Maybe I’m just jaded by the preseason. David Akers should be good, though!

9) Despite what it seems so many Niners fans wanted, Harbaugh was bringing back Alex Smith from the moment he was hired. Can Smith succeed after all his struggles since being drafted first overall? Is Harbaugh using him to buy rookie Colin Kaepernick time to develop or is he serious about Smith's ability?

Melissa: That’s a difficult question to answer.  I think the answer might be both.  He has to see something in Alex, and really, Harbaugh does have an opportunity to make a major splash if he can bring Alex up even to “adequate” level.  Kaepernick has looked very much like a rookie thus far but he could fit very nicely into a Harbaugh system.  My guess is he’s rolling the dice on Smith.  And if he’s wrong, he’ll stay the course and draft Andrew luck next season.  As a Niners fan, that’s kind of my wish.

10) Meanwhile, Michael Crabtree's foot is hurt again and he's lost a second straight Training Camp. On top of it, I'd say it appears he just doesn't think much of Alex Smith. Do you see this guy getting his head straight anytime soon and given the missed time in a timing West Coast style offense, what kind of impact can Niner fans expect? Should the signing of Braylon Edwards be a 'Come To Jesus' moment for Crabtree or do you see Edwards as merely a help to a wide receiver corps which hasn't been terribly deep with talent the last few years?

Melissa: Where can I apply to be the Niners’ team psychologist?  I think Crabtree has suffered from a nice cocktail of injury, head case, and total lack of confidence in his QB.  Of course he has the same QB, so we’ll see how Harbaugh’s work on Smith pays off.  I do believe Crabtree will put in the effort if he feels like he’ll reap the benefits.  Not a great attitude but one a lot of wide receivers have, quite frankly.  I’m quite fond of the Braylon pickup.  The guy still has sick talent.  It’s just going to be a matter of timing and getting those hands to stick to the ball.  And stay out of trouble, Braylon!  Of course, their best receiver is Vernon Davis.  He could really go back to stud status this season. But it’s all dependent on Alex Smith, both from a confidence and protection standpoint.

And that's it for our interview with the wonderful Melissa. As I said earlier, you can catch her work at TheFootballGirl.com, as well as ESPNW and of course on twitter @thefootballgirl.