Thanks to a talent-rich draft, the annual ‘grading’ of teams’ performances in the NFL Draft has been a fairly generous one this year. If any division has polarized the opinion of the media, it is the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings have been widely praised for their haul, although perhaps not too surprising, as any team would struggle not to draw praise for three first-round selections, while the Chicago Bears have been lamented for not filling certain needs and arguably reaching with their first-round selection of Kyle Long. That leaves the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Both teams have been praised for ‘solid’ drafts, but the latter’s general manager, Ted Thompson, may have struck gold with his current crop of rookies.

The Packers took UCLA’s Datone Jones with the 26th pick of the draft, and you’d struggle to find a person who does not like this pick. He has the ability to come in and start for the Packers immediately, and offers more dynamism on the edge than the likes of C.J. Wilson and Jerel Worthy. The pressure he will be able to generate on quarterbacks will help create space for Clay Matthews, who was often double teamed last season, and form a formidable one-two punch for the Packers’ defense. He has a lot to learn still, including improving his balance and agility, but he will make an impact on the Green Bay defense from day one.  Check out the NFL Future betting odds at Topbet.eu for a great 2013 NFL season.

Thompson also addressed the Packers’ desperate need for a running back, selecting Alabama’s Eddie Lacy in the second round before also taking Jones’ teammate at UCLA, Johnathan Franklin, in the fourth round. Lacy was arguably the best running back in draft, especially for teams looking for a workhorse back who can be on the field for all three-downs. However, injury concerns caused his stock to drop considerably. Instead of passing up on the immense talent Lacy offers, Thompson drafted some security in the form of Franklin. The duo should help take some heat off Aaron Rodgers, although both will need to work on their pass protection skills.

The offensive line was another area that Thompson and his team needed to strengthen, and they did so in the fourth round, taking David Bakhtiari (Colorado) and J.C. Tretter (Cornell). Green Bay has already decided to move Bryan Bulaga and Josh Sitton to left tackle and left guard respectively, ensuring Rodgers to have the best possible protection. This means that Bakhtiari and Tretter will likely compete with Marshall Newhouse and Derek Sherrod at the right tackle position, although potentially either or both could move inside. Given Newhouse’s and Sherrod’s troubles at the left tackle position over the last two seasons, it will be interesting to see how they transition to right, but Bakhtiari could oust both players by the beginning of the season if he impresses enough in training camp and preseason.

The Packers also added a number of players later in the draft whose contributions will likely be limited to special teams in their rookie year, but defensive lineman Josh Boyd of Mississippi State could be groomed into an NFL-quality nose tackle in a year or two. He could push B.J. Raji for playing time while also helping out in the rotation in the meantime.

Most critics of the Packers’ draft attribute not taking a safety as the reason for their lower grades, stating it was the one need the Packers failed to fill, but is there really a need at the position? Charles Woodson’s departure does leave a void in leadership, but Green Bay has real ability and potential at the position. Morgan Burnett has developed into an efficient and trustworthy presence in the secondary, whilst both M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian have shown flashes of their potential, and could excel with added responsibility.

Thompson is revered around the league as one of the savviest GMs out there. If this class of rookies helps take the Packers back to the Super Bowl, and it would be no surprise if they did, then he will have more than earned the respect the rest of the league pays him.

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Candlestick Park was silenced after second year quarterback Collin Kaepernick dropped back on the fourth play of the game and threw an interception to Packers cornerback Sam Shields, who returned it for a touchdown.

Kaepernick quickly brushed off his lone mistake to have a career day to help lift the 49ers over the Packers 45-31.

Green Bay’s defense was non-existent and unable to contain the dual threat quarterback. Kaepernick set a quarterback rushing record, compiling 181 yards on 16 carries for two touchdowns. He also completed 17 of 31 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

His favorite target was wideout Michael Crabtree, who caught nine passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

The Packers also had no answer for 49ers running back Frank Gore. Gore carried the ball 23 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 48 yards.

After the Packers had a 14-7 lead going into the second quarter, momentum quickly shifted when Packers punt returner Jeremy Ross muffed the catch and the 49ers recovered the fumble. The 49ers responded with a touchdown to tie the game.

On Green Bay’s ensuing drive quarterback, Aaron Rodgers over threw wideout Jordy Nelson and was intercepted. Once again the 49ers turned a Packers mistake into a touchdown to retake the lead.

The Packers went into the half down 24-21 but did not make any halftime adjustments to get back into the game and were outscored 21-10 in the second half.

Rodgers finished the game, completing 26 of 39 passes for 257 yards two touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers connected with James Jones and Greg Jennings for touchdowns.

Jones finished the game with four receptions for 87 yards along with his touchdown. Jennings led the Packers with six receptions for 54 yards along with his late score.

The 49ers are now heading back to the NFC Championship game. They will either face the No.1 seed Atlanta Falcons or the No.5 seed Seattle Seahawks. If the Seahawks pull off the upset, San Francisco will host the Championship game at Candlestick Park.

As for the Packers, they will enter the offseason with many decisions to make regarding players and staff.

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The Green Bay Packers took care of business over NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings 24-10 at Lambeau Field to punch a ticket into the next round of the playoffs.

Minnesota, was without starting quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder was ruled inactive in Saturday’s match-up because of an elbow injury. As a result, back-up Joe Webb got the nod and started in his first game of the season.

Webb, completed 11 of 30 passes for 180 yards one touchdown and one interception. He had success evading the pocket and scrambling seven times for 68 yards. The third-year quarterback from UAB, led the Vikings down the field on their first drive but settled for a Blair Walsh 33 yard field goal.

The Packers answered back towards the end of the first quarter to help swing momentum on their side. On Minnesota’s nine yard line, Green Bay’s starting running back DuJuan Harris punched in an nine yard run to give the Packers a 7-0 lead.

Green Bay was back on the board in the second quarter with a Mason Crosby 20 yard field goal. Right before the half, Packers full-back John Kuhn punched in a three yard run to give Green Bay a 17-3 lead into half.

On the first drive of the second half, Aaron Rodgers lead the Packers offense right down the field with ease. The Vikings gave the Packers another opportunity after committing a 12-men on the field penalty. On the ensuing play, Rodgers dropped back and connected with Kuhn for a score to give the Packers a 24-3 lead.

Kuhn, had one touchdown all season long and was able to be a leading factor scoring two touchdowns to help the Packers defeat the Vikings.

Webb threw his first touchdown pass with just under four minutes in the game to a wide open Michael Jenkins.

After torching Green Bay in the regular season, the Packers defense was able to contain Adrian Peterson. Peterson rushed 22 times for 99 yards.

Rodgers ended the game completing 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers was able to connect with 10 different wide receivers. Wideout Greg Jennings caught four passes for a team high 61 receiving yards.

With the victory, the Packers will travel to No.2 seed the San Francisco 49ers next week. The Packers lost to the 49ers in Week 1 at Lambeau 30-22 and will look to clinch a spot in the NFC Championship.

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers 37-34 at Mall of America Field to earn themselves the final NFC Wild Card position.

All eyes were on Adrian Peterson, who entered the game 208 yards away from Eric Dickerson’s rushing record. Peterson had an extremely effective game but fell nine yards shy of the record. Peterson carried the ball for a career high – 34 times for 199 yards and one touchdown. Peterson also had one reception that was a touchdown.

Vikings quarterback, Christian Ponder played mistake free football to help Minnesota win a fourth straight game and clinch a spot in the playoffs. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdown passes was a season high along with his 120.2 passer rating.

Rookie wideout Jarius Wright caught an eight yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left in the first half. Ponder connected with Wright again in the fourth quarter on a 65 yard bomb, that later resulted in a Michael Jenkins three yard touchdown catch.

Wright led the Vikings with three catches for 90 yards along with his touchdown. Also wideout Michael Jenkins had three catches for 37 yards along with his touchdown grab.

As for the Packers, they were unable to take a lead the entire game and found themselves fighting back until the final whistle.

Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 40 passes for 365 yards and four touchdown passes. His 365 passing yards was a season best and it was the fourth time this season he threw at least four touchdown passes.

Rodgers favorite target was wideout Greg Jennings. Jennings caught eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns and his big performance helped the Packers stay competitive the entire game. Wideout, James Jones was the recipient of Rodgers second touchdown pass in the third quarter. Rodgers and wideout Jordy Nelson connected on a two yard back shoulder pass to tie the game 34-34 with less than three minutes to go.

Green Bay was led on the ground by back, DuJuan Harris. Harris had 14 carries for 70 yards. Although, having some success the Packers were forced to throw the ball because they were trailing the entire game.

With the loss the Vikings snapped Green Bay’s 12-game winning streak over the NFC North division.

The Packers are now the No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoffs and will face the No. 6 seed Vikings next week in the Wild Card Round.

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The Bears’ tenacious defense turned four turnovers into 16 points, defeating NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions, 26-24.

Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 18 of 31 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown. Cutler’s lone touchdown pass came in the first quarter on a 60 yard screen pass to wide out Earl Bennett. Bennett led the Bears with five catches for 109 along with his touchdown catch.

Detroit’s defense kept wideout Brandon Marshall in check limiting him to five catches for 42 yards. Marshall finished the regular season with a team high 118 catches.

Running back Matt Forte carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards and punched a one yard run touchdown. Forte injured his ankle for the third time this season and withstood the pain in a must win game. This was Forte’s third game this season surpassing the 100 yard mark on the ground.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford broke Drew Bledsoe’s pass attempts record after completing 24 of 42 passes for 272 yards three touchdowns and one interception. He was intercepted by cornerback Tim Jennings. Jennings, ninth interception is a league best.

Stafford finished the season with 727 pass attempts and with 4,967 passing yards, just 33 yards shy of consecutive 5,000 yard seasons.

He connected with two year wideout Kris Durham on a 26 yard touchdown pass for his first touchdown catch of his career. Stafford and Durham were teammates at the University of Georgia. He also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller for his first touchdown of the season and his final touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Brian Robiskie to pull within two points.

Wideout Calvin Johnson, led the Lions with five catches for 72 yards. Unfortunately, Johnson came short of setting a  2,000 receiving record finishing the season with 1,964 yards.

After starting 7-1, the Bears are not heading into the postseason finishing the year 10-6 because the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers to earn the final wild card position.

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Houston Texans 23-6 at Reliant Stadium to improve to 9-6 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder played efficiently, completing 16 of 30 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph on a three yard play action pass to go ahead 7-3. Ponder’s favorite receiver was rookie Jarius Wright, who caught five passes for 53 yards.

Running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 25 times for 86 yards. This was Peterson’s first game being held under 100 yards after running for over 100 in the last eight games. Peterson needs 208 yards to surpass Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh hit three field goals from 39, 41 and 56 yards to help Minnesota stay ahead. Walsh broke an NFL record with nine field goals of 50 yards or longer.

The Houston Texans offense was out of sync the entire day and was only able to compile 187 total yards. Quarterback Matt Schaub completed 18 of 32 passes for 178 yards. This was Schaub’s fourth game this season without throwing a touchdown pass and the Texans lost three of those four games.

Schaub’s favorite target was wideout Andre Johnson, who hauled in seven passes for 97 yards. Back-up quarterback T.J. Yates came in on Houston’s final drive. Running back Arian Foster was limited to 10 carries for 15 yards and one fumble. His 1.5 yards per carry was a season worse for the four year back. Foster left the game because of an irregular heart beat.

Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt recorded one sack to expand his total to 20.5 sacks. Watt needs 2.5 sacks to surpass Michael Strahan’s single season record.

The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Texans will end the season next week against AFC South rivals the Indianapolis Colts and will look to clinch home field advantage in the playoffs.

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The Green Bay Packers demolished the Tennessee Titans 55-7 at Lambeau Field to improve to 7-1 at home and an 11-4 overall record.

Green Bay played ferocious defense the entire day, giving up 180 total yards and compiling seven total sacks. Titans quarterback Jake Locker completed 13 of 30 passes for 140 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Locker threw back-to-back interceptions on the Titans final two drives of the first quarter.

Linebacker Erik Walden and cornerback Sam Shields both recorded their second interceptions of the season. The Packers contained Titans running back Chris Johnson to 11 carries for 28 yards. Johnson exited the game in the first half with an ankle injury but was able to return.

The Packers were led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers completed 27 of 38 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. This was Rodgers seventh game throwing at least three touchdowns in a game. Rodgers started the scoring frenzy in the first quarter with a six yard run.

Rodgers connected with wideouts Randall Cobb, Greg Jennings and James Jones. Jones led all wide receivers with seven receptions 100 yards along with his touchdown. Jones’ touchdown was his 13th of the year an NFL best for wide receivers.

Cobb caught three passes for 62 yards along with his eighth touchdown of the season. He also broke a Green Bay record for most all-purpose yards, previously held by Ahman Green. Unfortunately, Cobb injured his ankle in the third quarter on a punt return.

Rodgers and the Packers were on cruise control and he was able to take a seat for a majority of the fourth quarter.

The Packers were led on the ground by Ryan Grant. Grant had 20 carries for 80 yards for a touchdown. Also DuJuan Harris carried the ball eight times for 29 yards and one touchdown.

With the victory, the Packers are still in contention for the No.2 seed. The Packers have won 20 of their last 21 home games. They will end the season at Mall of America Field against NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The Titans season finale will be at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North division for a second consecutive season with their 21-13 victory over divisional rivals the Chicago Bears at Solider Field.

Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers continue their 12-game winning streak in the NFC North division by tossing three touchdown passes. Rodgers completed 22 of 36 passes for 291 along with his three touchdown passes.

James Jones was the recipient to all three touchdowns, catching a total of five catches for 60 yards. Also, wideout Randall Cobb caught a game high six reception for 115 yards.

The Packers featured a combination of running backs to help jumpstart the run game. Alex Green, Ryan Grant and DuJuan Harris combined for 94 of Green Bay’s 113 rushing yards. The run game has picked up in the recent weeks due to rotation they have implemented.

Green Bay was ecstatic with the return of linebacker Clay Matthews, who missed the team’s last four games with a hamstring injury. His presence on defense was known, finishing the game with six tackles and two sacks. Matthews has 11 sacks in the 10 games he has played this season. The defensive pressure stepped it up in his return, combining for four total sacks.

The gameplan for Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears was to run the ball, control the clock and keep Rodgers off the field. Their opening drive looked as if it would have been successful but they had trouble moving the ball.

Cutler finished the game after completing 12 of 21 passes for 135 yards one touchdown and one interception. Cutler connected with wide receiver Brandon Marshall on a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Bears their early (and only) lead of the game.

The Packers secondary contained Marshall, who leads the league with 107 receptions, to only six receptions for 35 yards along with his score.

As for Chicago’s run game, Matt Forte had 20 carries for 69 yards. Forte also contributed in the pass game catching five passes for 64 yards.

Chicago’s tenacious defense was without Brian Urlacher but was still able to force two turnovers against Green Bay. Grant busted through the defense for a positive gain and was hit by cornerback Charles Tillman, who forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Nick Roach.

With less than eight minutes left, on a punt, returner Cobb attempted to throw a backwards pass to Jeremy Ross which he also fumbled — the Bears regained possession. The Bears were only able to kick a field goal on the horrendous Packers mistake.

With the victory, the Packers are in contention to earn a first-round playoff bye. As for the Bears, they have fallen to 8-6, along with four other teams in the NFC and will have to battle to earn a wild card playoff position. The Packers will be play their final home game of the season next week against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears will head west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski will preview week 15 games on Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM on December 16, at 10 a.m. NFL Insider Adam Schefter and senior analyst Chris Mortensen will report the day’s news.

The three-hour program will focus on Sunday’s six marquee matchups between teams with winning records, a rare occurrence on NFL Sundays this late in the season.  Countdown correspondents –  Josina Anderson (Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears) Sal Paolantonio (Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens), Rachel Nichols (New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons), Bob Holtzman (Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans), Ed Werder (Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys) and Colleen Dominguez (San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots) – will report from each one of the games. The last time a NFL Sunday included six games between teams with winning records was Sunday, Dec. 7, 2003. Other highlights:

• A Conversation with Big Ben: Last Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger returned from a shoulder injury to quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers in a surprising home loss to the San Diego Chargers in a game symbolic of the team’s roller coaster season.Countdown’s Merril Hoge sits for a one-on-one conversation with Roethlisberger.
• Von Miller Interview: The Denver Broncos defense, led by second year linebacker Von Miller, deserves as much credit as quarterback Peyton Manning and the offense for the Broncos’ eight-game win streak. Countdown’s Tom Jackson, a former Broncos linebacker, travelled to Denver for a sit-down interview with the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in November.
• Frank Caliendo: The humorous segment has Caliendo playing ESPN host Bob Ley and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Countdown will also feature a live look-ins at quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan, running backs Arian Foster and Ray Rice, and linebacker Ray Lewis in their pre-game routines leading into the 1 p.m. games; Kenny Mayne in his self-titled segment – the Mayne Event; Cris Carter’s “Where You At?”; and Jaworski and Hoge’s Xs and Os “Eye in the Sky” segment.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans Host New York Jets

The Tennessee Titans host the New York Jets on Monday Night Football on December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Since moving to Tennessee in 1997, the Titans are 9-5 on MNF and have won their last three games. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will call the action with sideline reporter Lisa Salters.

Televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, MNF will also be available at WatchESPN.com(computers) and via the WatchESPN app (tablets) for those who receive video subscriptions from an affiliated provider.

Providing pre-game news and information, Chris Berman hosts the two-hour Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jacksonand Keyshawn Johnson and NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. On-site host Stuart Scott, analysts Trent Dilfer and Steve Young, columnist Rick Reilly and Salters will join the studio crew from the stadium. Highlights:

• “Showdown Sunday” Recap: Countdown will recap Sunday’s NFL games with highlights, in-depth analysis, the latest news and reactions focusing primarily on the six matchups between teams with winning records.
• “Gruden Extra” with Jake Locker:  Second-year Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker, who participated in Gruden’s QB Camp before the 2011 NFL Draft, joins Jon Gruden in the MNF bus to discuss his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
• Soundtracks – Jets Season:  In this week’s “Soundtracks,” Countdown will feature key in-game audio from head coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets throughout the 2012 season.

Snickers NFL Matchup – Patriots Play-Action Passing; Giants Red Zone Offense; Broncos Blitz Schemes; and More

NFL Matchup host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge will preview the weekend’s key matchups by taking viewers inside the film room with X’s and O’s analysis Sunday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 a.m. on ESPN (ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.).  Highlights:

• Blitz Breakdown – Roethlisberger Pressured:  Hoge shows two blitz concepts by the San Diego Chargers from last week that overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Steelers pass protection and forced a sack on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
• “X and O Files” – Tony Romo Interception: The Cowboys battle to make the playoffs continues at home against the Steelers, who have the best defense in the NFL. Jaworski uses an interception quarterback Tony Romo threw against the Washington Redskins to show how Romo was confused by a disguised coverage.
• “Between the Lines” – Giants Red Zone, Manning to Bennett:  Jaworski uses the telestrator to show how the New York Giants dictate successful one-on-one matchups between tight end Martellus Bennett and opposing linebackers in the Red Zone.
• Hoge Breakdown – Kaepernick 50-yard Touchdown: Hoge explains how the San Francisco 49ers have added the read-option into their offense to create extra dimensions to their run game.
• “Coaches Clicker” – Bears’ Struggles in Run Defense: After allowing 141 rushing yards per game in the last five games, Hoge shows how the Chicago Bears defensive struggles result from poor linebacker play.
• Shot Play – Patriots Play Action Pass: Jaworski describes how the New England Patriots use multiple tight ends and run action to influence the safeties on a play-action that resulted in a touchdown to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.
• “Game Changer” – Broncos Blitz Sack:  The Denver Broncos have 15 sacks from blitzes this season.  Jaworski shows a successful blitz with linebacker Von Miller coming off the edge to get to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
• “The Money Down” – Andrew Luck to Reggie Wayne on Third and 17: The Indianapolis Colts lead the league in third and 10-plus yards conversions. Jaworski explains how Andrew Luck’s quarterbacking attributes allow him to move in the pocket and convert downfield throws on crucial third-down situations.

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A snowy and cold Lambeau Field played a decisive role in the Green Bay Packers 27-20 divisional win over the Detroit Lions, continuing a NFL record 22 consecutive victories over the Lions at Lambeau.

The Detroit Lions, marched down the field on their first drive with ease. The drive was capped off with quarterback Matthew Stafford’s four-yard touchdown run for an early 7-0 lead. On the Packers ensuing drive, Aaron Rodgers brought his offense down to Detroit’s 12 yard-line.

On 2nd and 10, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled the ball. Lion’s linebacker, Stephen Tulloch, recovered the ball. Once again the Lions attacked Green Bay’s weak defense and went ahead 14-0, after Stafford and tight-end Tony Scheffler connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass.

The Packers were able to respond with a Mason Crosby, 49 yard field goal. The Lions slowly started moving down field once again. On 1st and 10 from the Packers 42 yard-line, Stafford dropped back, went to throw and the ball slipped out of his hand. Packers’ defensive end Mike Daniels, recovered the fumble and took it back 72 yards to cut the deficit 14-10.

Rodgers, led the Packers down field on the first drive of the second half. On third and four from Detroit’s 27 yard-line Rodgers bought himself some time, eluding the pass rush and headed for the end-zone giving Green Bay their first lead of the night, 17-14.

Packers’ running back, DuJuan Harris put the finishing touches on the Lions in the fourth quarter, on a 14 yard touchdown run.  Harris finished the game with seven carries for 31 yards along with his touchdown. Also running back Alex Green had 13 carries for 69 yards. Recently signed, Ryan Grant got some action running the ball once for a 13 yards.

Green Bay had a well balanced offense running for a total of 140 yards. Rodgers completed 14-of-24 passes for a 173 yards. Rodgers’s favorite target was Randall Cobb. Cobb caught seven passes for 102 yards.  This was Rodgers second game this season not tossing a touchdown pass. Also he snapped his 30 consecutive home game touchdown streak.

Green Bay welcomed back corner back Sam Shields who has been out with an ankle injury. Shields picked off Stafford in the win.

Stafford finished the game completing 27-of-45 passes for 264 yards one touchdown and one interception. Wideout Calvin Johnson, caught 10 passes for 118 yards and still remains on pace to break Jerry Rice’s receiving yards record.

With the victory the Packers improved to 9-4 and control their own destiny. The Packers have an opportunity to win the NFC North next week, when they travel to Soldier Field to take on rivals the Chicago Bears. As for the Lions, they will be heading west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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Adrian Peterson continued his MVP campaign and the Minnesota Vikings remained playoff contenders with their 21-14 victory over NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears.

Peterson, carried the ball 31 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came in the first quarter, right outside the goal-line to help the Vikings take an early 14-0 lead.

Peterson has gone over the 100 yard mark in the last seven games and is atop the NFL with 1,600 rushing yards. He is also atop the NFL with 18, 20+ yard runs.

Not only is he in contention for MVP but also in the running for Comeback Player of the Year after last season’s gruesome knee injury.

Vikings’ quarterback, Christian Ponder completed 11-of-17 passes for 91 yards and one interception. Ponder’s favorite receiver was wideout Michael Jenkins who caught four passes for 36 yards. It is evident that Ponder is missing his number one guy, Percy Harvin who was placed on injured reserve last week.

As for the Chicago Bears, they were lead by quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler completed 22-of-44 passes for 260 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. Cutler’s lone touchdown pass was to rookie Alshon Jeffery. Along with his touchdown, Jeffery had three catches for 57 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Cutler exited the game after receiving a hard hit. According to reports, Cutler suffered whiplash and could not finish the game. As a result, back-up Jason Campbell tried to lead the team to victory.

Campbell, completed 6-of-9 passes for 64 yards and one touchdown. Campbell connected with wideout Brandon Marshall on a 16-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but that was not enough.  Marshall finished the game with 10 catches for 160 yards along with his touchdown.

Marshall has been the number one go-to-guy all season long and sits atop the NFL with 101 receptions, four shy of his 2008 career best while playing with the Broncos. This is Marshall’s fourth time in his career hauling in over 100 passes.

Unfortunately for the Bears, long-time favorite Brian Urlacher appears to be done for the rest of the regular season. Urlacher, injured his hamstring last week against the Seahawks.

With the loss, the Chicago Bears have lost their division lead to the Green Bay Packers but do have a wild card playoff position. The Bears will have a pivotal match-up next week against the the Packers. If the Packers win next weeks game they will clinch the NFC North division. As for the Vikings, they will head to St. Louis to take on the Rams and try to fight for their playoff lives.

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After last week’s pounding, the Green Bay Packers prevailed past the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson to retake the NFC North Division lead in a 23-14 victory at home.

The Packers were led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers completed 27-of-35 passes for 286 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rodgers connected with wide receiver James Jones on a 32-yard strike to take a 7-0 lead after their first drive.

Green Bay welcomed back wide receiver Greg Jennings, who has been out since week four ailing a groin injury. Jennings caught four passes for 46 yards in his return. Unfortunately, the Packers lost wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  Nelson was forced out of the game in the first quarter after re-injuring his hamstring.

The Packers run game finally emerged after being nearly non-existent. James Starks carried the load with 15 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Alex Green also contributed with 12 carries for 58 yards. Green Bay still remains at the bottom of the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

The Packers defense was able to contain Christian Ponder, limiting him to 12-of-25 for 119 yards one touchdown and two interceptions. Safety, Morgan Burentt recorded the two interceptions for the Packers.  Ponder was unable to connect with a wide receiver until the fourth quarter.

The Vikings were without Percy Harvin, who still has not recovered from his ankle injury. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph led the Vikings with six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

However, the Packers defense had difficulties stopping Adrian Peterson. Peterson carried the ball 21 times for 210 yards and a touchdown. Peterson broke through Green Bay’s defense, bounced off a few defenders and busted up-field for a career long 82 yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Peterson’s 210 yards was a season best thus far. He continues to run through defense after defense compiling his sixth straight 100+ rushing game.

Green Bay improved to 5-1 at home and 8-4 overall. They will be back in action next week at Lambeau Field against NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions. As for the Vikings, they fell to 6-6 but are still in playoff contention. The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears.

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On a chilly Sunday evening at MetLife stadium, the New York Giants pummeled the Green Bay Packers on offense and defense to earn a well-deserved 38-10 victory.

Eli Manning, completed 16-of-30 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Manning finally threw a touchdown pass after being held to none in the previous three weeks. He also passed Giants’ great Phil Simms for the most touchdown passes in Giants history.

Hakeem Nicks led the Giants receiving core with five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Wide-outs, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle each had a touchdown.

Andre Brown led the Giants rushing with 13 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he exited the game in the fourth quarter and has officially been diagnosed with a broken left fibula. Brown could possibly miss the remainder of the season. Ahmad Bradshaw also contributed to the run game, with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The Giants defense was aggressive and on point containing Green Bay’s high powered offense. They were able to break through the Packers fragile offensive line and record five sacks. Cornerback, Corey Webster recorded his fourth interception and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had a fumble recovery.

A 31 point first half performance for the Giants was more than enough to put the Packers away.

Aaron Rodgers was flustered the entire night with no time to throw the ball. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 219 yards for one touchdown, one interception and a fumble. His 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver, Jordy Nelson to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter was the Packers best offensive play of the night.

Green Bay’s running attack continues to be very ineffective and trailing the entire evening did not help. James Starks had eight carries for 35 yards and Alex Green had 10 carries for 30 yards. The Packers are at the bottom of the NFL with only two rushing touchdowns.

With the loss, the Packers are now 7-4 and have fell back to second place in the NFC North Division. Green Bay will be home next week against NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings. As for the Giants they remain atop the NFC East Division and will head to FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

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The Chicago Bears improved to 8-3 and 5-1 at Soldier Field with their 28-10 victory over NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings, snapping a two game losing streak.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had a quiet yet efficient game returning from injury completing 23-of-31 passes for 188 yards one touchdown and one interception.

His 74.2% completion percentage was a season best thus far for the  seven-year quarterback. Cutler connected with tight-end Matt Spaeth in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the year.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall continues to be Cutlers favorite target each week. Marshall caught 12 passes for 92 yards in the victory. This was the second time this season Marshall caught 12 passes in a single game. His 81 catches is a team high and there is not another receiver on the team that has more than 30 catches.

In the third quarter, the Bears offense lost playmaking running back Matt Forte. Forte exited the game with a right ankle injury; the same ankle where he suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. Michael Bush took over at running back and had 21 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears also lost wideout Devin Hester, who left the game with an apparent concussion.

The Bears defense bounced back this week after not forcing a single turnover in last weeks loss over the San Francisco 49ers. Safety Chris Conte caught his second interception, safety Major Wright and cornerback Charles Tillman both recovered fumbles.

As for the Vikings, quarterback Christian Ponder completed 22-of-43 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph in the third quarter for his long touchdown toss. Rudolph caught five passes for 55 yards along with his touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Adrian Peterson continued his dominance, rushing with 18 carries for 108 yards. Peterson also caught six passes for 30 yards. Peterson’s only mistake against the Bears was a fumble. Peterson has rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game and sixth time this season.

The Vikings were without wideout Percy Harvin, who was inactive again, nursing an ankle injury. As a result, rookie Jarius Wright took over the wideout spot. Wright caught seven passes for 49 yards.

The loss for the Vikings pushes them back to 6-5 but still keeps them well in contention in the playoff hunt. The Vikings will be on the road again next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings continue to struggle away from home, only recording one win this season.  The Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks next week as they fight for first place in the division.

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Colin Kaepernick led the San Francisco 49ers to an easy 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears to improve to 7-2-1 on the year. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start for the Niners.

Starting quarterback, Alex Smith, was inactive for Monday night’s game. Smith received a concussion in last week’s tie against the St. Louis Rams.

Kaepernick connected with tight-end, Vernon Davis, to extend an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Davis caught six passes for 83 yards along with his touchdown catch. In the third quarter, Kaepernick connected with wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, to put the 49ers ahead 27-0. Crabtree caught three passes for 31 yards along with his 10 yard touchdown catch.

As for the Chicago Bears, they were without starting quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler also received a concussion last week in a losing effort against the Houston Texans. Jason Campbell got the nod, but was not efficient. Campbell completed 14-of-22 passes for 107 yards one touchdown and two interceptions.

Campbell was knocked around the entire night and sacked a total of six times. 49ers defensive end, Aldon Smith, accounted for 5.5 sacks, pummeling through the Bears’ offensive line.

Campbell threw his lone touchdown pass to wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, in the third quarter. Along with his touchdown catch, Marshall recorded two catches for 21 yards.  This was the second time this season that Marshall was held to two catches and under 25 yards. The first time was against the Green Bay Packers in Week two.

The Bears also had trouble running the ball. Matt Forte carried the ball 21 times for 63 yards and back-up running back, Michael Bush, only had five carries for nine yards. Bush has yet to be as effective on the ground, as he was last season in Oakland. He has not scored a rushing touchdown since Week three.

Surprisingly enough, the Bears defense sits atop the NFL with 30 total takeaways and were unable to force a single turnover against the 49ers. As for the 49ers cornerback, Tarell Brown and safety, Dashon Goldson each had interceptions. Linebacker, NaVorro Bowman led the 49ers with 13 total tackles, pushing him to 4^th in the NFL with 94 total tackles.

With the loss, the Bears are now 7-3 and take a step back in the NFC North Division. The Packers are now in first place because they currently own the tiebreaker against the Bears. Chicago will be on the road next week against NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. As for the 49ers, they will also be on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

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The Green Bay Packers improved to 7-3, escaping past NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions 24-20 at Ford Field.

Green Bay was led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who completed 19-of-27 passes for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers’ first touchdown pass was in the second quarter to tight-end Jermichael Finley, to give the Packers a 7-3 lead.

Finley  caught three passes for 66 yards along with his touchdown catch. This was Finley’s first game with a touchdown since Week One against the San Francisco 49ers. His 66 receiving yards is also a season high thus far.

Detroit answered back on their next drive with a Mikel Leshoure touchdown run to regain the lead 10-7. Leshoure carried the ball 19 times for 84 yards along with his one-yard touchdown run.

Before the end of the first half quarterback Matthew Stafford dogged a Packers blitz. While trying to scramble for positive yards he was stripped by linebacker Dezman Moses, and the fumble was recovered by defensive end Mike Daniels. Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby was unable to capitalize, missing a 50-yard field goal wide left.

The Packers retook the lead 14-10 on Detroit’s first drive of the second half. On 3rd and 10 from Green Bay’s 44 yard-line,  Stafford dropped back and tried connecting with tight-end Tony Scheffler, but the ball tipped off of his finger tips and landed into safety M.D. Jennings’ hands. Jennings zoomed past the Lions for a 72 yard touchdown.

Stafford and wideout Calvin Johnson connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead 17-14. The pass somehow went right through Packers’ safety Morgan Burnett’s hands, and Johnson secured the catch.

Johnson caught five passes for 143 yards along with his score. This was Johnson’s third consecutive game with over 100+ receiving yards and his second consecutive game with a touchdown catch. Kicker Jason Hanson extended the lead 20-14 after nailing a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

On Green Bay’s ensuing drive, Rodgers led the Green Bay offense down to Detroit’s 22 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Rodgers threw the ball up to wideout Randall Cobb, who caught the pass in between two defenders for the winning touchdown. Cobb caught nine passes for 74 yards along with his touchdown. He continues to be an essential role in the Packers’ high powered offense.

The Packers’ defense stopped Stafford on the following drive, and Crosby kicked a 39-yard field goal to finish off the Lions. Green Bay will have a tough match-up next week on the road against the New York Giants. As for the Lions, they will be back in action on Thanksgiving against the Houston Texans. If the Chicago Bears lose Monday night against the 49ers, the Packers will move into 1st place of the division.

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The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-4 on the year and 5-1 at Mall of America Field, to hold off NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions, securing a pivotal 34-24 divisional victory.

Adrian Peterson continues to carry the Vikings with his tough running each week. Peterson had 27 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. Peterson’s touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 61-yard run as he burst through the Lions’ defense. This was Peterson’s fifth game rushing for over 100 yards and his fourth consecutive 120+ yard game on the ground.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder finally regained his touch behind center. The two-year player completed 24 of 32 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75% completion percentage is a season best thus far. Ponder was able to execute and play mistake-free football without throwing an interception for the first time since week four against the Lions.

Ponder connected with rookie wideout Jarius Wright for the first score of the game. Wright caught three passes for 65 yards along with his first career touchdown catch. Ponder was able to get tight end Kyle Rudolph involved again after being nearly irrelevant for the last three weeks for the Vikings’ offense.

Rudolph caught a team-high seven passes for 64 yards, and a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Vikings ahead 24-10.

The Vikings were without their main receiving threat Percy Harvin, who was ruled out because of an ankle injury.

The Lions’ Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connection finally came together but it was not enough. Johnson caught 12 passes for 207 yards and late touchdown to pull within 10 points.

Johnson was questionable coming into this week’s game with a knee injury, but was able to explode for his first 200+ yard game of the season. Johnson finally secured his second touchdown score of the year after being shut down for the previous five weeks.

Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 329 yard three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford connected with wide receiver Titus Young in the fourth quarter. Young caught four passes for 35 yards along with his touchdown reception. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Vikings hold their ground in third place in the NFC North. As for the Lions, they dropped to 4-5 and are going to need to start winning to become competitive in the division. The Vikings will have their bye week next week. Detroit will face another tough divisional opponent at home, the Green Bay Packers.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in their 31-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers, continues his dominance under center throwing at least two touchdown passes in six consecutive games. Rodgers tossed his first touchdown pass in the first quarter to wideout Randall Cobb.

Cobb continues to excel as one of Green Bay’s biggest offensive threats especially with the absence of Greg Jennings. Cobb caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the second quarter, putting the Packers ahead 14-7.

Packers receiver James Jones put Green Bay ahead 21-7 before the half on a 28 yard touchdown pass. Jones finished the game with four receptions for 61 yards along with his touchdown. Jones and Cobb stepped it up especially after wideout Jordy Nelson injured his ankle in the first quarter.

Tight-end Tom Crabtree’s lone catch came in the 4th quarter and resulted in a 72 yard touchdown to finish off the Cardinals. The 72 yard touchdown was Green Bay’s longest play of the season.

The Packers finally effectively ran the ball with the contribution of a few runners. Running back James Starks carried the ball 17 times for 61 yards, his best game this season. Alex Green also contributed with 11 caries for 53 yards. Rodgers, scrambled eight times for 33 yards and wideout Cobb carried the ball three times for 29 yards. They ran for a total of 176 yards, the most since 2009 against the Cleveland Browns.

The injury bug hit Green Bay again this week and hopefully everyone can return healthy after their bye week. Other than losing Nelson, Packers lost tackle Bryan Bulaga and linebacker Clay Matthews. All three exited the game and did not return.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback John Skelton threw for 306 yards one touchdown and one interception. His 306 yards was the first time Skelton threw for over 300 yards this season. His lone touchdown pass was to star wideout Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald caught six passes for 74 yards along with his 31 yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter.

Running back LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards and one touchdown in the second quarter.

After starting the season 4-0, the Cardinals are on a five game losing streak, averaging 10.6 points per game in their last five games. The Cardinals will have their bye week next week but will have another tough match-up Sunday, November 18, against the Atlanta Falcons.

Green Bay is on a four game winning streak entering their bye week. Coming off their bye, they will have a tough divisional rival match-up at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions.

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The Chicago Bears squeezed past the Carolina Panthers 23-22 to improve to 6-1 and 4-0 at Soldier Field.

Running back Matt Forte took the lead early in the first quarter on a 13 yard rushing touchdown. Forte had 70 yards on 15 rushes along with his one touchdown. Forte also caught five passes for 24 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, after a Jay Cutler fumble the Carolina Panthers responded; Cam Newton scrambled and dove in the end-zone but was hit and fumbled. Luckily the ball was recovered by Louis Murphy for the touchdown to go ahead 10-7.

The Panthers took advantage of Chicago’s weak offensive line and sacked Jay Cutler six times in the first half. Panthers kicker, Justin Medlock kicked three consecutive field goals to pull ahead 19-7.

In the 4th quarter, Jay Cutler put the Bears back on board. Cutler and tight-end Kellen Davis connected on a 12 yard-pass for his only reception of the day. The touchdown cut the Bears deficit to 19-14.

On the ensuing drive, on 1st and 10 on Carolinas 20 yard-line Newton dropped back to hit wideout Steve Smith who slipped, Tim Jennings jumped the rout and intercepted the pass to take it back for seven and give the Bears the late 20-19 lead. Jennings recorded two interceptions, a total of six on the year.

The Panthers almost responded with an incredible catch by Smith, but the veteran was unable to hang onto the ball. As a result, Medlock kicked a 45 yard field goal off the goal pole to go back ahead 22-20.

Cutler and Brandon Marshall connected four times on the final drive to help push the Bears into field goal range. On 2nd and 7 with four seconds left, Robbie Gould nailed a 41 yard field goal for the win.

Cutler finished the game completing 19-of-28 passes for 186 yards one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles. Cutler favorite target Marshall, caught nine passes for 98 yards.

Newton completed 20-of-39 passes for 314 yards threw two interceptions and two fumbles. Steve Smith, caught seven passes for 118 yards.

Carolina will head to FedEx field next week to take on the Washington Redskins. The Bears will be on the road next week against the Tennessee Titans as they look to stay atop the NFC North division with the Vikings and Packers breathing right behind their necks.

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The Green Bay Packers surprisingly struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but were able to hang on to earn themselves a 24-15 victory and improve to 5-3 on the season.

The Packers were without number one and two wideouts Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Jennings will miss about six weeks after opting for surgery on his groin. As for Nelson, he was inactive because of a hamstring injury. Lets not forget all of the injury woes the Packers are facing on the defensive side.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22-of-35 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers has thrown at least two touchdowns in the last five games for the Packers. Rodgers connected with wideout Randall Cobb on a five yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and veteran wideout Donald Driver in the 4th quarter.

James Jones led the Packers receiving core with seven receptions and 78 yards. Cobb continues to make a name for himself after catching his 4th touchdown pass of the year, already three more than last season. Cobb has already surpassed last seasons yards and receptions totals.

Green Bays running game continues to be non-existent and the absence of Cedric Benson continues to hurt them week after week. Alex Green carried the ball 22 times for an unproductive 54 yards. Green Bays rushing high of the season is held by Benson with 84 yards. Since he went down with a season ending injury, there has not been a single back to run for more than 65 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, Green Bay’s special teams came up with an enormous punt block that was recovered in the end-zone to help put seven points on the board.

Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a career high 303 yards and tossed one touchdown pass in the defeat. Wideout Cecil Shorts led the receivers eight receptions for 116 yards.

The Jaguars lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a foot injury last week, therefore promoting Rashard Jennings as the starting back. Jennings carried the ball 17 times for 59 yards, including six receptions for 56 yards. Jacksonville will face another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions, next week at home.

Green Bay’s victory is their third straight this season, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games at Lambeau Field. The Packers are now tied for second with the Minnesota Vikings. They will be welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to Lambeau next week as they look for a 4th straight win.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the Minnesota Vikings their first defeat at home this season 36-17.

Rookie running back Doug Martin exploded in his best game yet as an NFL back. Martin led the Buccaneers in rushing and receiving, with 29 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown run came midway through the 4th quarter to help solidify the victory. Martin caught three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman continues to pick up his level of play week after week. Freeman competed 19-of-36 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Freeman has thrown three touchdowns in three consecutive games.

Wideout Mike Williams contributed with six catches and 68 yards along with one touchdown. Third year full-back Erik Lorig scored his first NFL touchdown.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder bounced back from his 58 yard passing game last week. Ponder completed 19-of-35 passes for 251 yards one touchdown and one interception. Ponder connected with favorite wideout Percy Harvin in the 2nd quarter on an 18 yard touchdown pass.

Harvin finished the game with seven receptions, 90 yards and one touchdown. Harvin compiled 87 total receptions last season; he currently has 60 receptions through eight games and could possibly catch 100+ passes for the first time in his career.

Adrian Peterson had another great game as one of the superior running backs in the NFL. Peterson broke out a 64 yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Peterson averaged 8.2 yards per carry with his 15 carries for 123 yards. AP sits atop the NFL with 775 yards through eight games, and also with the most 20+ yard runs.

With the loss the Vikings fall to 5-3, but remain in 2nd in the NFC North Division just ahead of the 4-3 Packers; they have yet to play. Of the Vikings final eight games, five will be against divisional opponents, which will absolutely be decisive in their efforts in making the playoffs.

Next week the Vikings will be heading west to take on the Seattle Seahawks, who remain undefeated at home. The Buccaneers will also be heading west to take on the Oakland Raiders and look to get back to .500.

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The Packers offense started where they left off last week after crushing the Houston Texans, defeating the St. Louis Rams in Edward Jones Dome 30-20.

Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay’s offense with another spectacular game under center. Rodgers completed 30-of-37 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. In Rodgers last four games, he has thrown at least three touchdowns in each contest. His 81.1 completion percentage was a season best.

The Packers run game continues to be extremely inconsistent, especially without starting running back Cedric Benson. Starter Alex Green had 20 carries for 35 yards. He also caught four passes for 29 yards.

The Packers’ receiving core were without Greg Jennings for a third consecutive game. Jordy Nelson led the receivers with eight receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown. Nelson has emerged to become Green Bay’s number one wideout. This is the second consecutive week Nelson has compiled over 120 yards and a touchdown.

Randall Cobb also continues to be an electrifying threat on the Packers offense, whether being featured as a running back or a slot wide receiver. Cobb had one carry for 19 yards and caught eight passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

Green Bay’s offense has scored 72 points in their last two games to reestablish their high powered offense.

Green Bay’s defense is battered with injuries and were without defensive back Sam Shield, defensive tackle B.J. Raji, linebacker Nick Perry and linebacker D.J. Smith, who was put on injured reserve. Rookie defensive back, Casey Hayward stepped in for Shields and made his presence known.

Hayward had three tackles and one interception. He caught his fourth interception of the season in the 3rd quarter and is leading the team in interceptions. Linebacker Eric Walden led the defense with nine tackles. Also, linebacker Clay Matthews recorded his 9th sack of the season and remains in the top tier of pass rushers this season.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford completed 21-of-34 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Bradford’s lone touchdown pass was to wideout Austin Pettis in the 4th quarter.  Running back Steven Jackson carried the ball 12 times for 57 yards and one touchdown. Jackson punched in his first touchdown of the season.

Green Bay will be back in action next week at Lambeau Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Packers are still towards the bottom of the NFC North division; however, they are picking up their production as the season progresses.

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The Green Bay Packers kicked it up a notch on offensive and defense, handing the Houston Texans their first defeat of the season in a pummeling 42-24 victory at Reliant Stadium.

Despite missing wide receiver Greg Jennings due to a lagging groin injury and running back Cedric Benson who will be out for at least eight weeks with a Lisfranc foot injury, the Packers offense played their best football of the season over top ranked Houston Texans defense.

The Packers have struggled all season long to get on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Green Bay was able to punch in two touchdowns in the first quarter against the Texans, matching their first quarter point’s performance in their five previous games.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with wide receiver Jordy Nelson on a 41 yard pass for the first touchdown in the game on the Packers first drive. Nelson had a season high nine catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Also in the first quarter, Rodgers connected with receiver, James Jones for a six yard touchdown. The six-year wide out, punched in another score late to finish off the Texans. Jones has already matched last season’s seven touchdowns six weeks into the 2012 season. This was also Jones’ third consecutive game with two touchdowns. Speedy slot receiver, Randall Cobb also had an extremely productive performance catching seven passes for 102 yards.

Rodgers had a season high through the air passing for 338 yards and six touchdowns; tying a franchise record with ex- Packer Matt Flynn for the most touchdowns throw in a single game. Rodgers was extremely efficient finishing the game with a season best 133.8 passer rating.

Tight-end Jermichael Finely continues to struggle for the Packers with penalties and dropped passes, although ailing a shoulder injury. Luckily back-up tight-end Tom Crabtree picked up the load with two catches for 62 yards and one touchdown.

Green Bay was fortunate enough to get several second chance opportunities which turned into points because of foolish penalties on Houston’s defense and special teams.

A.J Hawk was the Packers anchor on defense, compiling 10 total tackles and one sack. Green Bay’s defense held Texans quarterback Matt Schaub without a touchdown pass. In addition they contained one of the best running backs in the game, Arian Foster to 29 yards on 17 carries. The Packers also forced three turnovers. Rookie cornerback, Casey Hayward continues to make a name for himself picking off Schaub two times. Hayward has an interception in two consecutive games. Also cornerback, Sam Shields snagged his first interception of the year along with having four tackles.

Unfortunately, Green Bay was hit with the injury bug again this week. Linebackers, D.J Smith and Nick Perry both left Sunday’s game with knee injuries. The Packers are becoming very thin at the linebacker position and have yet to find out if either Smith or Perry will miss extensive time.

A well-deserved win brings the Packers back to .500 (3-3) but still sit in third place behind Chicago and Minnesota. Green Bay will be on the road again next week against the St. Louis Rams.

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The Green Bay Packers were able to bounce back after last weeks heart breaking loss and hold off the winless New Orleans Saints 28-27.

The Saints took over momentum in the 3rd quarter after injuring Aaron Rodgers with the Packers in the red-zone. On the following play, back up quarterback Graham Harrell tripped while handing the ball off to Benson and the Saints recovered the fumble. A few plays later, New Orleans took the lead late in the 3rd quarter when Drew Brees connected with Joseph Morgan for an 80 yard touchdown bomb. On the Packers next drive, the Saints regained possession forcing an Aaron Rodgers interception.

Two drives after throwing his lone interception, Rodgers brought Green Bay down field and connected with Jordy Nelson for the game winning touchdown. On the ensuing kick-off, Green Bay was victim of another terrible call after New Orleans kick returner Darren Sproles fumbled and the referees called he was down by contact.

With an opportunity to take the lead, Saints kicker Garrett Hartley nailed a 43 yard field goal, but it was called back because of an offensive holding. Pushing the Saints ten yards back, the Packers jumped offside to give the Saints back five yards. Finally, Hartley lined up for a 48 yard field goal, and just missed giving the Packers the ball back with 2:49 left in the game. After a three-yard Cedric Benson run, the Saints called their final timeout. On a 3rd and 3, Aaron Rodgers threw a bullet to wideout James Jones, who miraculously caught the ball for a first down. Regardless of the catch the Saints were flagged for defensive pass interference, granting the Packers a first down. Rodgers and the Packers offense kneeled their way to a much needed victory.

Rodgers led the Packers offense, completing 31-of-41 passes for 319 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. This was Rodgers 24th, 300+ yard passing game in his career. Rodgers was able to connect with eight different targets against the Saints. Packers wideout Jordy Nelson led Green Bay with eight receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown. Greg Jennings also contributed with an early touchdown catch for his only catch of the game and James Jones caught five passes for 56 yards along with two touchdowns.

Green Bay was able to successfully keep the ball on the ground against the Saints. Cedric Benson led the Packers with 18 carries for 84 yards, a season high. Benson also contributed with four catches for 22 yards. This was Benson’s second game of the year compiling a total of 100+ all purpose yards. Green Bay continues to develop a run game to become less predictable offensively.

Drew Brees entered the record book, matching Johnny Unitas throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games. Brees passed for a season high 446 yards and three touchdowns. It was also Brees’ first 400+ passing game of the season. Marques Colston led the Saints with nine receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown. The Saints were unable to run the ball against Green Bay’s defense, only compiling a total of 45 rushing yards. The winless Saints are 0-4 for the first time since the 2007 season.

Green Bay (2-2) will be on the road next week against the Indianapolis Colts as they continue to play well and look to earn another victory. As for the Saints, they will look to earn their first victory of the season at home against the San Diego Chargers.

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Monday night’s showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers was a defensive gridlock, but the final score was dictated by the officials’ divisive decision to grant the Seahawks the 14-12 victory at CentruyLink Field.

Green Bay was able to drive down the field in the 4th quarter starting at their own 19, and Cedric Benson punched in a score from the one yard line to go up 12-7. They did not convert the two point conversion. On that drive, on 3rd and 2 from Seattle’s 47 yard line the officials called a pass interference on Kam Chancellor against Jermichael Finely, which extended the Packers drive, and did not seem to be a penalty.

The Packers were able to maintain the Seahawks on the ensuing drive. Green Bay regained possession after a failed 4th and 3rd conversion on Green Bay’s seven yard line. On the first play,  Cedric Benson was pushed backwards, and fumbled the ball. Packers center Jeff Saturday recovered the ball. Green Bay was only able to kill 57 seconds and punted the ball back to Seattle around midfield.

Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks to Green Bay’s 24 yard line. On 4th and 10, Wilson chucked the ball in the end-zone to Golden Tate, but cornerback M.D Jennings seemed to have intercepted the ball and had possession. However, the official ran over and called it a touchdown. The play was reviewed and stood, granting the Seahawks the victory. Beyond frustrated, the Packers left the field. However, 11 players needed to come back on the field to line up for the extra point conversion.

This catch has spurred a vast amount of controversy, especially because it was the obvious wrong call and the replacement officials are dictating the results of key games. According to the NFL rule book, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5: Simultaneous Catch states:

“ If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control.”

While looking at the review, its is clear that Jennings had possession of the ball and brought the ball to his chest, while Tate only had one hand on it. Furthermore before Tate made a play on the ball he blatantly pushed Sam Shields down to the ground, another missed call.

Several NFL, and sports analysts tweeted there reactions regarding the call. Steven A. Smith tweeted, “If the NFL wants to maintain any credibility whatsoever, it should OVERTURN this decision IMMEDIATELY. This game should be awarded to GB.” Prior to that Smith tweeted on the officiating saying, “That’s it! I’m done. CLEARLY AN INTERCEPTION. The NFL should be ashamed of itself for allowing this officiating to regress to this point.”

This has been the most controversial call of the season, and brings up the question, when will the NFL reach into their pockets and bring back the real officials?

For player and game stats please click here. 

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The Chicago Bears improved to 2-1 on the season, after defeating the St. Louis Rams 23-6 at Soldier Field. The Bears’ offense struggled last week against rivals Green Bay Packers, and their offense still seemed out of sync against the Rams.

Jay Cutler completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for only 183 yards, and threw one interception. Cutler had a passed rating of 58.9, and did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time since week 9 of last season. The Bears’ offensive line protected Cutler much better, only giving up two sacks. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall caught five passes for 71 yards, compared to his two receptions last week. Alshon Jeffery had five receptions for 45 yards. With running back Matt Forte still out due to an injury, Michael Bush led the Bears with 18 carries for 55 yards and one touchdown. Bush also caught two passes for 18 yards.

As for the the St. Louis Rams their points were produced by rookie kicker, Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein booted a 56 yard field goal, and a 46 yard field goal. Zuerlein is now 6-6 on the season.  Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had a rough game, only completing 18 of 35 passes for 152 yards and two interceptions. Bradford was knocked around all of the game, and was sacked six times. Furthermore, Bradford had a career low of  39.2 quarterback rating. Danny Amendola was Bradford’s favorite receiver again, catching five passes for 66 yards. Running back Steven Jackson was limited to 11 carries for 29 yards. Jackson wasn’t 100 percent as he proclaimed to be, however he did not further injure himself. Daryl Richardson carried the ball four times for 16 yards.

The Bears’ defense was lead by linebacker Lance Briggs, who had seven tackles. Also Bears, cornerback, Tim Jennings recored his 4th interception of the year. In addition, safety Major Wright caught his first interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Rams’ defense was led by linebacker James Laurinaitis, who recorded a season high 11 tackles. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan caught his third interception of the year in the the 1st quarter.

Chicago is 2-0 at home this season, and will be back in action next Monday, October 1st, on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. As for the Rams they will be home against division rivals, Seattle Seahawks on September 30th.

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A highly anticipated offensive shoot-out at Lambeau Field turned into a  defensive gridlock on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers defense had a huge target on their back following their weak performance in Week 1 against the 49ers. In Thursday nights rivalry game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers defense completely shut down the Bears explosive offense to earn an encouraging 23-10 victory.

The rampant defense of the Packers held the Bears to just 168 total yards. Jay Cutler was completely flustered by Green Bay’s aggressive defense, only throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown, whilst also giving up four interceptions. Cutler was also sacked seven times, and is now 0-3 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay also limited Chicago’s run game, especially after Matt Forte left the game in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury.

Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews, had seven tackles, and 3.5 sacks. Matthews has already matched the amount of sacks he had last year in the first two games of the season, and should continue to harass quarterbacks all season. The secondary also shone with Tramon Williams picking up two interceptions, whilst Charles Woodson and rookie Jerron McMillian also both picked off Cutler. The Packers secondary was also able to lock-up Bears star wideout Brandon Marshall, and limited him to two receptions for 24 yards. Marshall had a touchdown opportunity in the 3rd quarter however, but was not able to hang onto the ball.

Interestingly enough, Green Bay’s punter, Tim Masthay, threw a touchdown pass before Aaron Rodgers. In the second quarter, on a fake field goal, Masthay pitched the ball to Tom Crabtree who followed his blockers all the way for seven. Rodgers finally threw his first and only touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to veteran wideout Donald Driver. Rodgers finished the game completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In addition, the Packers run game proved to be far more effective than in Week 1, as they rushed for a total of 106 yards, and Cedric Benson lead the team with 20 carries for 81 yards. Benson also had four receptions for 35 yards.

Green Bay has now extended their winning streak against the Bears to five games. The Packers handled the pressure of an expectant home crowd extremely well to earn their first win of the season. Green Bay will be on the road for their next game, a tough clash with the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th. The Bears will be back at Soldier Field, September 23rd, against the St.Louis Rams.

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The NFL’s oldest rivalry will meet for the 185th time Thursday night at Lambeau Field. The Packers will try to bounce back from a Week One, 30-22 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, and the Bears look to make an early divisional statement and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Green Bay had an extremely difficult time stopping the 49ers’ offense this past Sunday. Green Bay gave up a total of 377 yards: 191 via pass, and 186 on the ground. In addition, the Packers struggled running the ball, compiling a total of 45 rushing yards. Packers’ newly acquired running back, Cedric Benson, only had nine carries for 18 yards- not exactly what the Packers wanted to see from their free agent signing. Unfortunately, the Packers also may be without wide receiver, Greg Jennings, who is ailing with a groin injury.

As for the Bears, their offense looked explosive. The Bears had a total of 428 yards, sixth best in the NFL, against the Indianapolis Colts. Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall did not miss a beat. In a Tuesday conference, when asked about the Packers’ defensive backs pressing and being physical with receivers Cutler said, “Good luck.” A very bold yet confident statement to make just a week into play.

Chicago’s running back duo could possibly be the best in the NFL. Matt Forte and Michael Bush were very effective Week One combining for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Bears were able to create turnovers, forcing three interceptions and two fumbles. Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher is expected to play even though he is still suffering knee problems. Also cornerback, Charles Tillman is expected to play. Tillman left Week One with an apparent shin injury.

Keys to Victory for the Packers:

Put pressure on Jay Cutler:

The Packers are going to have to be effective on the blitz and force Jay Cutler to make mistakes. They cannot allow him to settle in the pocket and find open receivers. Several times, Cutler threw questionable passes into double coverage in Week One against the Colts; Green Bay must capitalize on these mistakes, force turnovers and let their offense control the game.

Establish Some Type of Run Game:

The Packers had absolutely no run game Week One, which needs to change as the season progresses. By establishing a run game the Packers’ offense becomes more dangerous, and less predictable. This also gives Green Bay the ability to control the clock, and keep Cutler and his explosive offense off the field.

Keys to Victory for the Bears

Attack Green Bay’s weak Secondary:

The Bears have a talented offense and Cutler can definitely distribute and pass the ball. Cutler and the Bears should want to keep the ball in the air and see if the Packers are capable of stopping their receiving core revolved around Brandon Marshall.

Keep Aaron Rodgers off the Field:

Rodgers was not named MVP last year for nothing. He is extremely talented and executes very efficiently. The Bears must try and control the clock with Forte and Bush. The longer their offense is on the field the longer Rodgers is on the sideline. The Bears want to keep him off the field and put more pressure on the Packers’ defense to come up to make a big play.

The Packers will look to expand their current winning streak over the Bears to five games, but it definitely will not come easy. As coach Mike McCarthy said while addressing the press: “It’s a tough game every time we get together on the field, so we are expecting that, but yes we are focusing on winning the game.”

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Last season’s top two National Football Conference playoff seeds, the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers, clashed to kick off their regular season at Lambeau Field on Sept. 9.

Green Bay was off to a slow start offensively, much of it caused by a tenacious defense from the 49ers. Towards the end of the first quarter, 49ers kicker David Akers nailed a 40-yard field goal to take the lead, forcing the Packers to punt. On their ensuing drive, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith connected with veteran wide receiver Randy Moss for a 14-yard touchdown, which brought their lead to 10-0.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers answered back on the following drive starting at their own 20 yard-line. Rodgers began to run the “no huddle shotgun” offense and slowly marched down the field. On first and 15 on the 49ers 16 yard-line Rodgers dropped back and went to connect with tight end Jermichael Finley, but was held up by 49ers safety back Dashon Goldson, which resulted in defensive pass interference. As a result, on the next play Rodgers snapped the ball quickly and zipped it right into the arms of tight end Finley to cut the lead 10-7.

The 49ers ended the half with two boots from Akers. His first field goal from 43 yards, his second field goal from 63 yards, which tied an NFL record and gave the 49ers a 16-7 lead at the half.

In the second half, the Niners capitalized once again after forcing the Packers to a three and out on their first possession. On third and four inside the Packers 5 yard-line, Smith connected with tight end Vernon Davis and brought the 49ers’ score to 23-7, while the Packers remained scoreless.

Packers wide receiver/explosive punt returner Randall Cobb found the outside hole during the fourth quarter and sprinted 75 yards into the end zone. An initial flag thrown for an illegal block in the back, however, was overruled by another official, one of many controversial and surprising calls of the game. Rodgers and wide out Jordy Nelson connected for a two-point conversion to make it one possession game.

The Niners defense came up big down in the stretch with about eight minutes left as Rodgers misread the defensive coverage, went to throw short over the middle to wide receiver Greg Jennings and was intercepted by linebacker NaVorro Bowman instead. Following the interception on their first play just outside of Green Bay’s 20 yard-line, running back Frank Gore bounced to the outside and scored to put his team up 30-15.

The Packers bounced back quickly and fiercely. Rodgers connected with James Jones to cut the deficit back to an eight-point game. The Packers defense on the following drive finally made an important stop, giving the ball back to their offensive with plenty of time. Unfortunately, last season’s MVP, Rodgers, and his Packer offense were unsuccessful and were stopped on four and 10 on the Niners 45 yard-line. Alex Smith brought his offense back onto the field, and with two consecutive kneels solidified the 30-22 victory. Smith finished the game completing 20 of 26 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

Rodgers completed 30 of 44 passes for 303 yards also for two touchdowns and one interception. The Packers will have a short rest, but will be back on the field Thursday, Sept. 13 against divisional rivals the Chicago Bears.

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The Detroit Lions are coming off their first playoff appearance since 1999. The 10-6 Lions were led by their prolific, offensive weapons Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Stafford threw for 5,081 yards, 3rd in the NFL and threw 41 touchdowns, also 3rd in the NFL. As for his number one guy, Johnson led all receivers with 1,681 yards and was 2nd in the NFL with 16 touchdowns. The Lions were the 5th best total offense in the NFL, averaging 396.1 yards per game and were 4th in the NFL, averaging 300.9 passing yards per game.

If the Lions could get a healthy run game going, their offense would be even more of a threat. No running back on the Lions has solidified themselves as the starter because of constant injuries. Jahvid Best, who missed extensive time last season because of a concussion, is on the unable to perform list and unable to play for the first six weeks.

As for running back Mikel Leshoure, he missed all of last season with a torn left Achilles tendon. Although healthy and looking great this preseason, Leshoure will not be playing until Week 3 because of his substance-abuse suspension. With all this being said, that leaves running back Kevin Smith as the primary ball carrier, although he suffered a minor ankle set back in their third preseason game against Oakland.

Detroit was able to put up points on the scoreboard; however, they gave them up just as easily. The Lions were ranked 23rd in the NFL, allowed 367.6 yards per game and 23rd in points per game giving up 24.2.

In addition, the Lions’ offseason troubles definitely didn’t help them progress. Expect Stafford and Johnson to still be team leaders, and expect a setback especially after Chicago’s additions this offseason. The Lions have struggled against division rival’s Green Bay and Chicago the last three seasons and only have recorded 2 victories. This upcoming season may result in another 4 losses against the Packers and the Bears.

Detroit could start the season off with a 3-1 record in September; however, as the season goes on, the Lions will have a difficult time getting easy wins and could finish this season 8-8.

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