Sunday, December 28, 2014
Packers NFC North Champs
From ESPN: A heating pad wrapped around his sore left calf, Aaron Rodgers could only watch helplessly on television monitors in the locker room as the Detroit Lions surged closer to his Green Bay Packers.
There was only one place that he wanted to be -- back on the turf with the rest of the Packers while they tried to secure a fourth straight NFC North title.
Green Bay's franchise quarterback is limping into the playoffs with a smile. Rodgers threw two touchdown passes to Randall Cobb, Eddie Lacy gashed Detroit's defense for 100 yards, and the Packers celebrated another division championship with a 30-20 victory Sunday.
Rodgers will appreciate a week off after the win, as the Packers (12-4) earned a bye. Detroit (11-5) starts the postseason at Dallas next Sunday. Green Bay will next play on the following Sunday.
"It's clearly an MVP performance -- another MVP performance -- by Aaron Rodgers," coach Mike McCarthy said. Rodgers won the award in 2011.
Rodgers was carted to the locker room after tossing his first score to Cobb late in the second quarter. He tweaked the calf during last week's win at Tampa Bay.
This injury came in a different spot in the calf, Rodgers said. He came up limping again.
In the locker room while getting treatment, Rodgers said he was thinking about "if I could finagle myself to go back in the game."
He hobbled back on to the field in the third quarter with the game tied at 14.
"I just felt like if I got in there, it might give us a little jolt," Rodgers said.
The jolt soon followed. A seven-play, 60-yard drive ended with a 13-yard score to Cobb for a 21-14 lead. The Packers didn't look back.
Rodgers plunged across the goal line from 1 yard with 8:45 left to help Green Bay regain a two-touchdown lead. "MVP! MVP" chanted adoring fans while light snow dusted Lambeau Field.
Rodgers finished 17 of 22 for 226 yards. He was out of the game for about a seven-minute stretch between the second and third quarters. In between, Calvin Johnson had touchdown catches of 4 and 20 yards on consecutive drives to help the Lions roar back from a 14-0 deficit. http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400554411
Rodgers has to be the MVP and the Packers are hungry.
Watch for a Seattle-Green Bay match up in the NFC championship game in Seattle- it will be epic.
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