GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers will be without three key players on offense in Sunday’s game against Detroit.

Running back James Starks (knee/ankle), receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb (groin) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee), who has missed the last two games, won’t play in the regular-season finale.

Coach Mike McCarthy would not say Friday whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers will sit the game out.

“The most important thing with Aaron is he’s ready to play,” McCarthy said. “It’s important for the quarterbacks, we repped all three of them this week. So I’d like to see all three of them play in the game, is the initial plan as we started the week.”

Rodgers didn’t shed any light on whether he would play.

“I’m going to leave it up to Mike,” he said.

The Packers also listed right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) as doubtful. Linebacker Clay Matthews (ankle) and cornerback Charles Woodson (knee) are questionable.

McCarthy has been coy this week about his approach to Sunday’s game after the Packers (14-1) clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

While the playoffs-bound Lions (10-5) can gain the No. 5 seed in the NFC bracket by winning at Green Bay for the first time since 1991, the Packers don’t have anything riding on the final score against their longtime rivals.

“It ain’t the end of the world. We’ve still got them playoffs,” Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley said.

The Packers will have a first-round bye and won’t play again until the Jan. 14-15 weekend.

McCarthy shrugged off the suggestion that a loss would hurt his team’s momentum.

“I don’t ever worry about the outcome of the game,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in trusting the process. I truly believe we’re going to win this football game. So I’m more concerned with the process leading up to this game, and I’ll be just as much concerned as the process leading up to our next competition.

“Games are won, in my opinion, throughout the week. We fully expect to win this game.”

The Packers would be counting on a combination of Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell to lead the league’s No. 1-scoring offense if Rodgers doesn’t play for only the second time in his four seasons as the starter.

Flynn, a fourth-year player, made his only pro start Dec. 19, 2010, with Rodgers out because of a concussion. Flynn played well in the prime-time game on the road against the heavily favored New England Patriots, who hung on for a 31-27 win.

“I want to see Matt Flynn play like he did in New England, but take it a step further – win the game,” McCarthy said.

Harrell is anxious to get his first regular-season action since he signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2010.

“I’d love to get in, but we’re going out to win,” Harrell said.

And Harrell wouldn’t be surprised if Flynn, not Rodgers, makes the start Sunday.

“It’ll be interesting,” Harrell said. “I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Aaron, he’s been healthy almost his whole career. He’s a smart player, and he obviously helps us win. So letting him get some action would be good for us, but if they decide to rest him, it obviously makes a ton of sense as well.”

Notes: DE Ryan Pickett and LT Chad Clifton are expected to play. Both veterans are probable for the game. Pickett missed the last two games because of a concussion. Clifton hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury Oct. 9 and then a back injury during his rehab work. Finley also is probable. He practiced the last two days on a limited basis after a sore knee kept him out Wednesday. . McCarthy said the team would practice Wednesday and Thursday and possibly Friday next week before an opponent is known for the divisional round of the playoffs. “We’re going to keep our players mentally and physically on the same time clock,” McCarthy said.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers will be without three key players on offense in Sunday’s game against Detroit.

Running back James Starks (knee/ankle), receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb (groin) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee), who has missed the last two games, won’t play in the regular-season finale.

Coach Mike McCarthy would not say Friday whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers will sit the game out.

“The most important thing with Aaron is he’s ready to play,” McCarthy said. “It’s important for the quarterbacks, we repped all three of them this week. So I’d like to see all three of them play in the game, is the initial plan as we started the week.”

Rodgers didn’t shed any light on whether he would play.

“I’m going to leave it up to Mike,” he said.

The Packers also listed right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) as doubtful. Linebacker Clay Matthews (ankle) and cornerback Charles Woodson (knee) are questionable.

McCarthy has been coy this week about his approach to Sunday’s game after the Packers (14-1) clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

While the playoffs-bound Lions (10-5) can gain the No. 5 seed in the NFC bracket by winning at Green Bay for the first time since 1991, the Packers don’t have anything riding on the final score against their longtime rivals.

“It ain’t the end of the world. We’ve still got them playoffs,” Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley said.

The Packers will have a first-round bye and won’t play again until the Jan. 14-15 weekend.

McCarthy shrugged off the suggestion that a loss would hurt his team’s momentum.

“I don’t ever worry about the outcome of the game,” he said.

“I’m a firm believer in trusting the process. I truly believe we’re going to win this football game. So I’m more concerned with the process leading up to this game, and I’ll be just as much concerned as the process leading up to our next competition.

“Games are won, in my opinion, throughout the week. We fully expect to win this game.”

The Packers would be counting on a combination of Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell to lead the league’s No. 1-scoring offense if Rodgers doesn’t play for only the second time in his four seasons as the starter.

Flynn, a fourth-year player, made his only pro start Dec. 19, 2010, with Rodgers out because of a concussion. Flynn played well in the prime-time game on the road against the heavily favored New England Patriots, who hung on for a 31-27 win.

“I want to see Matt Flynn play like he did in New England, but take it a step further – win the game,” McCarthy said.

Harrell is anxious to get his first regular-season action since he signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2010.

“I’d love to get in, but we’re going out to win,” Harrell said.
And Harrell wouldn’t be surprised if Flynn, not Rodgers, makes the start Sunday.

“It’ll be interesting,” Harrell said. “I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Aaron, he’s been healthy almost his whole career. He’s a smart player, and he obviously helps us win. So letting him get some action would be good for us, but if they decide to rest him, it obviously makes a ton of sense as well.”

Notes: DE Ryan Pickett and LT Chad Clifton are expected to play. Both veterans are probable for the game. Pickett missed the last two games because of a concussion. Clifton hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury Oct. 9 and then a back injury during his rehab work. Finley also is probable. He practiced the last two days on a limited basis after a sore knee kept him out Wednesday. . McCarthy said the team would practice Wednesday and Thursday and possibly Friday next week before an opponent is known for the divisional round of the playoffs. “We’re going to keep our players mentally and physically on the same time clock,” McCarthy said.

• WHO: Chicago Bears (7-7) at Green Bay Packers (13-1).

• WHEN: Sunday, 7:20 p.m., NBC.

• OPENING LINE – Packers by 12 1/2.

• RECORD VS. SPREAD – Bears 7-7; Green Bay 9-5.

• SERIES RECORD – Bears lead 92-85-6. Last meeting: Packers beat
Bears 27-17, Sept. 25

• LAST WEEK – Bears lost to Seahawks 38-14; Packers lost to Chiefs
19-14.

• NFL RANKINGS: Bears’ offense, overall (24), rushing (10), passing
(25); Bears’ defense, overall (17), rushing (8), passing (27).
Packers’ offense, overall (4), rushing (25), passing (4); Packers’
defense, overall (31), rushing (12), passing (31).

• FACT & FIGURES: Packers can clinch home-field advantage in
NFC with win, or San Francisco loss, on Sunday. … Packers’ loss
at Kansas City last Sunday broke 19-game winning streak and was
first loss in nearly a year, having lost at New England on Dec. 19,
2010. … Will be fourth meeting between Bears and Packers in 2011.
Two teams faced off in 2010 regular season finale, NFC championship
game, and earlier this season. … QB Aaron Rodgers is first
Packers player and fifth player overall in NFL history to throw
40-plus touchdowns in season. … Five of WR Jordy Nelson’s 10
touchdowns this season have been for 35-plus yards. … WR Donald
Driver has 9,979 yards receiving and needs 21 to become the Packers
player with 10,000. … CB Charles Woodson has five interceptions
against Bears. Since joining Packers in 2006, Woodson has 37
interceptions and nine interception returns for touchdowns. …
Bears would be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss. …
Josh McCown replaces Caleb Hanie as Bears starting QB after Hanie
struggled in wake of Jay Cutler’s thumb injury. McCown hasn’t
started a game since Dec. 23, 2007, for Oakland against
Jacksonville. … Cutler remains out, and RB Matt Forte expected to
remain sidelined with knee injury. … Including NFC championship
game, Bears LB Brian Urlacher aims for third game in row vs.
Packers with an interception. … Bears DE Julius Peppers had sack
and fumble recovery in last game vs. Packers. Since entering NFL in
2002, Peppers is tied for third in league with 99 sacks.

- The AP.

Winning every week is one thing. On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made a legitimate playoff contender look like a team that was ready to pack its bags.

Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less than three full quarters’ worth of work, Ryan Grant had two touchdowns rushing and Charles Woodson picked off a pass against his former team as the Packers trounced the Oakland Raiders 46-16.

The Packers ran their record to 13-0 — leaving them only three games short of completing a perfect regular season. And they did it with a near-perfect performance.

Carson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate contenders in the AFC West.

With little actual drama in the game, the biggest concern for the Packers was an apparent left knee injury to wide receiver Greg Jennings in the third quarter. Green Bay defensive lineman Ryan Pickett also walked to the locker room after sustaining a head injury in the third quarter.

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup Matt Flynn took over late in the third.

Oakland was playing without injured running back Darren McFadden, along with wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. And the Raiders made plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it. Palmer threw an interception on the Raiders’ first possession, and Oakland committed eight penalties in the first half alone.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination.

Green Bay had four touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions. Things got out of hand so quickly that the Raiders tried a fake punt midway through the second quarter. As was the case for most things the Raiders attempted Sunday, it didn’t work.

Oakland	0	0	7	9	—	16
Green Bay	14	17	12	3	—	46

First Quarter

GB—Grant 47 run (Crosby kick), 11:57.

GB—Taylor 4 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 4:10.

Second Quarter

GB—FG Crosby 34, 13:07.

GB—Nelson 37 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 9:14.

GB—Grant 6 run (Crosby kick), 7:06.

Third Quarter

GB—FG Crosby 38, 12:41.

Oak—Bush 2 run (Janikowski kick), 8:15.

GB—FG Crosby 49, 3:31.

GB—Walden 5 fumble return (kick blocked), 2:48.

Fourth Quarter

GB—FG Crosby 33, 14:21.

Oak—McClain safety, 11:01.

Oak—Boss 5 pass from Palmer (Janikowski kick), 4:43.

A—70,524.

	Oak	GB
First downs	23	22
Total Net Yards	355	391
Rushes-yards	29-117	24-136
Passing	238	255
Punt Returns	0-0	2-26
Kickoff Returns	4-41	2-67
Interceptions Ret.	1-0	4-18
Comp-Att-Int	24-43-4	17-32-1
Sacked-Yards Lost	1-7	4-26
Punts	5-49.4	1-40.0
Fumbles-Lost	1-1	0-0
Penalties-Yards	11-89	5-35
Time of Possession	31:20	28:40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Oakland, Bush 23-78, Palmer 2-12, Reece 2-12, Murphy 1-10, Cartwright 1-5. Green Bay, Grant 10-85, Kuhn 10-46, Saine 1-7, Flynn 3-(minus 2).

PASSING—Oakland, Palmer 24-42-4-245, Lechler 0-1-0-0. Green Bay, Rodgers 17-30-1-281, Flynn 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING—Oakland, Heyward-Bey 5-78, Boss 5-43, Murphy 4-70, Reece 4-5, Bush 3-19, Cartwright 2-16, Schilens 1-14. Green Bay, Driver 4-75, Nelson 3-81, Cobb 2-45, J.Jones 2-29, G.Jennings 2-20, Saine 2-14, Grant 1-13, Taylor 1-4.

GREEN BAY, Wisc. (CBS/AP) — Winning every week is one thing. On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made a legitimate playoff contender look like a team that was ready to pack its bags.

Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less than three full quarters’ worth of work, Ryan Grant had two touchdowns rushing and Charles Woodson picked off a pass against his former team as the Packers trounced the Oakland Raiders 46-16.

The Packers ran their record to 13-0 — leaving them only three games short of completing a perfect regular season. And they did it with a near-perfect performance.

Carson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate contenders in the AFC West.

With little actual drama in the game, the biggest concern for the Packers was an apparent left knee injury to wide receiver Greg Jennings in the third quarter. Green Bay defensive lineman Ryan Pickett also walked to the locker room after sustaining a head injury in the third quarter.

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup Matt Flynn took over late in the third.

Oakland was playing without injured running back Darren McFadden, along with wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. And the Raiders made plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it. Palmer threw an interception on the Raiders’ first possession, and Oakland committed eight penalties in the first half alone.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination.

Green Bay had four touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions. Things got out of hand so quickly that the Raiders tried a fake punt midway through the second quarter. As was the case for most things the Raiders attempted Sunday, it didn’t work.

Grant rediscovered his big-play ability for the Packers, breaking a 47-yard run two plays after Palmer threw an interception to rookie linebacker D.J. Smith on the Raiders’ first possession.

The Packers were without injured running back James Starks, who had surpassed Grant in the Packers’ rotation. Until that play, Grant hadn’t looked like his explosive old self for most of the season.

After a defensive stop, Rodgers directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Taylor — the rookie’s first career touchdown.

Trailing 31-0 with about six minutes left in the half, the Raiders tried the fake punt. But Shane Lechler threw high to Rock Cartwright for an incompletion, and the Packers took over at the Oakland 28-yard line.

The Raiders ran into more bad luck on the second-half kickoff, when Green Bay’s Randall Cobb appeared to step out of bounds during a 50-yard return. Officials said the replay system was malfunctioning, and the Raiders couldn’t challenge.

But Jennings had to go to the locker room after hurting his left knee early in the third quarter, and the Raiders finally got on the scoreboard when Michael Bush ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-7.

Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden scored on a fumble return late in the third quarter. Walden has been in trouble off the field for the Packers and was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor disorderly conduct-domestic abuse following an altercation with his girlfriend.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)