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.)

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• 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.

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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.

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.

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.

That’s all for today.

Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packers is hit by Michael Huff and Lamarr Houston of the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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ALLEN PARK — A lot of NFL fans are wondering what has happened to Green Bay’s defense this season.

In 2010, the Packers were ranked second in the league in scoring offense, allowing an average of 15 points per game. This year, they’re giving up 21.2. Last year, they allowed the fifth-fewest total yards in the league with 309.1 per game. That figure has ballooned by more than 80 yards per game this season.

Clearly, Detroit’s opponent in Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day game won’t be able to contain the Lions’ high-powered offense, which just put up seven touchdowns in a 49-35 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, right?

Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, but Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford breaks it down simply.

“They’re up by three touchdowns sometimes and teams are having to throw it,” he explained. “They’re doing a great job of getting a lead early, and teams are having to throw the ball a bunch of times.

“If you’re going to throw the ball as many times as you have to to try to get back in the game against their offense, you’re going to (give up) some yards. But they also lead the NFL in interceptions. So it’s give and take. They’re aggressive – that works for them equally, I guess.”

While statistics for Green Bay’s run defense are relatively close between this season and last season, there’s a huge discrepancy in the pass defense.

Teams threw the ball 32.9 times per game for an average of 194.5 yards in 2010. Offenses are flying high with 39.1 passes per game for an average of 289.3 yards in 2011.

But as Stafford pointed out, the Packers are scoring far more this season than last – 11.3 points more every game, to be precise. Their average margin of victory has exploded from 9.2 points last year to 14.3 points this year.

That’s probably striking enough to bear repeating: 10 games into the season, the Packers are beating their opponents by more than two touchdowns per game. It may not be at the level of the 19.7 points per game by which the New England Patriots beat their opponents during their undefeated regular season of 2007, but it’s nothing to shake a stick at.

Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams, as well as safeties Charlie Peprah and Morgan Burnett have combined for 16 of the Packers’ league-leading 19 interceptions – which will which will dust last year’s total of 24, by the way, should the defense maintain the pace.

Of the quartet’s 16 interceptions, three were pick-sixes.

So you’ll have to forgive Stafford if he’s not exactly looking past a third of the Packers that is overshadowed by their offense.

“They’re just very aggressive,” Stafford said of the defense. “In the secondary, they have a lot of confidence in themselves, as they should. It’s one of the best, if not the best, secondaries in the NFL. Those guys are looking to make picks and turn the ball over – get the ball over to their offense. They’re just extremely talented guys, and aggressive, as well.”

There is the quick update of the day.

The last thing the offensively challenged Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to see
is a Green Bay Packers defense that is coming off a much-needed dominating
effort.

Hoping for another shut-down performance, the Packers look to move to 10-0
and continue their best start since 1962 while trying to hand the reeling
Buccaneers a fourth consecutive loss Sunday at Lambeau Field.

While Green Bay’s offense continues to play at an extremely high level
behind Aaron Rodgers(notes), the Packers finally put forth the stifling defensive game
they had been looking for in Monday’s 45-7 home rout of Minnesota.

The Packers (9-0) yielded at least 424 yards in each of their previous three
games before keeping the lowly Vikings to 266. They held Adrian Peterson to 51
yards with a touchdown on 14 carries and sacked rookie Christian Ponder(notes) three
times.

“I think we’ve known that we can play at this level, it’s just a matter of
getting it done,” said linebacker Clay Matthews(notes), who had two of his five sacks
Monday.

Green Bay defenders have taken their generous play prior to Monday
personally at times. That unit has felt it has not held up its end of the
bargain while the Rodgers-led offense continues to roll over the competition,
with the Packers averaging an NFL-high 35.6 points per game.

“We’re mad,” cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) said. “We’re mad about the way we’ve
been performing. The way our offense has been playing and carrying this team, we
want to be a part of that too. We don’t want it to just be one-sided.”

Woodson and his defensive peers have a chance for another stingy showing
against Tampa Bay (4-5), which has been outscored 88-43 during a three-game
skid. The Buccaneers’ 156 total points this season are 12 fewer than the Packers
have scored in the first half alone in 2011.

Tampa Bay and Cleveland are the only teams in the league not to have scored
an offensive touchdown in the first quarter all season.

“It’s not getting any easier,” Tampa Bay center Jeff Faine(notes) said. “We’ve got
a very, very huge challenge at Green Bay. We’ve got to play smarter and more
disciplined. It’s unfortunate we’re in the position we’re in, but we’ve got to
dig ourselves out.”

Trying to improve offensively is only half the battle for Tampa Bay.
Stopping Rodgers is perhaps an even more daunting issue for a Buccaneers defense
that allowed scoring plays of 80 and 78 yards in last Sunday’s 37-9 home loss to
Houston.

Rodgers, meanwhile, was an efficient 23 of 30 for 250 yards Monday, throwing
four touchdowns for the second straight game. The reigning Super Bowl MVP has
completed an astonishing 72.9 percent of his passes in 2011 and has thrown 11 of
his 28 TDs – and no interceptions – over the last three contests.

His passer rating of 130.7 is on pace to easily break Peyton Manning’s(notes) NFL
record of 121.1 in 2004.

“It’s amazing,” veteran Packers receiver Donald Driver(notes) said. “He gets better
and better. Every week he seems to be breaking another record. And sooner or
later, he can’t do anything but break his own. You have to take your hat off to
him. If he’s not the guy that’s going to win MVP this year, then something’s
wrong.”

Rodgers, however, is 31 of 62 for 431 yards with four touchdowns and six
interceptions while losing both career starts against Tampa Bay. He threw three
of those picks, including one taken back 35 yards for a fourth-quarter score by
Tanard Jackson(notes), in the Packers’ 38-28 loss in Tampa in the last meeting Nov. 8,
2009.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman(notes) threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns
in that contest but was picked off three times against the Texans last weekend.
Freeman, who has been bothered by a sprained thumb, has thrown nine touchdowns
and 13 interceptions in nine games, compared to 25 TDs and just six picks in
2010.

“I feel like I’m a better quarterback this year than I was last year,”
Freeman said. “As crazy as that may sound, looking at the numbers, I feel like
I’m throwing the ball as well as I ever have, it’s just things aren’t going my
way.”

Trailing almost throughout their losing streak, the Buccaneers haven’t run
the ball much lately. They’re averaging just 16.3 carries for 68.0 yards during
their skid, with LeGarrette Blount(notes) totaling 106 yards on 23 carries in two games
since returning from a knee injury.

Tampa Bay is looking for a fourth consecutive win over the Packers. It
snapped a 12-game skid in Wisconsin with a 17-16 win in its last visit Sept. 25,
2005.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

The Green Bay Packers are the NFL’s only undefeated team heading into Week 11 of the 2011-12 season. That being said, they still have three players who’ve missed multiple games with lingering injuries that could potentially give this team a boost in the upcoming months. Those players include Mike Neal(notes), Frank Zombo(notes) and Chad Clifton(notes).

The Packers have had some pass-protection issues after Clifton suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons on October 9, 2011. Mike McCarthy finally has a timeframe for when he can expect his offensive tackle to return to the playing field. According to McCarthy:

“I would have to say he’s not going to make it this week (Tampa Bay), Detroit would be a push and the Giants would probably be realistic if he stays on schedule.”

I’d love to have Clifton back for that road contest against the New York Giants. The Giants feature Osi Umenyiora(notes) and Justin Tuck(notes). When healthy, they’re one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing tandems. The Giants lead the NFL with 30 sacks. That’s with injuries to Umenyiora and Tuck for much of the season.

Marshall Newhouse(notes) has been filling-in for Clifton during his injury. He’s also filled-in for Bryan Bulaga(notes) this season. Newhouse has struggled against top-tier defensive ends like Jared Allen(notes). That’s troublesome when one considers that the Packers play in a division with the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. The offense is also adjusting to T.J. Lang(notes). Lang replaced Daryn Colledge(notes) after Colledge signed with the Arizona Cardinals during free agency.

The Packers are averaging over 35 points per game in their first nine games. Despite that, Aaron Rodgers(notes) has been sacked 16 times in the past five games. He’s also needed to scramble more to avoid the pass rush.

The concern isn’t how effective can this offense be with the current state of the offensive line; it’s Rodgers’ long-term health as the postseason approaches. That’s always a concern from someone who had two concussions in the span of fewer than three months last season.

The Packers need to improve their pass protection for the stretch run. They have two games against the Lions, one against the Giants and one against the Bears. These teams have some of the NFL’s best defensive lines. They generally rely on a four-man pass rush to get pressure on the quarterback. Any deficiencies in the offensive line could make things difficult for Rodgers and the Packers’ offense moving forward.

The most important thing is that they don’t rush Clifton back into the starting lineup. It’s more important that he’s healthy for the playoffs than at a run for 16-0. It’s still good that Newhouse has gotten the extra experience because Clifton could retire as soon as next season.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. His favorite Packer moments include Super Bowl XXXI, XLV, and Al Harris(notes) interception return following Matt Hasselbeck’s(notes) “We’re gonna score” comments. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Green Bay, Wis. • Aaron Rodgers was just fine sharing the spotlight with the Green Bay Packers defense. Thrilled, actually.

If the Packers now can field a dependable defense along with their trademark high-octane offense, they just might be unstoppable.

The Packers (9-0) remain the NFL’s lone undefeated team — not that Rodgers is quite ready to ponder the possibility of a perfect season.

“I’m sure there will be, obviously, more pressure, more scrutiny from the outside of this locker room,” Rodgers said. “But we’ve got a good locker room.”

Rodgers threw four touchdown passes against a fierce Vikings pass rush, Randall Cobb returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and the Packers defense contained Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings in a 45-7 victory on Monday night.

“It’s [our] best game, because of the margin of victory,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “And at the end of the day, it’s about points.”

Green Bay’s defense came into the game giving up nearly 300 yards passing per game, second-most in the NFL. Their last time out, the Packers nearly blew a big lead in the fourth quarter at San Diego, holding on for a 45-38 victory.

The Packers finally played to their potential against the division rival Vikings (2-7), holding rookie quarterback Christian Ponder to 190 yards passing with an interception and limiting Peterson to 51 yards and a touchdown.

Story continues below

“I felt as a defense we owed it to ourselves to play a game like that,” cornerback Charles Woodson said. “Owed it to our fans, our team, especially our offense who’s been playing out of their minds this year. We needed a game like that. It feels good, but it’s still one game.”

Worse yet for the Vikings, they may be without cornerback Antoine Winfield because of a broken clavicle, according to coach Leslie Frazier. Monday’s game was Winfield’s first since sustaining a neck injury.

The Vikings’ defense did its best to rough up Rodgers, sacking him three times and hitting him hard virtually every time he took off running. Defensive end Jared Allen harassed Rodgers at every turn.

The pressure didn’t force any uncharacteristic mistakes from Rodgers, who was 23 of 30 for 250 yards without an interception. Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, and also found Greg Jennings and John Kuhn for scores.

“Our performance tonight was very disappointing,” Frazier said.

Allen didn’t need anybody to recite Rodgers’ gaudy stats.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Allen said. “All I know is he crushed us tonight.”

McCarthy put backup quarterback Matt Flynn in the game with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter — and the Vikings couldn’t keep him out of the end zone, either, as he scrambled 3 yards for a touchdown with 4:27 left.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—So much for all that talk about Clay Matthews’(notes) sack
slump.

The Green Bay Packers’ primary pass rusher took down Minnesota Vikings
rookie quarterback Christian Ponder(notes) twice, leading a defensive resurgence as the
Packers blew out the Vikings 45-7 on Monday night.

“Tonight was no different than any other night for me,” Matthews said.
“It was just the fact I was able to get home. (I’m) just putting pressure on
the quarterback each and every week and if he holds on to the ball when I hit
him, then so be it. If not, I’m still going to take a shot. It’s good.”

Matthews came into Monday night with only three sacks in the Packers’ first
eight games, part of an inconsistent pass rush that has helped make the Packers’
defense susceptible to big plays.

But Matthews, Charles Woodson(notes) and the rest of the Packers’ defensive players
showed they still can take over a game, limiting Adrian Peterson to 51 yards and
a touchdown and holding Ponder to 190 yards passing with an interception.

“We’re mad,” Woodson said. “We’re mad about the way we’ve been
performing. Not holding up our end of the bargain. The way our offense has been
playing and carrying this team, we want to be a part of that too. We don’t want
it to just be one-sided.”

At 9-0, Green Bay remains the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. And if the Packers
can field a decent defense to go with its trademark high-octane offense, they
just might become unstoppable.

“I think we’ve known that we can play at this level, it’s just a matter of
getting it done,” Matthews said. “We have the same players, same coaching
staff, same defensive scheme, it’s just a matter of putting it all together and
that’s exactly what we did tonight.”

Green Bay’s defense came into the game giving up nearly 300 yards passing
per game, second-most in the NFL. Their last time out, the Packers nearly blew a
big lead in the fourth quarter at San Diego, holding on for a 45-38 victory.

“I felt as a defense we owed it to ourselves to play a game like that,”
Woodson said. “Owed it to our fans, our team, especially our offense who’s been
playing out of their minds this year. We needed a game like that. It feels good,
but it’s still one game.”

Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, turned in another one of the standout performances
the Packers have come to expect from him, throwing for 250 yards and four
touchdowns without an interception.

Rodgers comes closer to perfection than nearly anyone in the NFL most weeks,
but even he isn’t ready to start pondering the possibility of a perfect season
by the Packers.

“We try to go 1-0 every week,” Rodgers said. “I know I said that last
week. We’ve got nine of them right now banked and we’re going to try to get to
10 this Sunday.”

The Vikings did their best to make life rough for Rodgers, sacking him three
times and smacking him virtually every time he took off running. In the end,
their NFC North nemesis just walked away with another victory.

“Anybody can be stopped,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “We were
hitting him. It comes back to guys doing their jobs. We’ve got to cover guys
better, we’ve got to get to him, we’ve got to capitalize on third and long—I
don’t think we got off the field on third down. He’s in the zone, though. He’s a
hell of a player. I hope they win it all now.”

Worse yet, the Vikings could be without cornerback Antoine Winfield for the
rest of the season because of a broken clavicle. Monday was Winfield’s first
game back from a neck injury.

It was a rough night all around for Vikings coach Leslie Frazier.

“You got to take a look at where we are and you look at the team that’s
undefeated in our division,” Frazier said. “And you try to use this game as a
gauge as to how far you have to go. And if the score’s any indication we have a
long ways to go.”

The Packers’ biggest play of the day came from rookie Randall Cobb, who
returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

It was an up and down night for Cobb, who muffed a punt to set up the
Vikings’ only touchdown—then immediately rebounded with a 55-yard kickoff
return.

“I guess when the lights come on my tempo, my game speed goes up,” Cobb
said. “But I’ve got to get to where I’m doing it every game, not just on big
games. Going forward, moving forward, like I said a few weeks ago, I want to be
more consistent on my returns, especially in the punt-return game.

“It’s been ups and downs. I’m still having some ups and downs. I’ve got to
get better and get more consistent at that.”

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Another night, another four-touchdown performance for Aaron Rodgers – just about what the Green Bay Packers have come to expect from their superstar quarterback.

The real surprise came on the other side of the ball: A defense that finally showed it can take charge of a game.

The Packers (9-0) remain the NFL’s lone undefeated team. And if they now can count on a defense to complement their high-octane offense, they just might be unstoppable.

Rodgers threw for four scores against a fierce Vikings pass rush, Randall Cobb returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and the Packers defense contained Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings in a 45-7 victory on Monday night.

Green Bay’s defense came into the game giving up nearly 300 yards passing per game, second-most in the NFL. Their last time out, the Packers nearly blew a big lead in the fourth quarter at San Diego, holding on for a 45-38 victory.

But the Packers finally played to their potential against the division rival Vikings (2-7), holding rookie quarterback Christian Ponder to 190 yards passing with an interception and limiting Peterson to 51 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings’ defense did its best to rough up Rodgers, sacking him three times and hitting him hard virtually every time he took off running. Defensive end Jared Allen harassed Rodgers at every turn.

The pressure didn’t force any uncharacteristic mistakes from Rodgers, who was 23 of 30 for 250 yards without an interception. Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, and also found Greg Jennings and John Kuhn for scores.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy put backup quarterback Matt Flynn in the game with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter – and the Vikings couldn’t keep him out of the end zone, either, as he scrambled 3 yards for a touchdown with 4:27 left.

But it was Cobb, a second-round rookie out of Kentucky, who got it all started for the Packers.

After the Packers’ defense forced the Vikings to go three-and-out on their first possession, Cobb fielded a punt from Chris Kluwe and squeezed through a seam in the middle of the field.

Cobb accelerated down the left sideline and danced the final few steps into the end zone, tossing the ball in the air as if he was shooting a basketball before doing a “Lambeau leap” into the stands.

Cobb also had a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Packers’ season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

Rodgers finally got the ball at the 9:55 mark in the first quarter and directed an 11-play, 70-yard drive that included conversions on third-and-8, to Donald Driver, and third-and-7, to running back James Starks. Rodgers then finished the drive with a perfect pass to Jennings in the middle of the field for a touchdown, and the Packers led 14-0.

With the Vikings driving near the end of the first quarter, Charles Woodson wrestled a ball away from Visanthe Shiancoe for what initially was ruled an interception. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier challenged the call and it was overturned, giving Ryan Longwell a shot at a 47-yard field goal.

But the Vikings committed a penalty, and Longwell came up just short on a 52-yard attempt.

Rodgers then put together another drive, and Rodgers hit tight end Jermichael Finley for 25 yards on a fourth-and-5 conversion attempt at the Vikings 34-yard line. Allen sacked Rodgers on first-and-goal, and the Packers ended up settling for a 25-yard field goal by Mason Crosby to take a 17-0 lead with 12:04 left before halftime.

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Too many Green Bay Packers fans have begun prematurely crowning Aaron Rodgers(notes) as the best quarterback of all time. Most cite lifetime passer rating and completion percentage —numbers that tell us Tony Romo(notes) is better than Joe Montana and Peyton Manning(notes)— as the primary reasons for this insanity.

Now, I realize that Green Bay is a fanatical football town. I also realize that in his short career, Rodgers has already delivered a Super Bowl victory and is currently leading an undefeated Packers squad while posting MVP-caliber numbers. Both are significant accomplishments, but some of these delusional cheesheads need a reality check.

• Rodgers will need to play like the best QB of all time for the Packers to win another Super Bowl while giving up this many big plays.

The Packers’ defense allowed 200+ yards to 23-year-old Christian Ponder(notes) in his first career start and almost lost the game, 33-27 to a laughable Minnesota Vikings in Week 7. That’s right, the same Christian Ponder who threw about 15 picks to Charles Woodson(notes), and whose numbers after three games make Tim Tebow(notes) look like John Elway, teamed up with Adrian Peterson to carve up the Pack.

At this moment, the Week 10 rematch between the undefeated Packers and the Vikings is upon us and there are more questions than ever about this Green Bay team. After giving up 38 to the San Diego Chargers, will the Vikings (2-6) pester the Pack again? Will the Packers defense continue to show such weakness?

And, will this vulnerability ultimately lead to their demise?

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