Don’t write the Packers into the Super Bowl just yet. Just as Green Bay has finally shown some chinks in its armor in December, its primary challengers for NFC supremacy are looking more and more formidable.

New Orleans has been the best team in the league of late, with a seven-game win streak that includes victories over playoff teams in the Falcons (twice) and the Lions as well as a 25-point blowout of the Giants. Drew Brees, who broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage record with one game to spare, has his offense operating with head-turning efficiency. The streaking Saints have averaged 498 yards in their last five games.

The Packers’ other main NFC roadblock excels on the other side of the ball.

The 49ers, who showed their playoff chops with a 20-3 pounding of Pittsburgh two weeks ago, the Steelers’ lowest scoring output in more than four years, boast a punishing defense the likes of which Aaron Rodgers & Co. haven’t seen this year. San Francisco allows 13.5 points per game, the best mark of any team in the last five years, and leads the league in turnover margin at +26, four better than Green Bay.

Meanwhile, the Packers have shown in the last month that they may not be the slam-dunk Super Bowl team that their white-hot start indicated.

First, the Giants gave the defending champs all they could handle, succumbing only after Rodgers’ final-minute heroics lifted the Packers to a 38-35 triumph. Then two weeks later, Green Bay suffered a surprising stumble at then-5-8 Kansas City, losing 19-14 to suffer its first blemish.

Even the seemingly invincible Rodgers came back to earth a bit, registering his season low in passer rating and completion percentage in three straight games before responding with a five-touchdown gem against Chicago.

The Packers’ invincible aura is certainly gone.

The New York game showed Green Bay could be vulnerable in a shootout — just the type of affair it would likely have if it meets New Orleans in the NFC Championship game. Yes, the Packers prevailed 42-34 at Lambeau in the teams’ season-opening matchup. But the Saints’ versatile rushing attack and Brees’ pyrotechnics in the passing game mean New Orleans (12-3) is uniquely positioned to grapple with Green Bay in a high-scoring affair.

Then the Kansas City defense did what appeared impossible, dictating pace and style to the NFL’s top-scoring offense, albeit a shorthanded Packer unit. The Chiefs’ harassment of Rodgers in a four-sack showing now stands as the blueprint for teams that would favor forcing Green Bay into a grind-it-out, ball-control game — otherwise known as the San Francisco special.

The 12-3 49ers have mastered the art of dismantling opponents’ offensive flow. Teams have all but given up trying to run on San Francisco’s stone wall of a front seven — the runaway league leader in run defense became the first team in NFL history not to allow a rushing touchdown through 14 games before Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch finally broke through for a score last week. Forcing opponents into a one-dimensional game plan allows an opportunistic secondary and disciplined pass rush to wreak havoc.

A potential Green Bay-San Francisco showdown in the NFC Championship would be the most anticipated playoff matchup of the year. The best offense (the Packers average 34.3 points) against a historically stout defense. Rodgers, who is threatening to break Peyton Manning’s single-season passer rating mark, facing a 49er defense that has amassed 36 takeaways, including at least three in eight games.

While it’s easy to foresee a Packers-Saints matchup as another pinball-like game in which points pile up at a dizzying rate, it’s a mystery how Green Bay would fair against San Francisco. The Packers haven’t faced a single team ranked in the top 14 in scoring defense.

At this juncture, it appears that Green Bay would have its hands full against either the Saints or the 49ers. But the saving grace for the defending champs is that they would only have to face one of those challengers — in an NFC Championship matchup at Lambeau.

That the 14-1 Packers have positioned themselves to have an easier divisional round game is why they still have to be considered the favorite to reach the Super Bowl. But make no mistake, what earlier seemed a Green Bay stranglehold on NFC preeminence has loosened considerably.

What are your opinions.

Just one month ago, we wondered whether Aaron Rodgers would shatter every significant single season quarterback record in NFL. Back then, the Green Bay Packers gunslinger was on pace to surpass Marino’s passing yards mark, Brees’ completion rate, Manning’s passer rating clip and Brady’s TD record.

Now, just four increasingly human performances later, and not only are those records out of reach, but Rodgers has also opened the door for what once seemed like an inconceivable MVP debate.

Rodgers’ numbers in that last four Packers’ games:

11/24 @ DET—CMP%: 68% QB RAT: 117

12/4 @ NYG—CMP%: 61% QB RAT: 106

12/11 vs. OAK—CMP%: 57% QB RAT: 97

12/18 @ KC—CMP%: 47% QB RAT: 80

Meanwhile, Drew Brees has elevated his play, eclipsing Rodgers in a few statistical categories and even gaining supporters for his own MVP bid in the process.

Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith, for instance, made the case for Brees when he said: “Drew’s having in my mind an MVP season, there’s no doubt about that. … He’s distributing the ball extremely well. They’re a top 10 team in running the football, the No. 1 team in total yards, No. 2 in points. Just to watch him operate, he looks very comfortable back there running the offense. It’s just amazing to watch him go out and run that offense. I hope he’s at his highest level because if he plays any better I don’t know if there’s any way to stop him.”

Similarly, ESPN columnist and MVP voter, Ashley Fox, echoed Smith: “If New Orleans wins its last two regular-season games, against Atlanta and Carolina, and—as expected—Brees obliterates Dan Marino’s 27-year-old record for passing yards in a season, I will be hard-pressed to vote for Rodgers over Brees.”

Personally, I agree with Smith and Fox that Brees’ gaudy stats are nearly impossible overlook, but Rodgers’ are equally as freakish. Particularly, I think that the fact that Rodgers scores more, while turning the ball over less, gives him the edge.

But, what do you think?

Here are the numbers:

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers (13-1)

2011-12 – Passing Yards: 4360 Yds/Gm: 311 TD: 40 INT: 6 QB RAT: 120 COMP%: 68%

Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints (11-3)

2011-12—Passing Yards: 4780 Yds/Gm: 341 TD: 37 INT: 11 QB RAT: 109 COMP%: 72%

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Top Four Reasons the Green Bay Packers will not repeat as Super Bowl champions

Aaron Rodgers on pace for the greatest season in NFL history

Top Five Fastest Players in the NFL

Green Bay Packers passing defense may cost them the Super Bowl

Top Five Green Bay Packers of All Time

Follow Charles on Twitter and visit his Yahoo! Archive here.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today.

Bears Coach Lovie Smith. (Credit: CBS)

What do you guys think about this.

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will face off on Christmas Night during the 2011-12 NFL season. The Packers are coming off their first loss of the season in a 19-14 upset from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers’ offense became stagnant after they lost three of their four best offensive tackles. They’re also without their starting running back (James Starks) and go-to wide receiver (Greg Jennings).

The Bears defense has always been tough against the Packers ‘offense. Since 2009, they’ve held the Packers’ offense to fewer than 22 points in five of the past six meetings. The Packers only scored 10 points in last season’s regular-season finale.

Now if you’re confident enough in the Bears shutting out the Packers? You might get a rebate that covers the purchase of a car.

A car dealership called Sawicki Motors in Rochelle, Illinois, has started a promotion. They’ll rebate the purchase price of any automobile that’s bought from their car lot from December 16, 2011, to December 23. The catch is that the Packers can’t score any points against the Bears on Christmas night.

The promotion has done what general manager Ron Matula wanted: increase exposure for Sawicki Motors. Regardless, there are many improbabilities in Chicago sports that would happen before the Bears’ hold the Packers to zero points.

Santa Claus might need some help from Matt Flynn with this list of Christmas miracles.

The Chicago Bears And Green Bay Packers Will Combine For Two Points

The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes five games that ended in a 2-0 score. The Bears and Packers were involved in the last two games during the 1930s. The Packers had a 2-0 victory over the Bears on October 16, 1932. The Bears defeated the Packers 2-0 on September 18, 1938.

The Chicago Bears Will Score Exactly Four Points

The Racine Legion had some strange scores against Chicago teams during the 1923 NFL season. The Chicago Bears handed them their first loss of the season with a 3-0 loss. However, that wasn’t as bizarre as the Legion’s 10-4 victory later in that season against the Chicago Cardinals.

Maybe the Cardinals hit a grand slam? The Chicago Cubs have a better chance of hitting a grand slam in this game when compared to the Bears’ ability of shutting out the Packers’ offense.

Josh McCown Will Have More Touchdown Passes Than Aaron Rodgers

Most of them will be completed to players on the Packers’ defense.

Shawn Slocum Will Outcoach Dave Toub

Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum’s job is easy since he has the NFC’s leading vote-getter for special teams (via fan votes), Jarrett Bush. I’d just love to know why stuff like this happens.

Barack Obama Will Trade Aaron Rodgers To The Chicago Bears Via An Executive Order

President Obama has probably learned that a certificate of stock in the Packers is more useless than the United States Congress or the Electoral College when there are more than two parties involved in a presidential election.

Chicago Will Host The Summer Olympics

Just not anytime before 2024.

If Lovie Smith Didn’t Think This Was A Must-win Game For The Chicago Bears

I wonder if Lovie Smith would now consider that divisional loss against the Detroit Lions as a “Must-win game?”

Terrell Owens Will Sign With The Chicago Rush

With Jerry Angelo’s inability to find a go-to wide receiver for Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler over the past decade, it’d be funny if the best wide receiver in Chicago happened to play in the Arena Football League. An AFL tandem of Roy Williams and Terrell Owens might have some success with the Chicago Rush. Maybe.

Albert Pujols Will Still Haunt The Chicago Cubs

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. That would mean that the Cubs are winning National League pennants with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. I wonder who fans of the St. Louis Cardinals would cheer for in a World Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cubs?

Commissioner Scrooge (Roger Goodell) Won’t Fine Anyone This Holiday Season

Happy Holidays!

Sam Hurd Will Have a “Johnny Jolly Christmas”

The sad part is that I wouldn’t be surprised if they were busted again if they were given another opportunity.

Brett Favre Will Come Out Of Retirement And Play For The Chicago Bears

The feud between Ted Thompson and Favre is tied at two. Time to settle this once and for all!

Jerry Angelo Will Win A Super Bowl As General Manager Of The Chicago Bears

Some Bears fans might argue that this has the same probability of happening as the Packers’ offense getting shut out or the Bears having any playoff hopes remaining after Christmas night:

No chance.

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 interception return following Matt Hasselbeck’s “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.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network

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Greatest Playoff Games for the Green Bay Packers in the 21st Century: Fan’s Take

Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers is Named 2011 Sporting News Athlete of the Year: Fan’s Take

Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly Discussing Trade with Cincinnati Reds for Travis Wood: Fan’s Take

Hallelujah! Albert Pujols is Out of the National League: Chicago Cub Fan’s Take

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike McCarthy never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining
home-field advantage and setting the
Green Bay Packers
up for another Super Bowl run.

Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.

The perfect season? That’s history.

Kyle Orton
threw for 299 yards to outduel
Aaron Rodgers
, and the
Kansas City Chiefs
rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers’ 19-game winning
streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.

“I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy,” McCarthy said. “The goal was to get home-field
advantage and win the Super Bowl. That’s what we discussed.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season,” he added, “but we still have the
primary goal in front of us, and that’s to get home-field advantage.”

Green Bay, playing without leading receiver
Greg Jennings
and top rusher
James Starks
because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. But the Packers no longer
have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest
winning streak in league history.

“I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs,” Rodgers
said. “We’ve got a home playoff game – we’ve got a bye secured.”

Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in
the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs
to secure the victory.

“They had a good game plan,” Rodgers said. “You have to give them credit.”

Ryan Succop
kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday.

Jackie Battle
added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.

“Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they’re football players,” Crennel
said. “They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous
game.”

Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.

Packers wide receiver
Jordy Nelson
was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs’ weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up
making five first downs.

One of them came when Kansas City’s
Jeremy Horne
ran into Packers punter
Tim Masthay
, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when
Mason Crosby
missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.

Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver
Donald Driver
and tight end
Jermichael Finley
. In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the
best quarterbacks in the game.

The Chiefs were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when Rodgers finally hit down field, finding Finley over top the coverage for
a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Packers’ star quarterback hit Driver in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with
8:04 left in the third quarter.

Kansas City answered when Orton hit his own tight end,
Leonard Pope
, for a career-long 38-yard catch. Jon Baldwin added a 17-yard grab to set up Succop’s 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.

The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the
same direction he had already missed, McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers’ pass fell incomplete and the
Chiefs took over.

They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time
the Chiefs drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.

They got seven on their next trip, though.

With first-and-goal at the 5,
Thomas Jones
managed to gain a yard and Le’Ron McClain bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line.
Battle took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Kansas City offense its highest-scoring
game since the Chiefs beat San Diego in overtime in late October.

The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown
that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got.

Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the
Chicago Bears
10-3 in Week 17 last year. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a
Super Bowl victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
.

All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.

“We set the tone on both sides of the ball,” Chiefs linebacker
Derrick Johnson
said. “This is the great thing about football. You can’t always look at the records, because you’ve got grown men out there
who are all getting paid. You don’t have to be better on paper.

“If you’re better on that given Sunday, you’ll get the win.”

Notes: Succop has made 21 consecutive field goals. … Palko was inactive for Kansas City. … The Chiefs wound up having
the ball for 36:11, while Green Bay had it for 23:49. … Kansas City won despite going 1 for 5 in the red zone. … Packers
OL
Derek Sherrod
broke his leg in the fourth quarter. He was playing in place of
Bryan Bulaga
, who went down with a knee strain.

© 2011 STATS LLC

What are your opinions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers’ perfect season came to a crashing halt against the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, who had just fired their coach and were starting a new quarterback.

Proof again that nothing can be taken for granted in the NFL.

Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards to outduel Aaron Rodgers, and the Chiefs rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers’ 19-game winning streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.

Green Bay, playing without leading receiver Greg Jennings and top rusher James Starks because of injuries, also failed to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

They can still wrap that up in their final two games against Detroit and Chicago, but no longer with the pressure of trying to become the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record. Their 19-game streak was second only to a 21-game run by New England in 2003-04.

Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.

Ryan Succop kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday. Jackie Battle added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.

Neither team seemed as if it wanted to win in the first half.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs’ weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up making five first downs.

One of them came when Kansas City’s Jeremy Horne ran into Packers punter Tim Masthay, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when Mason Crosby missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.

Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver Donald Driver and tight end Jermichael Finley. In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

The Chiefs were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when Rodgers finally hit down field, finding Finley over top the coverage for a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Packers’ star quarterback hit Driver in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter.

Kansas City answered when Orton hit his own tight end, Leonard Pope, for a career-long 38-yard catch. Jon Baldwin added a 17-yard grab to set up Succop’s 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.

The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the same direction he had already missed, coach Mike McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers’ pass fell incomplete and the Chiefs took over.

They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time the Chiefs drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.

They got seven on their next trip, though.

With first-and-goal at the 5, Thomas Jones managed to gain a yard and Le’Ron McClain bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line. Battle took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Kansas City offense its highest-scoring game since the Chiefs beat San Diego in overtime in late October.

The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown that made it 19-14. But the onside kick ended up in the Chiefs’ hands, and they were able to pound out a couple first downs to secure the upset victory.

Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the Chicago Bears 10-3 in Week 17 last year. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.

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

Kansas City, Mo. • Mike McCarthy never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining home-field advantage and setting the Green Bay Packers up for another Super Bowl run.

Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.

The perfect season? That’s history.

Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards to outduel Aaron Rodgers, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers’ 19-game winning streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.

“I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy,” McCarthy said. “The goal was to get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. That’s what we discussed.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season,” he added, “but we still have the primary goal in front of us, and that’s to get home-field advantage.”

Green Bay, playing without leading receiver Greg Jennings and top rusher James Starks because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. But the Packers no longer have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest winning streak in league history.

“I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got a home playoff game — we’ve got a bye secured.”

Story continues below

Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.

“They had a good game plan,” Rodgers said. “You have to give them credit.”

Ryan Succop kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday. Jackie Battle added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.

“Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they’re football players,” Crennel said. “They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous game.”

Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs’ weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up making five first downs.

One of them came when Kansas City’s Jeremy Horne ran into Packers punter Tim Masthay, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when Mason Crosby missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.

Next Page »

Leave your comments on the news below.

That’s all the news for today.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike McCarthy never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining
home-field advantage and setting the
Green Bay Packers
up for another Super Bowl run.

Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.

The perfect season? That’s history.

Kyle Orton
threw for 299 yards to outduel
Aaron Rodgers
, and the
Kansas City Chiefs
rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers’ 19-game winning
streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.

“I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy,” McCarthy said. “The goal was to get home-field
advantage and win the Super Bowl. That’s what we discussed.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season,” he added, “but we still have the
primary goal in front of us, and that’s to get home-field advantage.”

Green Bay, playing without leading receiver
Greg Jennings
and top rusher
James Starks
because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. But the Packers no longer
have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest
winning streak in league history.

“I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs,” Rodgers
said. “We’ve got a home playoff game – we’ve got a bye secured.”

Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in
the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs
to secure the victory.

“They had a good game plan,” Rodgers said. “You have to give them credit.”

Ryan Succop
kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday.

Jackie Battle
added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.

“Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they’re football players,” Crennel
said. “They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous
game.”

Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.

Packers wide receiver
Jordy Nelson
was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs’ weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up
making five first downs.

One of them came when Kansas City’s
Jeremy Horne
ran into Packers punter
Tim Masthay
, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when
Mason Crosby
missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.

Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver
Donald Driver
and tight end
Jermichael Finley
. In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the
best quarterbacks in the game.

The Chiefs were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when Rodgers finally hit down field, finding Finley over top the coverage for
a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Packers’ star quarterback hit Driver in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with
8:04 left in the third quarter.

Kansas City answered when Orton hit his own tight end,
Leonard Pope
, for a career-long 38-yard catch. Jon Baldwin added a 17-yard grab to set up Succop’s 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.

The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the
same direction he had already missed, McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers’ pass fell incomplete and the
Chiefs took over.

They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time
the Chiefs drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.

They got seven on their next trip, though.

With first-and-goal at the 5,
Thomas Jones
managed to gain a yard and Le’Ron McClain bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line.
Battle took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Kansas City offense its highest-scoring
game since the Chiefs beat San Diego in overtime in late October.

The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown
that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got.

Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the
Chicago Bears
10-3 in Week 17 last year. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a
Super Bowl victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
.

All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.

“We set the tone on both sides of the ball,” Chiefs linebacker
Derrick Johnson
said. “This is the great thing about football. You can’t always look at the records, because you’ve got grown men out there
who are all getting paid. You don’t have to be better on paper.

“If you’re better on that given Sunday, you’ll get the win.”

Notes: Succop has made 21 consecutive field goals. … Palko was inactive for Kansas City. … The Chiefs wound up having
the ball for 36:11, while Green Bay had it for 23:49. … Kansas City won despite going 1 for 5 in the red zone. … Packers
OL
Derek Sherrod
broke his leg in the fourth quarter. He was playing in place of
Bryan Bulaga
, who went down with a knee strain.

© 2011 STATS LLC

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike McCarthy never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining
home-field advantage and setting the
Green Bay Packers
up for another Super Bowl run.

Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.

The perfect season? That’s history.

Kyle Orton
threw for 299 yards to outduel
Aaron Rodgers
, and the
Kansas City Chiefs
rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers’ 19-game winning
streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.

“I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy,” McCarthy said. “The goal was to get home-field
advantage and win the Super Bowl. That’s what we discussed.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season,” he added, “but we still have the
primary goal in front of us, and that’s to get home-field advantage.”

Green Bay, playing without leading receiver
Greg Jennings
and top rusher
James Starks
because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. But the Packers no longer
have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest
winning streak in league history.

“I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs,” Rodgers
said. “We’ve got a home playoff game – we’ve got a bye secured.”

Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in
the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs
to secure the victory.

“They had a good game plan,” Rodgers said. “You have to give them credit.”

Ryan Succop
kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday.

Jackie Battle
added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.

“Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they’re football players,” Crennel
said. “They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous
game.”

Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.

Packers wide receiver
Jordy Nelson
was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs’ weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up
making five first downs.

One of them came when Kansas City’s
Jeremy Horne
ran into Packers punter
Tim Masthay
, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when
Mason Crosby
missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.

Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver
Donald Driver
and tight end
Jermichael Finley
. In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the
best quarterbacks in the game.

The Chiefs were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when Rodgers finally hit down field, finding Finley over top the coverage for
a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Packers’ star quarterback hit Driver in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with
8:04 left in the third quarter.

Kansas City answered when Orton hit his own tight end,
Leonard Pope
, for a career-long 38-yard catch. Jon Baldwin added a 17-yard grab to set up Succop’s 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.

The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the
same direction he had already missed, McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers’ pass fell incomplete and the
Chiefs took over.

They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time
the Chiefs drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.

They got seven on their next trip, though.

With first-and-goal at the 5,
Thomas Jones
managed to gain a yard and Le’Ron McClain bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line.
Battle took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Kansas City offense its highest-scoring
game since the Chiefs beat San Diego in overtime in late October.

The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown
that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got.

Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the
Chicago Bears
10-3 in Week 17 last year. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a
Super Bowl victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
.

All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.

“We set the tone on both sides of the ball,” Chiefs linebacker
Derrick Johnson
said. “This is the great thing about football. You can’t always look at the records, because you’ve got grown men out there
who are all getting paid. You don’t have to be better on paper.

“If you’re better on that given Sunday, you’ll get the win.”

Notes: Succop has made 21 consecutive field goals. … Palko was inactive for Kansas City. … The Chiefs wound up having
the ball for 36:11, while Green Bay had it for 23:49. … Kansas City won despite going 1 for 5 in the red zone. … Packers
OL
Derek Sherrod
broke his leg in the fourth quarter. He was playing in place of
Bryan Bulaga
, who went down with a knee strain.

© 2011 STATS LLC

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Gotta run!.

When talk of a perfect season began last month, Green Bay Packers coach Mike
McCarthy said he wouldn’t discuss the matter until several other goals were
reached first.

McCarthy’s team is now one victory away from turning its attention to
perfection.

The Packers look to clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs
Sunday when they visit the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, who have a new coach
and quarterback.

A week after clinching the NFC North, Green Bay (13-0) secured a first-round
playoff bye with last Sunday’s 46-16 victory over Oakland. The Packers won their
19th straight game – the second-longest streak in NFL history – and can become
the fourth team to go 14-0 if they defeat Kansas City. A win would also give
Green Bay the top seed in the NFC, leaving the potential to go 16-0 as the last
remaining goal for the final two regular season games.

“Obviously, there’s no other team that can say they’re 13-0 right now and on
the precipice of doing something great,” linebacker Clay Matthews said. “But
there’s still a lot left that we need to accomplish. If you really want to look
into it, the regular season does mean a whole lot if you get to the playoffs. So
we’re setting ourselves up nicely.”

The Packers had little trouble against the Raiders, leading 31-0 by halftime
and winning easily enough that quarterback Aaron Rodgers got an early rest, but
an injury to Greg Jennings put a damper on the victory.

Jennings, who has a team-best 67 receptions for 949 yards and nine
touchdowns, sprained his left knee in the third quarter and is expect to miss
two to three weeks. McCarthy said the Pro Bowl receiver is likely to return for
Green Bay’s divisional playoff game the weekend of Jan. 14-15.

While the loss of Rodgers’ favorite target is obviously a bit of an
obstacle, Green Bay – which leads the league in scoring average (35.8) and has
already set a franchise record with 466 points – has plenty of other offensive
options.

Fifteen Packers have scored at least one offensive touchdown, and Rodgers
has hooked up with nine receivers for scores.

Jordy Nelson has 51 catches and team highs of 957 yards and 10 touchdowns,
while tight end Jermichael Finley has 42 receptions for 600 yards and six TDs.
Rodgers also pointed to James Jones and rookie wide receiver Randall Cobb as
players he expects to help make up for Jennings’ absence.

“We feel that we have enough to move forward,” McCarthy said. “Greg will be
missed, but with that, it’s more opportunity for the other perimeter players.”

Of course, McCarthy feels confident about his other receivers in part
because he knows his quarterback is fully capable of making plays.

Rodgers, who leads the NFL with 39 touchdowns and a 123.3 passer rating, is
trying to become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw multiple TD
passes in 14 consecutive games. He also needs just one more touchdown pass to
establish a single-season franchise record.

While McCarthy, Rodgers and the rest of the Packers are gearing up for a
possible second straight Super Bowl run, the Chiefs (5-8) are essentially
looking to ahead to next season.

Although still mathematically alive in a weak AFC West, Kansas City fired
coach Todd Haley a day after Sunday’s 37-10 loss to the New York Jets and has
replaced him with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.

Despite Haley’s offensive background, his Chiefs ranked 28th in total
offense (293.8 yards per game) and 31st in scoring (13.3). Season-ending
injuries to All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles, quarterback Matt Cassel and
tight end Tony Moeaki have hampered Kansas City.

Crennel now has the difficult challenge of getting a team that has lost five
of six to knock off the Packers.

He has decided to drop Tyler Palko from starting quarterback to third string
after he led the Chiefs to only two touchdowns in four games since taking over
for Cassel. Kyle Orton will start Sunday unless an injury to his right index
finger on his throwing hand causes him problems, and in that case rookie Ricky
Stanzi would get the call for the first time in his career.

Claimed off waivers from Denver during Thanksgiving week, Orton dislocated
his finger in his only play as a member of the Chiefs two weeks ago at Chicago.

Crennel had considered waiting until later in the week to announce the
change at QB in an attempt to unsettle Green Bay, but realized it really
wouldn’t make much difference.

“(The Packers) look at Tyler and what he’s done the last couple weeks, they
look at Orton and know he has a finger, they look at a rookie,” Crennel said.
“So I don’t think they’re shaking in their boots about those choices.”

The Packers lead the NFL with 27 interceptions – nine more than any other
team – including three off Orton in a 49-23 victory over the Broncos in Week 4.

These teams haven’t met since Green Bay’s 33-22 win at Arrowhead Stadium on
Nov. 4, 2007, which snapped a five-game Packers losing streak in the series.

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Legend has it that at the start each NFL season, the living members from the ’72 Dolphins set aside bottles of the finest French champagne to cool. Once the last undefeated team has fallen—as it has for nearly 40 years—the fabled Fins pop the corks and toast to a feat that only those Dolphins can claim to have achieved.

The details of the tale are often disputed, and some doubt whether any of it actually happens at all, but what cannot be questioned is that each time another would-be legend bites the dust, the undefeated Dolphins rejoice in their record’s endurance.

This year, it’s the 13-0 Green Bay Packers chasing perfection, and on the heels of a Super Bowl victory and the most dominant stretch of quarterbacking the league has ever seen, many believe this Packers team has the strongest chance yet at immortality.

And so, Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald tracked down some of the ’72 Dolphins to ask them what they thought about the longevity of their record and the 2011 Packers’ chances of joining them in the NFL’s pantheon of greatness.

Here is what they said:

* Don Shula: “I’m not sitting here like an angry old guy hoping they’ll lose—as we have been depicted. … I don’t think Joe DiMaggio was pulling for anybody to break his 56-game hitting streak record. So we’d like to keep it, but if somebody breaks it we will call and congratulate them.”

* Bob Griese: “I don’t think perfection is in the forefront of your mind when you’re in the 12th, 13th, 14th game. … We just didn’t want to lose. The fear of losing is stronger than the will to win. It was never, ‘Let’s keep the streak going.’ It was, ‘We’ve got unfinished business. We’ve got to get back to the Super Bowl.’

We figured somebody else would go undefeated. But when those great Steelers, 49ers and Cowboys teams couldn’t do it, then we said, ‘Hey, this is pretty amazing.’”

* Matt Morris: “I remember Keyshawn Johnson said if the Patriots go 19-0 we’d be second best. … I call that simpleton math. Besides, he wasn’t born until 1972. No, we were the team who won every single game for the first time in history. The Packers have a chance to repeat it. … The Packers get to the Super Bowl, I would bet on them because I respect them so much.

If they win, the champagne is on us.”

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

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After losing the game to the undefeated Green Bay Packers on Sunday, December 11, the Oakland Raiders’ chances at the AFC West division title seemed to crumble. It’s sometimes difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but with three games left in the regular season, and just a game+ behind the Denver Broncos, it isn’t the end of the world.

Oakland Raiders fan.
Broken Sphere/Wikimedia Commons

In the last two weeks, our players seemed to lose the spark of life they had during their three previous consecutive victories, but we still need to have hope that they can get that spark back. On Sunday at Lambeau Field, they played against the toughest team in the NFL, a team who hasn’t lost a game in nearly a year, the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay played like a championship team and did what they were supposed to do. Obviously, the Raiders played like a team that was struggling, and the only way they really had a chance at winning was with every player giving it 100%, and that did not happen.

The good news is, next Sunday, Oakland will face the Detroit Lions. Now in most years past, this would be considered an easy win, but of course nothing is easy this year. The Lions have been a lot more impressive in 2011, but still, they are not the Packers. On Sunday they beat the Vikings, who are without their star running back Adrian Peterson and are sitting at the bottom of the NFC North at 2-11. Prior to that victory, the Lions lost three of their last four.

Are you seeing a little bit of light?

We still don’t know the status of some of our injured key players, namely running back Darren McFadden and receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. Hopefully the injury to Darrius Heyward-Bey’s heel is a minor one. The chances for at least one or two of these players to return for the game at home against the Lions, has got to be pretty good, and with more healthy stand outs back on the field, our chances improve immensely.

As an awesome Raider fan kindly pointed out, Oakland was still able to manage two touchdowns and a safety against the best team in the NFL with a quarterback who isn’t completely familiar with the system, and “half of the players sitting in triage.”

If we win the game against Detroit and the Broncos lose to the New England Patriots, which both scenarios are certainly within reason, we’ll be back to where we were at before going into Green Bay, and we’ll still have a legitimate shot at the AFC West, or at least a wildcard.

We’ve got to believe, that’s what true Raider fans do.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Fall to the Packers & Slip in the AFC West: Fan Reaction

Oakland Raiders’ Kicker Sebastian Janikowski Named Special Teams Player of the Week: Fan Reaction

Passion Returns to Aaron Curry with Raiders as it Often Has in the past: Fan’s Look

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That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

What are your opinions.