GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers don’t have a catchy nickname like “Monsters of the Midway” to describe their tough defense. Maybe they should.

Clay Matthews is back to pouncing on quarterbacks after a late-season sack drought. Charles Woodson does just about everything on defense, and does it well. And cornerback Tramon Williams has made a decisive play in each of the Packers’ first two playoff victories.

So while the Bears might have a more established defensive reputation coming into Sunday’s NFC championship game in Chicago, linebacker A.J. Hawk says the Packers’ defense doesn’t mind taking a back seat during the buildup this week. They’ll just have to show what they can do Sunday.

“They’ve had some guys there for a while that have really been producing, playing well,” Hawk said of the Bears. “So if they’re getting more national attention, whatever, that’s fine. That’s OK with us. They can have it. We’ll be fine with the guys we have here.”

While quarterback Aaron Rodgers wins over fans with the way he runs one of the league’s most dangerous offenses, the Packers wouldn’t be  preparing to play for a spot in the Super Bowl this week without an aggressive, consistent defense.

Despite losing several key players to injury through the season, Green Bay gave up 15 points per game in the regular season — second-best in the NFL behind only Pittsburgh.

And their play hasn’t dropped off in two road playoff games.

Philadelphia’s Michael Vick threw for 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but the Packers limited him to 33 yards rushing in a 21-16 victory. Against the Falcons on Saturday, the Packers held quarterback Matt Ryan to 186 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and running back Michael Turner had only 39 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 48-21 victory.

Even Williams didn’t realize how well his teammates played against the Falcons until he watched game tape Monday.

“As a ‘DB’ you don’t get to see the front seven doing their job because you are in coverage all the time,” Williams said. “When you come back and watch film and see the way those guys are playing up front, it’s crazy. They’ve done a great job up there and kind of made our job easy.”

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings sees the defense in action every day in practice.

“It’s tough,” Jennings said. “Those guys, they really fly around. Obviously with the kind of guys we have in the secondary, they’re able to make plays with the ball in the air.”

Jennings appreciates the way the Packers mix up their coverage in the secondary.

“We get the man. We get the zone. They can press,” Jennings said. “So we get to work on bump coverage quite often. And then when they’re in zone we get to work on off coverage. So they throw a lot of things at us that we’re going to see from opponents and some things we’re not going to see. They work well on  preparing us, and we try to do the same.”

Woodson and Matthews are the Packers’ two biggest names on defense; Woodson was named AP Defensive Player of the Year last season, and Matthews is a favorite to win it this season.

But the Packers’ biggest defensive star in the playoffs has been Williams, an up-and-coming cornerback who earned a new contract with his stellar play this season.

Williams has three interceptions in two playoff games, including a pick of Vick in the end zone to end a late-game comeback attempt by the Eagles and a momentum-seizing 70-yard interception return for a touchdown just before halftime against the Falcons.

“When these playoffs and the Super Bowl are completed, everybody in the country is going to know who Tramon Williams is,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “That’s the type of level that he’s playing at.”

McCarthy isn’t surprised at the way Williams has developed, calling him one of the team’s smartest players.

“Tramon’s the guy that’s always in the front row with his book taking the notes,” McCarthy said. “He’s been doing that since he arrived here. He has a total understanding of the defensive system. The film study, now the understanding of how the offenses are trying to attack him as far as the leverage he’s playing on a particular route. What’s exciting about Tramon, he still has a lot of football growth in his game ahead of him.”

Hawk said Williams has earned his success.

“There’s a reason he’s making huge plays, because he lives the right way,” Hawk said. “He prepares right. He is just doing everything the way you should be, I think, and he’s a great has crazy amounts of talent. But he’s doing the work to get the best out of it, I think.”

Williams insists it isn’t a “big deal” that he’s the one making game-changing plays. The way he figures, if he wasn’t making them, his teammates would be.

“I think we have lots of guys on the defense that can make those plays,” Williams said. “I think I’ve just been put in that position the last couple of weeks and made those plays.”

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—The Green Bay Packers don’t have a catchy nickname like “Monsters of the Midway” to describe their tough defense. Maybe they should.

Clay Matthews(notes) is back to pouncing on quarterbacks after a late-season sack drought. Charles Woodson(notes) does just about everything on defense, and does it well. And cornerback Tramon Williams(notes) has made a decisive play in each of the Packers’ first two playoff victories.

So while the Bears might have a more established defensive reputation coming into Sunday’s NFC championship game in Chicago, linebacker A.J. Hawk(notes) says the Packers’ defense doesn’t mind taking a back seat during the buildup this week. They’ll just have to show what they can do Sunday.

“They’ve had some guys there for a while that have really been producing, playing well,” Hawk said of the Bears. “So if they’re getting more national attention, whatever, that’s fine. That’s OK with us. They can have it. We’ll be fine with the guys we have here.”

While quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) wins over fans with the way he runs one of the league’s most dangerous offenses, the Packers wouldn’t be preparing to play for a spot in the Super Bowl this week without an aggressive, consistent defense.

Despite losing several key players to injury through the season, Green Bay gave up 15 points per game in the regular season—second-best in the NFL behind only Pittsburgh.

And their play hasn’t dropped off in two road playoff games.

Philadelphia’s Michael Vick(notes) threw for 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but the Packers limited him to 33 yards rushing in a 21-16 victory. Against the Falcons on Saturday, the Packers held quarterback Matt Ryan(notes) to 186 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and running back Michael Turner(notes) had only 39 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 48-21 victory.

Even Williams didn’t realize how well his teammates played against the Falcons until he watched game tape Monday.

“As a ‘DB’ you don’t get to see the front seven doing their job because you are in coverage all the time,” Williams said. “When you come back and watch film and see the way those guys are playing up front, it’s crazy. They’ve done a great job up there and kind of made our job easy.”

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings(notes) sees the defense in action every day in practice.

“It’s tough,” Jennings said. “Those guys, they really fly around. Obviously with the kind of guys we have in the secondary, they’re able to make plays with the ball in the air.”

Jennings appreciates the way the Packers mix up their coverage in the secondary.

“We get the man. We get the zone. They can press,” Jennings said. “So we get to work on bump coverage quite often. And then when they’re in zone we get to work on off coverage. So they throw a lot of things at us that we’re going to see from opponents and some things we’re not going to see. They work well on preparing us, and we try to do the same.”

Woodson and Matthews are the Packers’ two biggest names on defense; Woodson was named AP Defensive Player of the Year last season, and Matthews is a favorite to win it this season.

But the Packers’ biggest defensive star in the playoffs has been Williams, an up-and-coming cornerback who earned a new contract with his stellar play this season.

Williams has three interceptions in two playoff games, including a pick of Vick in the end zone to end a late-game comeback attempt by the Eagles and a momentum-seizing 70-yard interception return for a touchdown just before halftime against the Falcons.

“When these playoffs and the Super Bowl are completed, everybody in the country is going to know who Tramon Williams is,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “That’s the type of level that he’s playing at.”

McCarthy isn’t surprised at the way Williams has developed, calling him one of the team’s smartest players.

“Tramon’s the guy that’s always in the front row with his book taking the notes,” McCarthy said. “He’s been doing that since he arrived here. He has a total understanding of the defensive system. The film study, now the understanding of how the offenses are trying to attack him as far as the leverage he’s playing on a particular route. What’s exciting about Tramon, he still has a lot of football growth in his game ahead of him.”

Hawk said Williams has earned his success.

“There’s a reason he’s making huge plays, because he lives the right way,” Hawk said. “He prepares right. He is just doing everything the way you should be, I think, and he’s a great has crazy amounts of talent. But he’s doing the work to get the best out of it, I think.”

Williams insists it isn’t a “big deal” that he’s the one making game-changing plays. The way he figures, if he wasn’t making them, his teammates would be.

“I think we have lots of guys on the defense that can make those plays,” Williams said. “I think I’ve just been put in that position the last couple of weeks and made those plays.”

ATLANTA (AP) — As Aaron Rodgers trotted off the field, savoring another playoff win, he was serenaded with chants of “Go, Pack, Go!”

This wasn’t Lambeau Field, but it sure sounded like it.

Looking very much at home, Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and led the Green Bay Packers to their second straight postseason road victory with a stunning 48-21 rout of the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night.

“This just feels so good right now,” said Rodgers, who threw for 366 yards and led Green Bay to the highest-scoring playoff game in its storied history.

The Packers (12-6) will have to win one more on the road to complete their improbable run from sixth seed to the Super Bowl, but nothing looks out of the question the way Rodgers is playing. He’ll lead Green Bay into the NFC championship game at either Chicago or Seattle next weekend.

“This probably was my best performance — the stage we were on, the importance of this game,” Rodgers said. “It was a good night.”

He completed 31 of 36 passes and put up more yards than Brett Favre — the guy he replaced in Green Bay — ever threw for in a playoff game. After knocking off Michael Vick and the Eagles in Philadelphia, then dominating Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Atlanta, Rodgers is creating his own legacy in Titletown USA.

Brett who?

Green Bay scored 35 consecutive points, including Tramon Williams’ 70-yard interception return on the final play of the first half that left the Falcons (13-4) and a crowd of more than 69,000 in a state of shock as the teams headed to the locker room.

The Packers could’ve left punter Tim Masthay at home. He was never needed.

Story Continues →

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3. Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

‘We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. ‘Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

‘He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. ‘You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

‘It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. ‘This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

–Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

–Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

–Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

‘Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. ‘It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ‘What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?’”

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

‘Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. ‘The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has ‘more time left” on it.

‘I enjoy what I’m doing, I love the challenge, I love our players,” Capers said recently. ‘You get to be close with these guys. I like our staff, I enjoy working for Mike. So I’ll do this as long as I have my health and enjoy what I’m doing. And somebody will have me around.”

Capers said Thursday that he’s focused only on the Falcons.

‘I’ve been so focused in on this game,” Capers said. ‘I just feel like you never know when these opportunities will present themselves or when they’ll come around again. So I really don’t pay any attention to all that stuff. My focus is on finding a way to go to Atlanta and win that football game.”

Remember way back in August, when it was believed the Green Bay Packers offense would run through defenses like Zsa Zsa Gabor ran through husbands?

Seventeen games later, the Packers offense has run through exactly five teams while the star of film, TV and slapping police officers said “I do” nine times.

Score one for the 93-year-old woman.

Even today, when most people think about the Packers, they identify with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the offense.

I get that. But that is not the identity of this team.

As has been the case all season long, whether or not the Packers are successful tonight in Atlanta will have more to do with how the defense performs than the offense.

It has been the defense that has far and away been the Packers’ most consistent unit and has kept them in every game, as all six of their losses have come by four points or fewer.

It has been the defense that has had many more injuries than the offense, but has somehow found a way to formulate a patchwork lineup that is one of the best in the league.

It has been the defense that has taken guys who weren’t within 100 miles of Green Bay when training camp concluded — Charlie Peprah and Erik Walden — who now find themselves in the starting lineup.

It has been the defense that opened the year with an untested guy in a key role — see Tramon Williams — a guy who was supposed to have a significantly reduced role — see A.J. Hawk — and a guy who was expected to maintain his role as an underachiever — see Desmond Bishop — who are all now playing vitally important roles as starters.

I know defensive coordinator Dom Capers is not eligible for coach of the year, but he should be.

“Just the way we’re structured as a staff, you have to have a defensive coordinator that A, has total command of the assistant coaches, because that’s where it starts,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Capers.

“It doesn’t start when you get in the classroom. It starts up on the third floor, pulling assistants together, teach them the scheme, make sure everybody’s on the same page, and Dom does an excellent job of that.

“Then obviously take it to the next step, and that’s with the players. He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s the true mark of an excellent coach. You have the vision and staying true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

There is much for Capers to be concerned with tonight. The talented Roddy White at receiver, the freak Tony Gonzalez at tight and the ice man, Matt Ryan at quarterback.

There are a ton of trends for Capers to analyze, but the one that carries the most weight is finding a way to keep the Falcons’ Raging Bull, Michael Turner, under wraps.

Atlanta is 17-2 over the past three years when Turner has rushed for more than 100 yards, including a 7-0 mark this season. In Atlanta’s three losses this season, Turner didn’t top the 50-yard rushing mark.

This is not difficult to figure out. Turner is a 5-foot-10, 244-pound guy who is hard to bring down. He gained 110 yards in the Falcons’ 20-17 victory in November over Green Bay because the Packers defense, mostly, did a poor job of tackling.

If the Packers do a much better job tackling him tonight, their chances for success go up.

Turner had only one 100-yard game over the final five weeks and it seemed his league-leading 334 attempts may be catching up to him.

A week’s rest has undoubtedly helped, and that will make the Packers’ job more difficult.

But if the Packers are to win, the defense will lead the way, somehow, someway. It has been that way all season.

Mike Woods: 920-993-1000, ext. 232, or mwoods@postcrescent.com; On Twitter @FloridaGators59

GREEN BAY (AP) — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3. Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

“We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. “Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

“He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. “You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

n Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

n Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

n Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

“Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. “It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ‘What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?’”

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

“Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. “The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has “more time left” on it.

GREEN BAY — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3.

Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

“We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. “Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

“He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. “You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

>Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

>Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

>Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

“Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. “It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ’What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?“’

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

“Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. “The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has “more time left” on it.

“I enjoy what I’m doing, I love the challenge, I love our players,” Capers said recently. “You get to be close with these guys. I like our staff, I enjoy working for Mike. So I’ll do this as long as I have my health and enjoy what I’m doing. And somebody will have me around.”

Capers said Thursday that he’s focused only on the Falcons.

“I’ve been so focused in on this game,” Capers said. “I just feel like you never know when these opportunities will present themselves or when they’ll come around again. So I really don’t pay any attention to all that stuff. My focus is on finding a way to go to Atlanta and win that football game.”

PHILADELPHIA. – The Green Bay Packers withstood a ferocious late finish from the Philadelphia Eagles to win their NFL playoff 21-16 on Sunday and advance to the next round against Atlanta.

The Packers, one of the pre-season favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl, were never headed during the game but almost came unstuck in the final quarter as the Eagles threatened to steal victory.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in the win, but the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense also benefited from some missed opportunities by the Eagles.

The NFC East division champions missed two field goals and a last-gasp pass from quarterback Michael Vick that might have led to a winning touchdown was intercepted in the end zone.

While the Eagles were left ruing their missed opportunities and early exit from the post-season, the Packers moved ahead to next weekend’s divisional playoffs against NFC top seed, the Atlanta Falcons.

“We’re just getting started,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters. “We just won a big football game here against a championship-caliber program and we have an opportunity to go to Atlanta to play the number one seed down there.”

The Packers led 14-3 at the half and 21-10 late in the fourth quarter before Vick drove in from the one yard line to cut the lead 21-16 with four minutes to play.

The Eagles’ two point conversion try that would have put them within a field goal failed.

Philadelphia held the Packers and got the ball back on its own 34-yard line with 1:45 left for one last push although it was out of timeouts.

Vick took the Eagles down to the Green Bay 27 but cornerback Tramon Williams intercepted a pass intended for receiver Riley Cooper to seal the win.

“The last play, I just took a shot at the end zone,” Vick said after limping into the interview room, favoring an ankle he strained on a sack late in the fourth quarter.

“I could have checked it down to the back and I got greedy and took a shot at the end zone. I didn’t throw the right ball I wanted to throw and it got picked off.

“It was a bad way to go out, but I went out swinging.”

Two botched field goal tries in windy conditions by the usually reliable David Akers, a 41-yard attempt in the first quarter and a 34-yard shot in the fourth quarter, also punctured the hosts’ chances.

Eagles coach Andy Reid was brief in his remarks, still stinging from the defeat and miffed about the missed field goals.

“We can all count,” said Reid. “Those points would have helped.”

Rodgers completed 18-of-27 passes for 180 yards and no interceptions, while Vick was 20-of-36 for 292 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Vick made a couple of dashes for first downs but was largely held in check by the Packers, who limited him to 33 yards on eight rushes.

Rodgers hit tight end Tom Crabtree for a seven yard touchdown in the first quarter, fired a low, nine yard touchdown bullet to James Jones in the second quarter and floated a perfect screen pass to back Brandon Jackson who scored from 16 yards in the third quarter.

A sterling performance from unheralded rookie running back James Starks provided balance to the Green Bay attack. Starks, the 193rd player chosen as a sixth round pick in the draft out of Buffalo, gained 123 yards on 23 carries.

With Starks gaining tough yards with his inside running, Green Bay was able to control the ball and keep drives alive with third down conversions.

“To win week in, week out, you have to have a combination of run and pass,” McCarthy said.

The Packers entered the game ranked a lowly 24th in rushing while Philadelphia ranked fifth but outgained it on the ground 138 yards to 82.

“He was a hot hand,” McCarthy said about Starks. “James was a difference maker.”

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The Green Bay Packers withstood a ferocious late finish from the Philadelphia Eagles to win their NFL playoff 21-16 on Sunday and advance to the next round against Atlanta.

The Packers, one of the pre-season favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl, were never headed during the game but almost came unstuck in the final quarter as the Eagles threatened to steal victory.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in the win, but the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense also benefited from some missed opportunities by the Eagles.

The NFC East division champions missed two field goals and a last-gasp pass from quarterback Michael Vick that might have led to a winning touchdown but was intercepted in the end zone.

While the Eagles were left ruing their missed opportunities and early exit from the post-season, the Packers moved ahead to next weekend’s divisional playoffs against NFC top seed the Atlanta Falcons.

“We’re just getting started,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters. “We just won a big football game here against a championship-caliber program and we have an opportunity to go to Atlanta to play the number one seed down there.”

The Packers led 14-3 at the half and 21-10 late in the fourth quarter before Vick drove in from the one yard line to cut the lead 21-16 with four minutes to play.

The Eagles’ two point conversion try that would have put them within a field goal failed.

Philadelphia held the Packers and got the ball back on their own 34 yard line with 1:45 left for one last push although they were out of timeouts.

Vick took the Eagles down to the Green Bay 27 but cornerback Tramon Williams intercepted a pass intended for receiver Riley Cooper to seal the win.

“The last play, I just took a shot at the end zone,” Vick said after limping into the interview room, favoring an ankle he strained on a sack late in the fourth quarter.

“I could have checked it down to the back and I got greedy and took a shot at the end zone. I didn’t throw the right ball I wanted to throw and it got picked off.

“It was a bad way to go out, but I went out swinging.”

Two botched field goal tries in windy conditions by the usually reliable David Akers, a 41 -yard attempt in the first quarter and a 34 yard shot in the fourth quarter, also punctured the hosts’ chances.

Eagles coach Andy Reid was brief in his remarks, still stinging from the defeat and miffed about the missed field goals.

“We can all count,” said Reid. “Those points would have helped.”

Rodgers completed 18-of-27 passes for 180 yards and no interceptions, while Vick was 20-of-36 for 292 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Vick made a couple of dashes for first downs but was largely held in check by the Packers, who limited him to 33 yards on eight rushes.

Rodgers hit tight end Tom Crabtree for a seven yard touchdown in the first quarter, fired a low, nine yard touchdown bullet to James Jones in the second quarter and floated a perfect screen pass to back Brandon Jackson who scored from 16 yards in the third quarter.

A sterling performance from unheralded rookie running back James Starks provided balance to the Green Bay attack. Starks, the 193rd player chosen as a sixth round pick in the draft out of Buffalo, gained 123 yards on 23 carries.

With Starks gaining tough yards with his inside running, Green Bay was able to control the ball and keep drives alive with third down conversions.

“To win week in, week out, you have to have a combination of run and pass,” McCarthy said.

The Packers entered the game ranked a lowly 24th in rushing while Philadelphia ranked fifth but outgained them on the ground 138 yards to 82.

“He was a hot hand,” McCarthy said about Starks. “James was a difference maker.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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Packers focused on Bears

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 1:00 PM CST
GREEN BAY (AP) – After a blowout victory over the New York Giants, the Green Bay Packers’ simplest path to the playoffs is clear: beat the rival Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday and they’re in.

The Packers (9-6) also could make the playoffs if they lose to the Bears and other circumstances fall in their favor, but coach Mike McCarthy certainly doesn’t want his players thinking that way.

“It’s the same talk I give to my football team: We need to get to 10 wins, and until we get to 10 wins nothing else matters,” McCarthy said Monday. “That’s where we stand. We’re focused on win No. 10 against the Chicago Bears. Scenarios, I couldn’t even tell you what they are.”

Some players seem to be very aware of playoff scenarios that might affect the team.

After his standout performance against the Giants on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers said he wouldn’t mind seeing Minnesota beat Philadelphia on Tuesday night to give Chicago the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC – and, presumably, give the Bears less incentive to go all-out at Lambeau on Sunday.

“They might rest some of those studs they’ve got on defense,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers and the rest of the Packers certainly would prefer to win their way in, but there is a path to the playoffs even if they lose their season finale. The Giants would have to lose to Washington and Tampa Bay would have to lose to New Orleans. In that scenario, New York, Tampa Bay and Green Bay all would finish 9-7 and the Packers would hold the tiebreaker.

And there’s another playoff positioning quirk for the Packers to consider: Depending on how the playoff seeding process shakes out, Green Bay could play Chicago in the first round of the playoffs after facing them in the final game of the regular season.

It’s a somewhat similar to last season, when the Packers beat Arizona in the regular season finale and lost to them in the playoffs the following week – except the Packers haven’t clinched anything yet, so McCarthy can’t hold anything back. And McCarthy says his playbook is big enough to play a team back-to-back without becoming predictable.

“It is a totally different situation,” he said. “We could play doubleheaders any week based on how much scheme we take into a game. If we need to play Chicago, we could just fly right now to Chicago and play them Sunday night too, if we had to. We’re not holding anything back.”

None of the playoff scenarios currently open to the Packers would have been possible without a victory over the Giants on Sunday. New York would have clinched a playoff spot with a win, and a loss would have eliminated the Packers.

“I knew the type of guys we have in this room,” defensive tackle B.J. Raji said Sunday night. “We don’t back down, we don’t fold. We had some rough spots this season, but we knew winning this game would bring us one step closer to where we want to be.”

And the way the Packers beat the Giants, after crushing back-to-back close losses at Detroit and New England, gives them confidence going into the Chicago game.

“We feel great,” cornerback Tramon Williams said Sunday. “Obviously we had to get this one. If we didn’t get this one, it was over. For us to put together a performance like that, I think guys are really confident, knowing we can still make this run. Our goal is still ahead of us, and that goal is to win the Super Bowl. And that’s still ahead of us.”

If the Packers make the playoffs, Desmond Bishop thinks they might be in for the long run.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but if we can put together four quarters we can do that to pretty much everybody,” the linebacker said Sunday. “And that’s just the kind of talent and the kind of will that we have on this team – offense, defense and special teams. If we can put four (quarters) together like that, we’re dangerous.”

Packers focused on Bears

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 1:00 PM CST
GREEN BAY (AP) – After a blowout victory over the New York Giants, the Green Bay Packers’ simplest path to the playoffs is clear: beat the rival Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday and they’re in.

The Packers (9-6) also could make the playoffs if they lose to the Bears and other circumstances fall in their favor, but coach Mike McCarthy certainly doesn’t want his players thinking that way.

“It’s the same talk I give to my football team: We need to get to 10 wins, and until we get to 10 wins nothing else matters,” McCarthy said Monday. “That’s where we stand. We’re focused on win No. 10 against the Chicago Bears. Scenarios, I couldn’t even tell you what they are.”

Some players seem to be very aware of playoff scenarios that might affect the team.

After his standout performance against the Giants on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers said he wouldn’t mind seeing Minnesota beat Philadelphia on Tuesday night to give Chicago the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC – and, presumably, give the Bears less incentive to go all-out at Lambeau on Sunday.

“They might rest some of those studs they’ve got on defense,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers and the rest of the Packers certainly would prefer to win their way in, but there is a path to the playoffs even if they lose their season finale. The Giants would have to lose to Washington and Tampa Bay would have to lose to New Orleans. In that scenario, New York, Tampa Bay and Green Bay all would finish 9-7 and the Packers would hold the tiebreaker.

And there’s another playoff positioning quirk for the Packers to consider: Depending on how the playoff seeding process shakes out, Green Bay could play Chicago in the first round of the playoffs after facing them in the final game of the regular season.

It’s a somewhat similar to last season, when the Packers beat Arizona in the regular season finale and lost to them in the playoffs the following week – except the Packers haven’t clinched anything yet, so McCarthy can’t hold anything back. And McCarthy says his playbook is big enough to play a team back-to-back without becoming predictable.

“It is a totally different situation,” he said. “We could play doubleheaders any week based on how much scheme we take into a game. If we need to play Chicago, we could just fly right now to Chicago and play them Sunday night too, if we had to. We’re not holding anything back.”

None of the playoff scenarios currently open to the Packers would have been possible without a victory over the Giants on Sunday. New York would have clinched a playoff spot with a win, and a loss would have eliminated the Packers.

“I knew the type of guys we have in this room,” defensive tackle B.J. Raji said Sunday night. “We don’t back down, we don’t fold. We had some rough spots this season, but we knew winning this game would bring us one step closer to where we want to be.”

And the way the Packers beat the Giants, after crushing back-to-back close losses at Detroit and New England, gives them confidence going into the Chicago game.

“We feel great,” cornerback Tramon Williams said Sunday. “Obviously we had to get this one. If we didn’t get this one, it was over. For us to put together a performance like that, I think guys are really confident, knowing we can still make this run. Our goal is still ahead of us, and that goal is to win the Super Bowl. And that’s still ahead of us.”

If the Packers make the playoffs, Desmond Bishop thinks they might be in for the long run.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but if we can put together four quarters we can do that to pretty much everybody,” the linebacker said Sunday. “And that’s just the kind of talent and the kind of will that we have on this team – offense, defense and special teams. If we can put four (quarters) together like that, we’re dangerous.”

After a blowout victory over the New York Giants, the Green Bay Packers’ simplest path to the playoffs is clear: beat the rival Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday and they’re in.

The Packers (9-6) also could make the playoffs if they lose to the Bears and other circumstances fall in their favor, but coach Mike McCarthy certainly doesn’t want his players thinking that way.

“It’s the same talk I give to my football team: We need to get to 10 wins, and until we get to 10 wins nothing else matters,” McCarthy said Monday. “That’s where we stand. We’re focused on win No. 10 against the Chicago Bears. Scenarios, I couldn’t even tell you what they are.”

Some players seem to be very aware of playoff scenarios that might affect the team.

After his standout performance against the Giants on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers said he wouldn’t mind seeing Minnesota beat Philadelphia on Tuesday night to give Chicago the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC — and, presumably, give the Bears less incentive to go all-out at Lambeau on Sunday.

“They might rest some of those studs they’ve got on defense,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers and the rest of the Packers certainly would prefer to win their way in, but there is a path to the playoffs even if they lose their season finale. The Giants would have to lose to Washington and Tampa Bay would have to lose to New Orleans. In that scenario, New York, Tampa Bay and Green Bay all would finish 9-7 and the Packers would hold the tiebreaker.

And there’s another playoff positioning quirk for the Packers to consider: Depending on how the playoff seeding process shakes out, Green Bay could play Chicago in the first round of the playoffs after facing them in the final game of the regular season.

It’s a somewhat similar to last season, when the Packers beat Arizona in the regular season finale and lost to them in the playoffs the following week — except the Packers haven’t clinched anything yet, so McCarthy can’t hold anything back. And McCarthy says his playbook is big enough to play a team back-to-back without becoming predictable.

“It is a totally different situation,” he said. “We could play doubleheaders any week based on how much scheme we take into a game. If we need to play Chicago, we could just fly right now to Chicago and play them Sunday night too, if we had to. We’re not holding anything back.”

None of the playoff scenarios currently open to the Packers would have been possible without a victory over the Giants on Sunday. New York would have clinched a playoff spot with a win, and a loss would have eliminated the Packers.

“I knew the type of guys we have in this room,” defensive tackle B.J. Raji said Sunday night. “We don’t back down, we don’t fold. We had some rough spots this season, but we knew winning this game would bring us one step closer to where we want to be.”

And the way the Packers beat the Giants, after crushing back-to-back close losses at Detroit and New England, gives them confidence going into the Chicago game.

“We feel great,” cornerback Tramon Williams said Sunday. “Obviously we had to get this one. If we didn’t get this one, it was over. For us to put together a performance like that, I think guys are really confident, knowing we can still make this run. Our goal is still ahead of us, and that goal is to win the Super Bowl. And that’s still ahead of us.”

If the Packers make the playoffs, Desmond Bishop thinks they might be in for the long run.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but if we can put together four quarters we can do that to pretty much everybody,” the linebacker said Sunday. “And that’s just the kind of talent and the kind of will that we have on this team — offense, defense and special teams. If we can put four (quarters) together like that, we’re dangerous.”