Published: Dec. 20, 2013
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor
GREEN BAY — Regarding the most important collarbone in the
NFL, here’s what we do know about Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
He still isn’t medically cleared to return to game action
Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s getting close, though.
“I felt pretty good out there,” he said. “It’s feeling
good.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers looked sharp in
practice Thursday and Rodgers said he completed every pass.
“He definitely looks better this week,” McCarthy said. “He
looks like he’s ready to play.”
It’s still a waiting game. Rodgers will be evaluated today
to see if he will play, be a game-time decision or miss his seventh straight
game since being injured Nov. 4 against the Chicago Bears. Pressured by
reporters to see if he’d break and reveal his status, Rodgers said, “It’s an
organization and a medical decision at this point.”
However, he admitted, “I have a pretty good sense of what’s
going to happen.”
When asked if he had any more scans scheduled he declined to
discuss it.
Matt Flynn took the majority of the first-team snaps
Thursday and it is expected, at least at this point, Flynn will start Sunday’s
game. Rodgers was a limited participant in practice.
“I thought he looked very good,” McCarthy said.
The frustration for Rodgers is not as bad as it was in the
first couple weeks after the injury. It’s still there, however, as the former
NFL MVP waits for the go-ahead to return to game action.
“I’m practicing so the frustration level definitely goes
down there,” Rodgers said. “It’s tough to be so close last week and not be able
to play. But we’re right in this thing and Matt’s playing well.
“At this point I have to focus on the things that I can
control,” he added. “That’s practicing well, taking care of my business in the
weight room and being a good teammate.”
Whether Rodgers plays, the Packers feel good about their
position, in regards to the NFC playoff picture. The Packers have to beat the
Steelers on Sunday and the Bears next week to win the division and clinch a
playoff spot.
Given the injuries and speed bumps along the way, the
Packers are excited about Sunday’s task.
“It’s not a relief, it’s an expectation,” McCarthy said.
“It’s where we expected to be. It’s been a bumpy road, no doubt about it.
That’s why you really got to stay focused on exactly what’s in front of us and
that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers here at home and it doesn’t go any further than
that.
“This is the time of the year where you really got to lock
in. It’s a playoff football mentality. We’ve been in that mentality for the
last two weeks. It’ll be no different next week.”
Sunday’s game will be the first meeting between the Packers
and Steelers since Super Bowl XLV, which the Packers won. The stage won’t be as
bright, but the level of importance could be similar.
Green Bay is in control of its potential playoff future,
while a loss will eliminate the Steelers from the postseason.
“It’s obviously great to be in this position,” Packers
receiver Jordy Nelson said. “We’ve had to go through a lot. We’ve been
fortunate, though. Other teams have lost as well to put us in this situation.”
One of the big surprises in the last month of the season has
been the slump by the Detroit Lions, who have lost four of their last five
games since beating the Packers by 30 points on Thanksgiving Day.
“The last two weeks we’ve taken care of business,” Nelson
said. “Hopefully we can finish this out.”
In the last two weeks, the Packers have rallied from
halftime deficits to escape with one-point victory over Atlanta and Dallas.
“This football team is a team that definitely believes,”
McCarthy said. “That’s been apparent throughout the whole season. We’ve had an
abundant of challenges and we have more in front of us. They really don’t
blink.”
The Packers got a big help from the Baltimore Ravens on
Monday night, beating the Lions, 18-16, which helped put them into a favorable
position with two games to go in the regular season.
“We’ve got to go out and battle,” Packers defensive back
Tramon Williams said. “This team has shown a lot of resilience so far. I know
we’re not going to lay down now.”
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