Green & Gold Express 1230

WOLF RIVER MEDIA
WEEK 17 PACKERS vs. LIONS
DECEMBER 30, 2016
NO STOPPING
THEM NOW
Rodgers, Nelson consistently making big plays

SEE PAGE 2
PHOTOS BY JIM LEUENBERGER
ALSO INSIDE: Pro Football Weekly Around the North Rosters Schedule Standings
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016
Game Vitals
GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-6)

AT DETROIT LIONS (8-6)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Ford Field
TV: NBC
RADIO: 620 WTMJ, 92.3
WJMQ-FM, 101.1 WIXX-FM
GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
RODGERS-TO-NELSON:
PROLIFIC DUO IS ON A ROLL
Locker Room
Were planning on
going to Detroit to win
the division.
MIKE MCCARTHY, Packers

head coach, on closing out
the regular season
The Series
Packers vs. Lions:

All-time, regular season:
97-68-7
All-time, postseason: 2-0
All-time, in Detroit: 40-41-2
Streaks: The Packers have
won two straight.
Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 25, 2016; Packers
won, 34-27, Lambeau Field
Schedule
Date Opponent Time

TV
Sept. 11 at Jacksonville Win 27-23
Sept. 18 at Minnesota Loss 17-14
Sept. 25 Detroit
Win 34-27
Oct. 2 Bye
Oct. 9 New York
Win 23-16
Oct. 16 Dallas
Loss 30-16
Oct. 20 Chicago
Win 26-10
Oct. 30 at Atlanta
Loss 33-32
Nov. 6 Indianapolis Loss 31-26
Nov. 13 at Tennessee Loss 47-25
Nov. 20 at Washington Loss 42-24
Nov. 28 at Philadelphia Win 27-13
Dec. 4 Houston
Win 21-13
Dec. 11 Seattle
Win 38-10
Dec. 18 at Chicago
Win 30-27
Dec. 24 Minnesota
Win 38-25
Jan. 1 at Detroit
12 p.m. Fox
PHOTO BY JIM LEUENBERGER
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) has been able to depend on receiver Jordy Nelson for big plays over the last eight seasons. They hope to continue their roll Sunday
in the NFC North title game against the Lions.
Teamwork between
two has produced
59 TDs since 2008
The Associated Press
Aaron Rodgers and Jordy

Nelson have worked with each
other for so long that it often

seems they can create plays just
by making eye contact.
Nelson points to where he
thinks he can make a catch. Rodgers buys precious seconds and
delivers a pinpoint pass. Another
big play for the Green Bay Packers.
The prolific duo is on a roll
headed into the Packers winnertake-all showdown on Sunday

against the Lions in Detroit for
the NFC North title.
You can see the trust, coach
Mike McCarthy said. He releases the ball much earlier to Jordy
and that in itself speaks volumes
of their relationship as far as the
number of reps, the trust, the
timing and so forth. Theyre a

unique combination.
Nelson came in to the league
as a second-round draft choice
out of Kansas State in 2008,
which was Rodgers first year
taking over as the starting quarterback.
SEE RODGERS, PAGE 3
ON THE COVER: The dynamic between Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and receiver Jordy Nelson, has helped the team turn around its 4-6 start. The Packers
play at Detroit for the NFC North title Sunday.
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
RODGERS
FROM PAGE 2
Since then, they have

combined to become the
most productive quarterback-receiver touchdown
combination in Packers history, breaking the
mark of 57 held by Brett
Favre and Antonio Freeman. Two more touchdown passes last week
against Minnesota gave
the
Rodgers-to-Nelson
combination 59.
Nelson has five scoring catches alone over the
last four weeks, a period
during which Rodgers
has been dealing with leg
muscle injuries.
Yet Rodgers is in the
midst of what has been a
late-season-charge his
most impressive stretch
of the season for the
Packers (9-6), having not
thrown an interception
over his last six games.
Green Bay has won five
straight since a four-game
skid.
I mean, he does everything that you could possibly want a quarterback
to do, Lions coach Jim
Caldwell said about Rodg-
ers. Theres not anything

hes not doing well, and I
think hes always played
well.
Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett
has taken to giving Rodgers the nickname Yellow
Jacket, after the color of
the sport coat that retired
players wear when inducted into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame.
Im just looking for new
ways to compliment him,
McCarthy said. I think if
you just have a chance to
be around him every day,
he competes with everything. It can be overwhelming sometimes as far as
whether its pre-practice
drill or finishing his test before the other guys.
With a league leading
14 touchdown catches,
Nelson has bounced back
quite nicely this season
after missing 2015 with
a torn ACL. He has 91
catches for 1,191 yards
headed into the regular
season finale.
McCarthy said he loves
the little things that
Nelson does, like how the
receivers work ethic in
practice rubs off on his
teammates.
Hes very into the drill

work, clearly understands
the importance of not only
practicing but how important it is for him to practice with the other receivers and get the time clock,
the spacing, and hes a
great example for young
players, McCarthy said.
Rodgers attributes his
success with Nelson to
the amount of the time
theyve spent together.
Thats dozens of practices, let alone games. He
is running out of words to
describe, Nelson, too.
You run out of ways to
compliment him because
hes such a good teammate, he does so many
things exceptional with
his, obviously, route running, his catching the ball
his second and third reactions. Just his feel, Rodgers said after the 38-25 win
over the Vikings.
As for Rodgers success in the second half of
the season, McCarthy acknowledged it quickly.
Hes done a great job,
you know, he said. Im
not really here to talk
about season review, we
feel our season is just getting started.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and receiver Jordy Nelson have worked with each for so
long that it often seems they can create plays when Rodgers is in trouble just by making eye contact. The prolific
duo is on a roll headed into the Packers winner-take-all showdown on Sunday against the Lions in Detroit for
the NFC North title.
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
Packers get extra

days of rest prior
to big showdown
Pass rush gets healthy at right time
Clay Matthews is battling a left shoulder injury, but a little extra time to rest before Sundays game against the Lions could help him to recuperate.
The Green Bay Packers

are guaranteed to have at
least one advantage over
the Lions when the NFC
North rivals play for the
division title to close the
regular season.
Two extra days of rest
in late December might do
wonders for a team making a playoff push.
Green Bay (9-6) beat
Minnesota on Saturday for
its fifth straight victory.
By the time the Lions
wrapped up the NFLs
Week 16 schedule with a
tough road loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday
night, the Packers enjoyed
a game-free Sunday with
their families to celebrate
the holidays, and a lighter
Monday.
That means a little
more recuperation time
for key players dealing

with injuries, such as receiver Randall Cobb, and
linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. The
Packers visit the Lions on
Sunday night in the final
game of the regular season.
The Packers had their
bye in Week 4. Three
weeks later, a few extra days off following a
Thursday night win over
the Bears provided Green
Bay its last real significant
break.
Playing 10 straight
games coming out of the
Thursday night game
against Chicago, thats a
grind, its the first time
weve had to do that,
coach Mike McCarthy said
Monday. That makes a
difference. So weve made
SEE PACKERS, PAGE 5
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
PACKERS
FROM PAGE 4
it through, had the extra

day (that) will benefit us.
Green Bay has powered
through numerous injuries to put itself back in position to win the division.
Quarterback
Aaron
Rodgers, whose calf injury is improving, hasnt
thrown an interception in
six games. Cobb missed
the Vikings game with a
nagging ankle injury.
Matthews left shoulder
injury is getting better, and
he returned to being an
impact player with a stripsack against the Vikings,
three quarterback hurries
and two deflected passes.
Perry returned from a twogame absence to sack Sam
Bradford twice in spite of a
heavy wrap protecting his
injured left hand.
The defense might be
able to use the extra time
to figure out how to shore
up pass coverage.
After a porous fourth
quarter against the Bears
in Week 15, the Packers
followed up by allowing
382 yards passing to Bradford and a career-high 202
Playing the Vikings on Christmas Eve gave the Packers a couple of extra days to rest as they prepare to face off against Detroit on Sunday.
yards and two scores on 12

catches by Adam Thielen.
The lopsided score
played a factor. Green Bay
led by two touchdowns at
halftime, and 38-13 with 9
minutes left in the fourth

quarter when Minnesota
went with a hurry-up offense.
Youd like to say we
need to finish better, but
its good that were putting

ourselves into positions to
even go up like that, safety Micah Hyde said after
the game.
Injuries also hit the cor-
nerback position again,

with Ladarius Gunter leaving the game in the second
quarter with an elbow
injury. He was replaced
by Damarious Randall, a
starter when healthy who

was already questionable
to play with a shoulder injury.
Once again, we sustained an injury we had
to move people in, McCarthy said. Damarious
Randall, I give the young
man a ton of credit. I
didnt really think he was
going to play in the game.
The defense has made
up for any deficiencies
with a recent penchant
for takeaways. The Packers are plus-12 in turnover differential with no
giveaways over the past
three games, in part due
to getting more pressure
on the quarterback.
The better health of
Matthews and Perry, in
turn, has helped to generate more pass rush
against Minnesota.
The Packers got a regular day off on Tuesday
before resuming their normal practice schedule on
Wednesday.
Im going to try to give
these players as much
time as possible to get
their bodies back, especially with what weve endured here the last nine
weeks, McCarthy said.
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
Stakes high in
Lions finale
vs. Packers
Zenner stands out in Week 16 loss
Lions running back Zach Zenner scored two touchdowns against Dallas, giving Detroit a much-needed run threat to take some pressure off quarterback Matthew Stafford.
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Matthew
Stafford
moved on quickly from another loss to his hometown
team.
The Detroit quarterback was already thinking about his home field,
where the Lions will play
Green Bay for the NFC
North title in the regular
season finale Sunday after
missing a chance to clinch
a playoff spot in a 42-21 loss
to the Dallas Cowboys.
If we get a win, we
win the division and get a
home playoff game, said
Stafford, who lost Monday
night on the same field
where he dropped to 0-2
in the playoffs with a wildcard loss two years ago.
Thats the focus right
now, and I can just see it

standing right there.
The Lions (9-6) lost
a second straight game
coming off five consecutive
victories, with Dez Bryant
throwing his first career
touchdown pass between
a pair of scoring catches
while rookie sensation
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for
two more TDs for the Cowboys (13-2).
Dallas, which tied a
franchise record for wins
reached two other times,
had already clinched the
top seed in the NFC.
Detroit faces a short
week after a long flight
home, looking to avenge a
34-27 loss at the Packers
in Week 3. Green Bay (9-6)
SEE STAKES, PAGE 7
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
STAKES
FROM PAGE 6
has won five straight.

I know its a long trip back
home, but by the time we land,
wed better start thinking about
Green Bay, said coach Jim
Caldwell, looking for his second
playoff trip in three seasons with
the Lions. Guys are hurting
right now. Its a huge game, but I
think our guys are resilient.
Stafford, a championshipwinning high school quarterback
in the Dallas area, had a 1-yard
scoring plunge but was sacked
four times matching a season
high.
He was 26 of 46 for 260 yards,
including an interception that

set up Elliotts 1-yard touchdown
early in the third quarter to break
a 21-all halftime tie.
Weve got a one-game season
left at our house against a club
that we know really well, said
tight end Eric Ebron, who had
game highs with eight catches
for 93 yards. Thats our only focus right now.
Takeaways from the Cowboys
first win in the regular season
against the Lions since 2010:
VANISHING RUN: Detroits
29th-ranked rushing offense got
a career-high 64 yards and two
touchdowns from Zach Zenner
in the first half against the NFLs
top rushing defense and the only
one that hasnt allowed a 100yard rusher this season. But he
had just two carries for 3 yards
after halftime. The Lions could

use that first-half balance against
the Packers.
I think a lot of it was situational, just the way the game was
going as far as having to throw
the ball more, said Zenner, a little-used second-year player from
South Dakota State. And I dont
need an explanation.
MISSING PIECE: Detroit
cornerback Darius Slay was
out with a hamstring injury that
also sidelined him for two games
in November. It hurt the Lions
against Bryant, and it could be an
issue if hes not back against Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson. I
never look at it as who we miss
and all of those things, Caldwell
said. I talk about the guys we
have.
Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, left, threw an interception, leading to Dallas goahead score in the third quarter Monday as the Lions suffered their second straight
loss. Detroit hosts the Packers on Sunday with the NFC North title on the line.
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
10
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
Power rankings: Pats stay No. 1 heading into season finale

win over the Saints.
AFC North champion Pittsburgh (10-5)
inched up to No. 6 in the poll. The surging
Steelers, who have won six in a row, are
the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Going into the last week of the regular

season, Tom Brady and the New England
Patriots are trying to wrap up home-field
advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Patriots (13-2) have won six games
in a row going into the regular-season finale at Miami and will be a strong favorite
to reach the Super Bowl.
The Patriots are also the overwhelming
choice for the top spot in the AP Pro32 poll.
New England received 11 first-place
votes for 383 points from balloting by media members who regularly cover the
NFL.
Malcolm Butler and LeGarrette
Blount were overlooked for the Pro Bowl,
but theyll be content with the more important bowl: the Super Bowl, Newsdays
Bob Glauber said. Butlers two interceptions and a fumble recovery and Blounts
two rushing TDs key the Patriots embarrassment of the Jets in moving New England one step closer to Houston in February.
The Cowboys (13-2) received the other
first-place vote to remain No. 2 with 373
points.
But who is MVP? Dak (Prescott) or
Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott)? asked Fox Sports
John Czarnecki about Dallas star rookies.
Despite being in second place in the
AFC West, the Chiefs (11-4) switched spots
with the Raiders and moved up to No. 3.
The Raiders (12-3) slipped to No. 4 and
New Englands LeGarrette Blount has been the lead back for the Patriots, who can secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win on Sunday. New England remained No. 1 in the AP Pro32 poll heading
into the final week of the regular season.
will enter the playoffs without quarterback

Derek Carr, who broke his right leg in Saturdays win over Indianapolis.
NFC South champion Atlanta (10-5)

jumped three spots to No. 5. The Falcons can clinch a first-round bye with a

1. New England Patriots (11)
2. Dallas Cowboys (1)
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. New York Giants
8. Green Bay Packers
9. Seattle Seahawks
10. Miami Dolphins
11. Detroit Lions
12. Baltimore Ravens
12. Houston Texans
14. Washington Redskins
15. Denver Broncos
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17. Tennessee Titans
18. Indianapolis Colts
19. New Orleans Saints
20. Buffalo Bills
21. Arizona Cardinals
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Philadelphia Eagles
25. Cincinnati Bengals
26. San Diego Chargers
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. New York Jets
29. Chicago Bears
30. Los Angeles Rams
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Cleveland Browns
W
13
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11
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10
10
10
9
9
10
9
8
9
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
6
7
6
6
5
5
3
4
3
4
2
1
L T
2 0
2 0
4 0
3 0
5 0
5 0
5 0
6 0
5 1
5 0
6 0
7 0
6 0
6 1
7 0
7 0
7 0
8 0
8 0
8 0
8 1
8 0
9 0
9 0
9 1
10 0
12 0
11 0
12 0
11 0
13 0
14 0
Pts Prv
383 1
373 2
348 4
335 3
334 8
329 7
305 5
304 10
299 6
278 11
269 9
235 13
235 16
227 17
222 11
212 14
203 15
168 18
163 22
152 19
146 24
131 19
129 21
117 26
102 22
84 25
58 30
56 27
53 28
46 29
26 31
14 32
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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY |
ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
Three big questions for Bears to answer in 2017
ith the 2016 season

coming to an end this
Sunday in Minnesota, the Chicago Bears
will have a number
of questions to sort
through and answer before continuing
the process of rebuilding the football
team.
There are three that stand out above
the rest and that must be decided on before any of the other work can continue.
Should John Fox keep his job as head
coach? What are they going to do about
the quarterback position? Where should
their focus be with what now looks to be
the third overall pick in the draft as well
as picks 35 and 67?
I believe Fox should be back for at
least one more year, which is interesting coming from me because I was not a
fan of his hiring when they chose him to
replace Marc Trestman.
His 9-22 record since taking over suggests that I may have been right two
years ago, but that was then and now
is now.
While Fox oversaw just a one-game
improvement last year from 5-11 to 6-10,
he did a great job of cleaning up the
Trestman/Phil Emery
The players seem to
mess and changing the
like him, seem to trust
culture for his players.
him and clearly conHe has taken a step
tinue to play for him.
back this year with poor
That may be the most
clock and game manageimportant thing this
ment and a Dowell Logteam needs, as one more
gains offense that doesnt
offseason of free agency
resemble what he told
and drafting could supus was his offense when
ply most of the missing
Adam Gase departed.
pieces still needed to be a
But even with that, the
playoff contender.
rebuild was still focused
If Fox is ready to acon the foundation, not
knowledge the mess
the finishing touches,
hes made of his offense
HUB ARKUSH
and expectations of any- harkush@ProFootballWeekly.com scheme-wise and either
@Hub_Arkush
thing more than eight
radically change the
or nine wins this season
play-calling philosophy
were unrealistic.
or replace Loggains, or perhaps both, he
While injuries are never an excuse,
should be given one more year to get to
with some number significantly less
at least nine wins.
than 19 players on injured reserve,
The Bears should re-sign Matt Barkmore than five healthy starts from Jay
ley and Connor Shaw to compete for the
Cutler and a lot better play-calling,
No. 2 spot, draft the best quarterback
Im not ready to say eight or nine wins
available on Day Two of the draft, and
werent a possibility.
either retain Jay Cutler for one more
Fox takes a lot of heat for his poor
season or trade for or sign a veteran
communications with the media and
free agent to replace him.
thereby his fans, but thats a different
If the Bears can get a fifth-round pick
subject for a different time.
or better for Cutler, Id move him, but
otherwise they should keep him as the

bridge to the next starter who they will
hopefully find in the draft.
Contrary to what so many want to believe, Cutler is not the problem, he just
doesnt appear to be the future.
The problem is there are no sure-fire
franchise quarterbacks in this draft
worth a top-10 pick, none available in
free agency and the only one you might
trade for Jimmy Garoppolo may not
be available. If he is, he might be too
expensive.
The Bears focus in the draft needs to
be on a game-changing player. At least
two among Jonathan Allen, Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers and Marlon Humphrey will be available assuming all
join the senior Allen in coming out, and
each would fill a real need for the Bears.
There will be outstanding tight end
prospects available at 35 and a very
good chance the best QB in this draft
will still be there too. From there on
out, the Bears should be drafting the
best player available with each pick
at any positions other than guard and
center, and they should only take running backs or inside linebackers if they
think they see a real steal.
By J.C.
TALON
Fantasy writer | ProFootballWeekly.com
ost leagues ended their fantasy seasons in Week 16. For the true diehard leagues that play on through
the fantasy wasteland of Week 17,
we offer some fantasy notes for the
final week. For those of you celebrating a championship, or looking ahead to next
year, weve included a fantasy awards segment.
On to Week 17
MATCHUPS TO CONSIDER
Just because a team has secured a playoff spot

doesnt mean that team will be resting their fantasy
studs in Week 17. Several teams are in the playoffs,
but still will be motivated to win. The Patriots can
lock up the No. 1 seed with a victory. Although they
can do no worse than the No. 2 seed, having the AFC
Championship at home is a worthwhile goal. The
Falcons, Raiders, Chiefs and Seahawks are trying to
secure a bye, and should be playing full throttle this
week.
Their game in Tennessee means nothing to them,
so you have to think the Texans will again rest Lamar
Miller and let Alfred Blue take the bulk of the carries.
Should you jump on the Adam Thielen bandwagon?
His 12-catch, 212-yard performance against the Packers is obviously an outlier. Thielen had no catches
against the Colts in Week 15. However, he caught 24
balls combined in the four weeks previous to Week
15. Lets call him a reasonable WR2 this week.
In order to secure a bye, Oakland will very much
want to beat the Broncos this week. Although Latavius Murray was third on his team in rushing yards
last week against the Colts, a bounce back game is
a possibility. Denver has a great pass defense, but is
vulnerable to the run. Murray had two TDs last time
these teams faced each other.
The Bills fired coach Rex Ryan. Who could have
possibly seen that coming? In spite of that (and perhaps because of that) we like LeSean McCoy and
Sammy Watkins against a Jets team that has completely quit. The Bills D/ST isnt a bad play either.
And speaking of defense, the Steelers look to be a
good play against the Browns. True, Pittsburgh has
nothing to play for, but the Steelers can only rest so
many starters. Theyll be playing loose. If youre
looking for Steelers this week, consider DeAngelo
Williams and Eli Rogers. QB Landry Jones might limit Rogers, but Williams could have a very good game.
The Saints and Falcons, respectively, have produced the most yards this year in the NFL. Atlanta
wants to earn a bye and New Orleans will want to
finish up with a win. That will make Matt Ryan and
Drew Brees two of the three top QB options this
week. The Falcons defense is 23rd and the Saints are
ranked 25th. Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Julio
Jones, Mark Ingram and Brandin Cooks are all must
starts.
The top QB spot goes to Aaron Rodgers. The Lions
seem to be limping toward the finish line. Expect big
days from Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery. Mason Crosby is also a good play.
Washington needs a win and some help to make
the playoffs. The Giants have nothing to play for, but
will be obligated to put up a fight. We still like Kirk
Cousins, Rob Kelley and DeSean Jackson. Washington is 25th against the run. Paul Perkins of the Giants is worth a look.
Just when we told you to dump Allen Robinson,
he goes for 147 yards against the Titans. Maybe hes
worth a shot at Indy. The Vikings defense is a shell
of its early season self. Dont be surprised if Alshon
Jeffery goes for 100 yards and a score.
MATCHUPS TO BEWARE
The obvious concern this week is teams that have

secured a playoff start resting their best players to
ensure they are healthy for the playoffs. The Texans,
Giants, Cowboys, and Steelers are locked into their
current playoff spot, thus have nothing to gain from
a victory this week. This is a confusing mess for
fantasy owners. Even if a coach says hell play his
starters, you have no idea if thats true. And, if they
do start, theres a good chance theyll be on a pitch
count. The Dolphins are locked into the No. 5 or No.
6 seed, but the difference between the two seeds is
negligible. Youll want to do your research this week
before plugging in a player from the Texans, Giants,
Steelers, Cowboys or Dolphins.
Martellus Bennett sat nearly the entire second half
as New England cruised to a victory over the hapless
Jets. Hes banged up and might be used sparingly in
Week 17. Todd Gurley could manage just 2.9 yards per
carry last week versus a historically bad 49ers run
defense. Total bust. Ryan Mathews has a herniated
disc in his neck and is out. If Jeremy Hill can only
average 1.1 yards per carry at Houston, he should be
benched against the Ravens and their No. 2 run defense. No Bengals are worth starting this week.
Justin Forsett has not been the answer for the Broncos pathetic run game. Hunter Henry played only 19
snaps in the Chargers loss in Cleveland. He might be
great next year, but has no value in Week 17. Doug
Martin was a healthy scratch against the Saints.
Tampa lost the game, so perhaps he plays this week,
but we have zero interest in him.
Brandon Marshall is engaged in a war of words
with other players in the Jets locker room. This
comes as no surprise to anyone in Chicago, Denver
or Miami. Marshalls act may finally be coming to an
end. He has six catches in his last five games and his
last 100-yard performance was in Week 5.
Rishard Matthews had a nice thing going with
Marcus Mariota. With Matt Cassel behind center,
Matthews is not worth considering. The Colts are
playing musical chairs at tight end. Jack Doyle,
Dwayne Allen and Erik Swoope are as likely to go
without a target as they are to score a TD. The Miami passing game is not worth considering. Jarvis
Landry has six catches in the two games Matt Moore
has started. Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker have
five apiece.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
David Johnson
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Dak Prescott
BIGGEST BUST
(TIE) Cam Newton, Todd Gurley

MOST PROMISING ROOKIE
Ezekiel Elliott
Dream Team
QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers
RUNNING BACKS
David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott

WIDE RECEIVERS
Jordy Nelson, Antonio Brown

TIGHT END
Travis Kelce
FLEX
LeVeon Bell
PLACEKICKER
Matt Bryant
D/ST
Kansas City Chiefs
All-Bust Team
(not injury related)
QUARTERBACK
Cam Newton
RUNNING BACKS
Todd Gurley, Lamar Miller

WIDE RECEIVERS
DeAndre Hopkins, Allen Robinson

TIGHT END
Gary Barnidge
PLACEKICKER
Chandler Catanzaro
D/ST
New York Jets
All-Injury Team
QUARTERBACK
Tony Romo
RUNNING BACKS
Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy

WIDE RECEIVERS
Keenan Allen, Eric Decker

TIGHT END
Rob Gronkowski
FLEX
Jamaal Charles
PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
PFW names all-fantasy players, busts
PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
4
By
ARTHUR
ARKUSH
hen the Packers visit the Lions in

prime-time Sunday to conclude the
NFL regular season, itll mark the
fourth consecutive year the NFC North
is decided on the final day of the regu-
lar season.
Unlike the past two years, when the Packers fell in
Minnesota and Detroit went down in Green Bay but
both notched wild-card berths, the loser might miss the
playoffs altogether.
The Lions, in search of their first-ever NFC North
crown and first division title in 23 years, missed an opportunity to clinch the NFCs final spot thanks to a disastrous second half Monday night in Dallas. Now, on
short rest, theyll attempt to salvage their storybook
season at home against the conferences hottest club
and quarterback and, frankly, their big brother in the
division.
Detroits well-documented cardiac cats season
included 12 of the first 13 games ending in one-score
margins, with Matthew Stafford and Co. authoring an
NFL-record eight fourth-quarter comebacks. Suddenly, Jim Caldwells resilient crew has been outscored
by a combined 59-27 against the Giants and Cowboys,
with consecutive losses for the first time since Weeks
3-4.
Staffords injured middle finger hasnt been as much
of an issue as his seemingly waning patience five of
his 11 giveaways have come in the past three games. The
turnovers havent been as costly as Detroits exposed

cornerback depth without Darius Slay and a young offensive line increasingly springing leaks.
Five weeks ago, with their longest losing streak
(four games) since 2008 and job security rumors swirling, Aaron Rodgers vowed, Were going to run the
table. Green Bay has five consecutive wins and 154
points faster than one of Rodgers patented missile
strikes. The secondary has had its issues, letting Matt
Barkley and the Bears come within three yards of a
massive fourth-quarter comeback, and surrendering
208 receiving yards and two touchdowns to Minnesotas Adam Thielen. It hasnt mattered, as Rodgers and
Jordy Nelson are in the midst of one of those runs
well be talking about years from now. And theyre
doing it with outstanding complements from all directions in Ty Montgomery, Davante Adams and a superb
offensive line.
Meantime, perhaps the Packers best overall defender, Clay Matthews, and arguably their most impactful
for the majority of this season, Nick Perry, looked as
healthy as they have in a month while helping Green
Bay put away the Vikings. They bolster a defense that
has 14 takeaways against just one turnover during the
Packers ascent.
Momentum, if you believe in it, is on the Packers
side, as is pedigree and history for a team looking to
secure its 12th division title since the Lions most recent, in 1993.
Why should the Lions even bother showing up, then?

Their season started with a new general manager, Bob
Quinn, retaining Caldwell but being forced to replace
Calvin Johnson with a hodgepodge of pass catchers including Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin. Theyve endured prolonged absences from their top three defenders, including Ezekiel Ansah, DeAndre Levy and Slay.
Many predicted theyd fall into the division basement,
not rise to the top.
Stafford absolutely deserves MVP consideration for
the way hes carried his squad, and he is used to being
overlooked.
He needs his teammates to look out for him.
Jones, who had a career day with 205 receiving yards
and two touchdowns in Green Bays 31-24 Week 2 victory, has to take pressure off Boldin, Golden Tate and
Eric Ebron. The offensive line has to do a better job
handling Dom Capers pressure than it did Steve Spagnuolos and Rod Marinellis. Jim Bob Cooter must stick
with Zach Zenner and a run game that has finally found
a pulse.
A Lions win likely necessitates a shootout. But the
defense needs Ansah, Levy and Glover Quin to play
like stars. Without Slay, Johnson Bademosi desperately
needs the help to slow Nelson that never arrived versus
Dez Bryant.
Remember: both of these teams were written off at
one point this season. Likely just one of them gets to
rewrite the ending.
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WOLF RIVER MEDIA
15
PACKERS NOTEBOOK
By Green & Gold Express Staff
At 4-6, the Green Bay Packers season was on the

brink. The heat was on coach Mike McCarthy, general
manager Ted Thompson and two-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
After a loss to Washington the Packers fourth
consecutive defeat Rodgers proclaimed the Packers
could run the table with six consecutive wins to end
the season.
Green Bay has completed the first five legs of that
journey. No. 6 would be on Sunday night at Detroit. The
winner will earn the NFC North championship and a
playoff berth. The losers season could be over.
I like that were playing for something, Rodgers
said.
Rodgers has backed up his bold talk. Over the last
five games, he leads the NFL with a 119.8 passer rating.
Hes thrown 11 touchdown passes.
It doesnt take a trained eye to see, Lions coach
Jim Caldwell said of the early scrutiny on Rodgers. I
think its just more or less that people were trying to
do what happens when youre in this arena: Youre trying to create some controversy. But the fact of the matter is everybody thats in coaching that sees him, hes
still dangerous with his feet, hes dangerous with his
arm, can make every throw, hes a great leader, hes
extremely accurate. So, Im not certain what all of the
naysayers were talking about, you know. Hes still just
as effective as hes already been.
If Caldwells Lions are going to stop the hard-charging Packers, theyll have to find a way to slow down
Rodgers. Detroit ranks last in the league with an opponent passer rating of 105.0 and 72.9 percent completion
rate. Top cornerback Darius Slay has missed the last
two games with an injured hamstring but practiced on
Wednesday.
We try and look at more of whoever is in there, we
expect him to do a job, Caldwell said. Weve had guys
missing before. Weve had games where Slay didnt
play or Levy wasnt playing. Its our job to find a way to
win. And whoever we have in there, hes got a job to do
and we expect him to do it.
THE GREAT INDOORS
The Packers are 0-2 in indoor games this year, with

a 17-14 loss to Minnesota and a 33-32 loss to Atlanta.
Well, I get to bring the molded cleats out, thats
always nice, said Rodgers, who has thrived in indoor
games for most of his career. Fast surface, obviously, teams play differently inside compared to outside.
Weve a nice stretch right now with some cold-weather
games that weve been able to win and now weve got to
inside and handle business.
Rodgers is 11-10 in 21 indoor games with 44 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 110.3 passer rating. Hes
added six more rushing touchdowns.
CLOSE AND PLENTY OF CIGARS
If its close in the fourth quarter, the Lions will have

the Packers right where they want them.
Of Detroits nine wins, eight have come via fourthquarter comebacks. Thats the most in NFL history.
The previous record? Seven by Indianapolis in 2009.
The common tie? Jim Caldwell

was the coach of both teams.
I think you have to look at
the makeup of the guys that
we have, Caldwell said.
They are guys with a lot of
a great character that work
extremely hard. They dont
shy away from the moment
at the end of the game. I
think they understand
situations.
Lions
quarterback
Matthew Stafford has
been masterful in
late-game situations,
not just this season
but throughout his
career, with 25 career fourth-quarter
comebacks. Rodgers has authored 10
fourth-quarter comebacks in his career.
BIG-GAME HISTORY
FAVORS PACKERS
While Detroit has the edge in close games,

Green Bay has the big-game experience. The Packers
have reached the playoffs seven consecutive seasons,
and this will be the fourth consecutive year in which
the regular season ended with a division-championship
game.
You can just (feel) the energy and the crowd, receiver Jordy Nelson said. The speed of the game will
pick up. Its as close to a playoff game as you can without it being one. But theyre the fun ones to play, theyre
the ones you remember. We wont ever forget when we
were down in Chicago a few years ago, or when we
beat Chicago here in 2010. Those are the ones that will
always be a key game in the season and could start a
run. This is another one in a long stretch and we just
need to go out and execute.
STARS ARE SHINING, BUT
The Packers got big-time production from their

established stars in dispatching the rival Vikings on
Saturday. Rodgers and Nelson powered the passing
game and Clay Matthews was the best player on the
defense. To get past the Lions, coach Mike McCarthy
is looking for bigger contributions from other players.
That was a topic on my PowerPoint in the team
meeting because I felt last weeks game was a great
reflection of that, McCarthy said. You look at your
veteran players, the ones that played the bigger roles
in that game, and you look at the production that they
had. What we will improve on and well make sure
of it this week the role players, particularly the guys
that had a limited number of snaps, need to do a better
job. We had too many guys that played six, seven, eight,
nine plays and had a mental error and a penalty. We
cant have that, especially this late in the season. That
was part of an emphasis today.
AARON
RODGERS
PHOTO BY JIM
LEUENBERGER
16
PACKERS DEPTH CHART
KEYS TO THE GAME
Offense
By Green & Gold Express Staff

FB
Aaron Ripkowski
Joe Kerridge
WR
Randall Cobb
Jeff Janis
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
QB
Aaron Rodgers
Brett Hundley
RB
Ty Montgomery
Christine Michael
C
LG
LT
RT
RG
TE
JC Tretter Lane Taylor David Bakhtiari
Jared Cook Bryan Bulaga T.J. Lang
Richard Rodgers Kyle Murphy Don Barclay Corey Linsley Don Barclay Jason Spriggs
The Green Bay Packers (9-6) face the

Detroit Lions (9-6) at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at
Ford Field in Detroit. The Packers are
three-point favorites. Heres the breakdown.
WR
Jordy Nelson
Davante Adams
Defense
DE
Kenny Clark
Dean Lowry
LCB
Damarious Randall
Micah Hyde
LOLB
Julius Peppers
Datone Jones
ILB
Jake Ryan
Joe Thomas
SS
Morgan Burnett
Micah Hyde
NT
Letroy Guion
Christian Ringo
DT
Mike Daniels
Kenny Clark
ILB
Blake Martinez
Joe Thomas
FS
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Kentrell Brice
RCB
Quinten Rollins
LaDarius Gunter
ROLB
Clay Matthews
Datone Jones
WHEN THE PACKERS

HAVE THE BALL
Green Bays offense has been consistently strong since a sluggish start to the
season. Over the past 10 weeks, the Packers are the only team to score 21-plus
points 10 times. Green Bay ranks second
during that span with 28.7 points per game.
While quarterback Aaron Rodgers has
vaulted into the MVP conversation, it wont
be an easy night against a strong Detroit
defense. The Lions rank 13th in points allowed (21.8 per game), even though they
arent very good in any of the key categories (15th in yards, 17th in rushing, 16th in
passing, 29th on third down and 30th in the
red zone). Detroits even better at home.
Its allowed 19.0 points per game at Ford
Field, including 17 points or less in its last
four games.
The key for Detroit will be the availability of cornerback Darius Slay, who missed
Mondays game against Dallas with an injured hamstring. Hes one of the premier
corners in the NFL. Both of his interceptions have come in the final two minutes
of the game. One of them clinched a win
over Philadelphia and the other set up the
winning field goal against Minnesota. He
leads the team with 13 passes defensed.
Darius Slay is an outstanding player,
McCarthy said. In my opinion, hes one of
the top corners, clearly, in our division and
in the league. When you lose your Number
1 corner, you do make adjustments. We
went through the same thing early in the

season with Sam Shields.
Without Slay, the Cowboys feasted on
the Lions secondary on Monday night.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott had almost as many touchdown passes (three)
as incompletions (five), with Nevin Lawson, Johnson Bademosi and Asa Jackson
clearly outclassed. On the other hand, the
safety tandem of Glover Quin and Tavon
Wilson is significantly above average. Wilson is second on the team in tackles and
Quin is third, and they both have interceptions. Quin ranks third in the NFL with 13
interceptions the past three seasons.
The strength of the defense is the linebacker corps of Tahir Whitehead, DeAndre Levy and Josh Bynes. Whitehead has
a team-high 125 tackles, and his 93 solo
tackles are tied for fifth in the league. Injuries derailed the career of Levy, the former Wisconsin standout. In 2013, he had
six interceptions; in 2014, he had 151 tackles. Hes played in only five games the past
two seasons.
Hes played at a high level for a long
time throughout his career, and Ive always had a lot of respect for him and the
way he plays the game other than the
time he cracked my ribs about eight years
ago, Rodgers said of Levy. Ive had a
healthy respect for him and the way he
goes about his business. Hes a very good
player. I think the other two backers are
playing really well and have for a couple
years now been playing at a high level.
It starts with the front. When youve got
a couple solid edge rushers and guys
who can push the pocket in the middle, it
makes the timing on the outside very important.
SEE KEYS, PAGE 17
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
LIONS DEPTH CHART
KEYS
FROM PAGE 16
Offense
FB
Zach Zenner
Michael Burton
QB
Matt Stafford
Dan Orlovsky
WHEN THE LIONS

HAVE THE BALL
RB
Theo Riddick
Dwayne Washington
WR
C
LG
RG
LT
TE
RT
Golden Tate
Travis
Swanson
Graham
Glasgow Taylor Decker Eric Ebron
Larry
Warford
Riley Reiff
Andre Roberts Cornelius Lucas Joe Dahl
Laken Tomlinson Corey Robinson Clay Harbor
WR
Marvin Jones
Anquan Boldin
Defense
CB
Darius Slay
Johnson Bademosi
DT
Tyrunn Walker
AShawn Robinson
DE
Devin Taylor
Brandon Copeland
OLB
DeAndre Levy
Antwione Williams
SS
Tavon Wilson
Rafael Bush
DT
Haloti Ngata
Khyri Thornton
DE
Ezekiel Ansah
Kerry Hyder
CB
Nevin Lawson
Asa Jackson
MLB
Tahir Whitehead
OLB
Josh Bynes
Thurston Armbrister
FS
Glover Quin
Don Carey
As is the case with

Green Bay, Detroits offense is dependent on its
quarterback.
Matthew
Stafford has been Capt.
Clutch this year. Of the Lions nine wins, eight have
come with Stafford directing a game-winning drive
in the fourth quarter and
six have come with the winning points being scored in
the final 2 minutes of regulation or in overtime.
For the season, Stafford
has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,980
yards with 22 touchdowns
and nine interceptions.
He needs just 20 yards
for his sixth consecutive
4,000-yard season. Stafford
threw for 385 yards with
three touchdowns and one
interception in the Packers Week 3 win.
This dude can make all
the throws, Packers defensive back Micah Hyde
said. Hes playing just as
good as anybody. He can
make every throw there
is. Hes obviously their
leader. Theres not a throw
he cant make. You saw the
first game here, we got up
on them big and he started making every throw,
whether it was sideline,
Cover two, or a go route.
He was breaking us down

in the second half. Thats
the kind of guy he is. We
know that.
However, Stafford is
playing through a dislocated middle finger and
torn ligaments that has impacted his productivity.
I would say if anything,
the ball seems like its
coming a little bit faster,
receiver Golden Tate said.
Without Calvin Johnson, the Lions are relying
on quantity rather than
star quality in the passing
game. Five players have
at least 50 receptions, led
by Golden Tates 85 receptions for 1,000 yards.
Marvin Jones, who had 205
yards in the first matchup, has 50 catches for 854
yards (team-best 17.1 per
catch) and four scores.
Veteran Anquan Boldin
has 63 catches for just 527
yards but a team-high seven touchdowns.
The Lions running
game is practically a nonfactor. They rank 30th in
rushing and 26th in rushing
per attempt. Theo Riddick,
who is a better receiver
than runner, leads the Lions with 357 rushing yards
the fewest rushing yards
for any team leader. Zach
Zenner had a strong first
half against Dallas, with
10 carries for 64 yards, but
he had only two carries in
the second half. He has
265 yards and a team-high
17
three rushing scores.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Packers have run

the gauntlet of top special
teams during their winning streak and have been
up to the task. Theyll face
another challenge against
the Lions.
Detroit dominates the
punting game. Punter Sam
Martins net average is
44.1 yards, which is on pace
to be the third-best total in
NFL history. Thats better
than counterpart Jacob
Schums gross average
of 43.8 yards. Meanwhile,
punt returner Andre Roberts averages 12.3 yards
per runback with a pair of
touchdowns.
Kicker Matt Prater is
30-of-34 on field goals. Hes
got one of the biggest legs
in the NFL. Hes 6-of-6
from 50-plus yards with a
long of 58.
COACHING
Packers coach Mike

McCarthy is 121-68-1 (including 8-7 postseason).
Hes looking to guide the
Packers to an eighth consecutive playoff berth. New
England is the only other
team with eight consecutive playoff berths. Lions
coach Jim Caldwell is 55-45
(including 2-3 postseason).
McCarthy is 17-4 against
the Lions, including 3-2 vs.
Caldwell, and Green Bay
leads the series 99-68-7.
18
PACKERS ROSTER
NFL STANDINGS
AFC
NFC
East
Team
W L
y-New England 13 2
x-Miami
10 5
Buffalo
7 8
N.Y. Jets
4 11
South
Team
W L
y-Houston
9 6
Tennessee
8 7
Indianapolis 7 8
Jacksonville 3 12
North
Team
W L
y-Pittsburgh 10 5
Baltimore
8 7
Cincinnati
5 9
Cleveland
1 14
West
Team
W L
x-Oakland
12 3
x-Kansas City 11 4
Denver
8 7
San Diego
5 10
x-clinched playoff spot
T
0
0
0
0
T
0
0
0
0
T
0
0
1
0
T
0
0
0
0
East
Team
W
y-Dallas
13
x-N.Y. Giants 10
Washington 8
Philadelphia 6
South
Team
W
y-Atlanta
10
Tampa Bay
8
New Orleans 7
Carolina
6
North
Team
W
Green Bay
9
Detroit
9
Minnesota
7
Chicago
3
West
Team
W
y-Seattle
9
Arizona
6
Los Angeles 4
San Francisco 2
y-clinched division
L
2
5
6
9
T
0
0
1
0
L
5
7
8
9
T
0
0
0
0
L
6
6
8
12
T
0
0
0
0
L
5
8
11
13
T
1
1
0
0
NFL SCHEDULE
Sundays Games
New England at Miami, 1 p.m.
Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Dallas at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Atlanta, 4:25 p.m.

Seattle at San Francisco, 4:25
p.m.
Kansas City at San Diego, 4:25
p.m.
Arizona at Los Angeles, 4:25 p.m.
Oakland at Denver, 4:25 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Washington, 4:25
p.m.
Green Bay at Detroit, 8:30 p.m.
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10
11
12
17
18
20
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23
24
25
28
29
32
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WOLF RIVER MEDIA
NAME
Crosby, Mason
Callahan, Joe
Hundley, Brett
Schum, Jacob
Davis, Trevor
Rodgers, Aaron
Adams, Davante
Cobb, Randall
Dorleant, Makinton
Clinton-Dix, Ha Ha
Ripkowski, Aaron
Randall, Damarious
Rollins, Quinten
Evans, Marwin
Hawkins, Josh
Brice, Kentrell
Micahel, Christine
Hyde, Micah
Gunter, LaDarius
Kerridge, Joe
Burnett, Morgan
Starks, James
Ryan, Jake
Thomas, Joe
Martinez, Blake
Fackrell, Kyler
Matthews, Clay
Perry, Nick
Tripp, Jordan
Peppers, Julius
Goode, Brett
Linsley, Corey
Taylor, Lane
Barclay, Don
Murphy, Kyle
Bakhtiari, David
Lang, T.J.
Tretter, JC
Active
POS. HT. WT.
K
6-1 207
QB 6-1 216
QB 6-3 226
P
5-11 211
WR 6-1 188
QB 6-2 225
WR 6-1 215
WR 5-10 192
CB 5-11 182
S
6-1 208
FB 6-1 246
CB 5-11 196
CB 5-11 195
S
5-11 211
CB 5-10 189
S
5-11 200
RB 5-10 220
DB 6-0 197
CB 6-2 201
FB 6-0 245
S
6-1 209
RB 6-2 218
LB 6-2 240
LB 6-1 227
LB 6-2 237
LB 6-5 245
LB 6-3 255
LB 6-3 265
LB 6-3 234
LB 6-7 287
LS 6-1 255
C
6-3 301
G 6-3 324
T/G 6-4 305
T
6-6 305
T
6-4 310
G 6-4 318
C/G 6-4 307
AGE
32
23
23
27
23
32
23
26
23
23
23
24
24
23
23
22
26
25
24
24
27
30
24
25
22
24
30
26
25
36
31
25
26
27
22
24
28
25
EXP.
10
R
2
2
R
12
3
6
R
3
2
2
2
R
R
R
4
4
2
R
7
7
2
2
R
R
8
5
3
15
9
3
4
5
R
4
8
4
COLLEGE
Colorado
Wesley
UCLA
Buffalo
California
California
Fresno State
Kentucky
Northern Iowa
Alabama
Oklahoma
Arizona State
Miami (Ohio)
Utah State
East Carolina
Louisiana Tech
Texas A&M
Iowa
Miami
Michigan
Georgia Tech
Buffalo
Michigan
South Carolina State
Stanford
Utah State
Southern California
Southern California
Montana
North Carolina
Arkansas
Ohio State
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
Stanford
Colorado
Eastern Michigan
Cornell
75
76
78
81
82
83
87
88
89
91
94
95
97
98
99
Bulaga, Bryan
Daniels, Mike
Spriggs, Jason
Allison, Geronimo
Rodgers, Richard
Janis, Jeff
Nelson, Jordy
Montgomery, Ty
Cook, Jared
Elliott, Jayrone
Lowry, Dean
Jones, Datone
Clark, Kenny
Guion, Letroy
Ringo, Christian
T
DT
T
WR
TE
WR
WR
WR
TE
LB
DE
DE
DT
DT
DT
#
27
34
37
38
39
86
NAME
Lacy, Eddie
Jackson, Don
Shields, Sam
Crockett, John
Goodson, Demetri
Cajuste, Devon
#
16
19
35
49
57
62
85
93
96
NAME
Waters, Herb
Goodley, Antwan
Whitehead, Jermaine
Mathews, Derick
Flores, Jacob
Patrick, Lucas
Sandland, Beau
Gilbert, Reggie
Price, Brian
#
64
NAME
Pennel, Mike
6-5
6-0
6-6
6-3
6-4
6-3
6-3
6-0
6-5
6-3
6-6
6-4
6-3
6-4
6-1
314
310
301
202
257
219
217
216
254
255
296
285
314
322
298
27
27
22
22
24
25
31
23
29
24
22
26
20
29
24
7
5
R
R
3
3
9
2
8
3
R
4
R
9
1
Iowa
Iowa
Indiana
Illinois
California
Saginaw Valley State
Kansas State
Stanford
South Carolina
Toledo
Northwestern
UCLA
UCLA
Florida State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Reserve/Injured
POS. HT. WT. AGE
RB 5-11 234 26
RB 5-10 208 23
CB 5-11 184 28
RB 6-0 217 24
CB 5-11 197 27
TE 6-4 235 23
EXP.
4
R
7
1
3
R
COLLEGE
Alabama
Nevada
Miami
North Dakota State
Baylor
Stanford
Practice Squad
POS. HT. WT. AGE
WR 6-0 188 23
WR 5-10 212 25
S
5-11 195 23
LB 6-0 232 24
C
6-4 300 22
G 6-3 313 23
TE 6-5 252 23
LB 6-3 261 23
DT 6-3 318 22
EXP.
R
1
1
1
R
R
R
R
R
COLLEGE
Miami
Baylor
Auburn
Houston
Dartmouth
Duke
Montana State
Arizona
Texas-San Antonio
Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner
POS. HT. WT. AGE EXP. COLLEGE
DT 6-4 332 25 3
Colorado State-Pueblo
Roster as of Wednesday
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
LIONS ROSTER
#
5
6
8
9
11
12
13
14
15
23
24
25
26
27
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
44
46
48
50
51
52
54
57
59
60
61
64
66
68
69
70
71
Name
Prater, Matt
Martin, Sam
Orlovsky, Dan
Stafford, Matthew
Jones Jr., Marvin
Roberts, Andre
Jones, TJ
Rudock, Jake
Tate, Golden
Slay, Darius
Lawson, Nevin
Riddick, Theo
Carey, Don
Quin, Glover
Bademosi, Johnson
Jackson, Asa
Bush, Rafael
Wilson, Tavon
Carter, Alex
Zenner, Zach
Killebrew, Miles
Washington, Dwayne
Bell, Joique
Burton, Michael
Muhlbach, Don
Armbrister, Thurston
Copeland, Brandon
Williams, Antwione
Levy, DeAndre
Bynes, Josh
Whitehead, Tahir
Glasgow, Graham
Hyder, Kerry
Swanson, Travis
Dahl, Joe
Decker, Taylor
Zettel, Anthony
Robinson, Corey
Reiff, Riley
Pos.
K
P
QB
QB
WR
WR
WR
QB
WR
CB
CB
RB
S
S
CB
CB
S
S
CB
RB
S
RB
RB
FB
LS
LB
DE
LB
LB
LB
LB
C
DE
C
OL
T
DL
T
T
Active
Ht. Wt.
5-10 201
6-1 211
6-5 215
6-3 226
6-2 198
5-11 192
6-0 190
6-3 208
5-10 197
6-0 190
5-9 192
5-9 201
5-11 202
6-0 207
6-0 206
5-10 183
5-11 203
6-0 212
6-0 200
5-11 221
6-2 222
6-1 223
5-11 231
6-0 247
6-4 258
6-3 246
6-3 263
6-3 240
6-2 234
6-1 235
6-2 241
6-6 308
6-2 270
6-5 304
6-4 305
6-7 311
6-4 270
6-7 317
6-6 305
Age
32
26
33
28
26
28
24
23
28
25
25
25
29
30
26
27
29
26
22
25
23
22
30
24
35
24
25
23
29
27
26
24
25
25
23
23
24
24
28
Exp.
10
4
11
8
5
7
2
R
7
4
3
4
8
8
5
5
6
5
1
2
R
R
6
2
13
2
2
R
8
5
5
R
1
3
R
R
R
2
5
College
Central Florida
Appalachian State
Connecticut
Georgia
California
The Citadel
Notre Dame
Michigan
Notre Dame
Mississippi State
Utah State
Notre Dame
Norfolk State
New Mexico
Stanford
Cal Poly
South Carolina State
Illinois
Stanford
South Dakota State
Southern Utah
Washington
Wayne State
Rutgers
Texas A&M
Miami (Fla.)
Pennsylvania
Georgia Southern
Wisconsin
Auburn
Temple
Michigan
Texas Tech
Arkansas
Washington State
Ohio State
Penn State
South Carolina
Iowa
NFL LEADERS
72
75
77
80
82
84
85
91
92
93
94
96
98
99
Tomlinson, Laken
Warford, Larry
Lucas, Cornelius
Boldin, Anquan
Mulligan, Matthew
Harbor, Clay
Ebron, Eric
Robinson, AShawn
Ngata, Haloti
Walker, Tyrunn
Ansah, Ezekiel
Charles, Stefan
Taylor, Devin
Thornton, Khyri
G
G
T
WR
TE
TE
TE
DT
DT
DT
DE
DT
DE
DT
#
18
21
28
40
42
55
83
89
97
Name
Spadola, Ryan
Abdullah, Ameer
Diggs, Quandre
Wells, Ian
Landes, Jimmy
Bostic, Jon
Wright, Timothy
Wick, Cole
Bryant, Armonty
Pos.
WR
RB
CB
CB
LS
LB
TE
TE
DE
#
16
17
19
38
39
45
58
63
74
86
Name
Billingsley, Jace
Ross, Rashad
Turzilli, Andrew
Barnes, Adairius
James, Mike
Washington, Charles
Longa, Steve
Thomas, Brandon
Rotheram, Matt
Lee, Khari
Pos.
WR
WR
WR
CB
RB
DB
LB
G
OL
TE
6-3
6-3
6-9
6-1
6-4
6-3
6-4
6-4
6-4
6-3
6-5
6-5
6-7
6-3
312
317
330
220
278
240
253
320
345
310
275
320
275
315
24
25
25
36
31
29
23
21
32
26
27
28
27
27
2
4
3
14
8
7
3
R
11
5
4
4
4
3
Duke
Kentucky
Kansas State
Florida State
Maine
Missouri State
North Carolina
Alabama
Oregon
Tulsa
Brigham Young
Regina (Canada)
South Carolina
Southern Mississippi
Reserve/Injured
Ht. Wt. Age
6-1 204 25
5-9 203 23
5-9 200 23
5-11 201 23
6-1 245 24
6-1 242 25
6-4 242 26
6-6 257 23
6-4 265 26
Exp.
4
2
2
R
R
4
4
R
4
College
Lehigh
Nebraska
Texas
Ohio
Baylor
Florida
Rutgers
Incarnate Word
East Central (Okla.)
Practice Squad
Ht. Wt. Age
5-9 189 23
6-0 180 26
6-4 195 25
5-11 188 22
5-10 223 25
5-10 192 23
6-0 241 22
6-3 317 25
6-5 325 24
6-4 253 24
Exp.
R
2
2
R
3
R
R
3
1
2
College
Eastern Oregon
Arizona State
Rutgers
Louisiana Tech
Miami (Fla.)
Fresno State
Rutgers
Clemson
Pittsburgh
Bowie State
Roster as of Wednesday
SCORING, NONKICKERS
Points
David Johnson ARI 122
Blount NE 102
E. Elliott DAL 96
L. McCoy BUF 86
Jo. Nelson GB 84
Anto. Brown PIT 72
D. Freeman ATL 72
M. Gordon SD 72
D. Murray TEN 72
L. Murray OAK 72
LEADING RECEIVERS
Yards
Hilton IND 1353
Beckham NYG 1323
Ju. Jones ATL 1313
Anto. Brown PIT 1284
Mi. Evans TB 1256
Jo. Nelson GB 1191
Cooks NO 1154
T. Kelce KC 1117
A. Cooper OAK 1110
Baldwin SEA 1084
SCORING, KICKERS
Points
Tucker BAL 137
Du. Hopkins WAS 134
Sturgis PHI 126
Lutz NO 125
Janikowski OAK 124
Novak HOU 122
D. Bailey DAL 120
Vinatieri IND 119
Gostkowski NE 118
Prater DET 118
Crosby GB 117
LEADING RUSHERS
Yards
E. Elliott DAL 1631
L. Bell PIT 1268
D. Murray TEN 1266
L. McCoy BUF 1257
Ajayi MIA 1213
Jo. Howard CHI 1178
Blount NE 1110
L. Miller HOU 1073
M. Gordon SD 997
C. Hyde SF 988
LEADING PASSERS
Rating
M. Ryan ATL 115.5
Brady NE 110.7
Prescott DAL 105.6
Brees NO 103.1
A. Rodgers GB 102.7
Cousins WAS 98.6
S. Bradford MIN 98.3
Luck IND 96.8
D. Carr OAK 96.7
Mariota TEN 95.6
Roethlisberger PIT 95.4
YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE

Total
E. Elliott DAL 1994
L. Bell PIT 1884
D. Murray TEN 1645
L. McCoy BUF 1607
Jo. Howard CHI 1476
M. Gordon SD 1416
S. Ware KC 1368
D. Freeman ATL 1364
Hilton IND 1353
Ajayi MIA 1344
19
20
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
AROUND THE NORTH
Fox sees right

intentions in
Bears season
Chicago on pace for fewest takeaways
Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Barkley (12) is sacked by Washington Redskins outside linebacker Preston Smith (94) in Sundays 41-21 loss to the
Redskins, one of the teams ugliest on the 3-12 season.
John Fox still sees a

team with the right intentions no matter how dismal the results are for the
Chicago Bears.
They are 3-12 heading
into the season finale at
Minnesota and guaranteed to finish with their
worst record in years
certainly not what they anticipated when it all began.
Its not a matter of
whether or not guys want
to win or not, Fox said
on Monday. Its executing well enough to win, so
I think the intentions are
good, our efforts good.
Where we have work to
do is execution.
The
Bears
have
dropped six of seven since
they beat the Vikings at
Soldier Field on Oct. 31
and are coming off a 41-21
loss to Washington that
ranks among the ugliest
this season.
With Matt Barkley
throwing five interceptions and the defense getting throttled for a seasonhigh 478 yards, just about
everything once again
went wrong for Chicago.
Thats how its been all
season, with a long line
of injuries, a few suspensions and a heavy dose of
SEE BEARS, PAGE 21
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
BEARS
FROM PAGE 20
poor execution. Even if the

Bears beat the Vikings,
they will match their worst
record since 2002. If they
lose, itll be the first time
they finish with fewer than
four wins in a non-strike
year since the 1973 team
went 3-11.
The last two games
have been particularly
alarming, with Barkley
too often throwing to the
wrong team, and a defense
that has mostly been a
bright spot getting burned
for big plays.
Barkleys
struggles
against Washington came
on the heels of an uneven
performance in a 30-27 loss
to Green Bay. He passed
for a career-high 362 yards
and two touchdowns and
led the Bears back from
a 17-point deficit in the
fourth quarter against the
Packers. But he also threw
three interceptions and
lost a fumble.
Against the Redskins,
Fox spread the blame for
the interceptions and said
they werent all on Barkley.
I think the details of
Quarterback Matt Barkley threw five interceptions in Sundays loss, but the Chicago defense hasnt helped, pulling in just seven picks this year, the
second-worst mark in the NFL.
some of those pass plays,

whether
its
receiver
depths, pass protection,
a quarterbacks reads,
where they start and

where they finish thats
kind of been our demise
all season, I think with the
number of guys you roll

through the starting lineup, Fox said. So it was
more detail oriented, and
that in turn affects your

execution. Those would be
things wed have to work
on for sure, as a football
21
team and not just one position. And weve got one
more opportunity this season to work on it.
A defense that has in
some ways been a bright
spot has allowed 929 yards
over the past two games
and fallen from seventh
overall to 12th through
Sunday.
The Bears are tied for
seventh in the NFL with 37
sacks after tying for 22nd
with 35 a year ago. The increased pressure up front
has not translated to turnovers, though. They are
minus-16 in that area.
Its not a good formula
when youre minus-16,
so thats two-sided, Fox
said. I think our interception totals up where weve
thrown 17 interceptions,
five this past game, so both
sides of that are why were
sitting here at 3-12.
While Barkleys recent
run of interceptions certainly hasnt helped, the
defense hasnt exactly
been ripping the ball away
from opponents.
Only Jacksonville (six)
has fewer interceptions
than Chicago (seven). By
comparison, San Diegos
Casey Hayward leads the
NFL with seven.
22
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
AROUND THE NORTH
Zimmer says he doesnt believe Vikings CBs made own plan

Nelsons big day
causes trouble
for Minnesota
The postgame admission by Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes that

the Vikings went rogue
from coach Mike Zimmers
plan for covering Green
Bay wide receiver Jordy
Nelson was surprising in
its own right, a snapshot of
a spoiled season.
That the source of this
suggestion of defiance
came from the secondary,
where Zimmer long ago
made his mark as a mastermind of pass defense
and has developed some of
his strongest professional
relationships, was even
more of a stunner for a
team that has endured all
kinds of unpredictable setbacks this season.
Two days after the 3825 loss to the rival Packers
that eliminated the Vikings

(7-8) from postseason contention, erasing the last
shred of hope lingering
from their 5-0 start, Zimmer and his players made
a thorough attempt to dismantle any controversy or
tension.
It was a miscommunication, Rhodes said, and
we got it fixed after the
first series.
The fourth-year player
and first-time Pro Bowl
pick used the term miscommunication
nine
times in a two-minute interview session at his cubicle at team headquarters
on Monday.
Then Terence Newman
entered the locker room a
few minutes later and said
the same word six times in
a little more than five minutes.
The veteran of 14 NFL
seasons was more willing to speak about the
situation than Rhodes, but
SEE ZIMMER, PAGE 23
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams catches a touchdown pass Saturday against a Vikings defense that said it experienced miscommunication
issues.
WOLF RIVER MEDIA
ZIMMER
FROM PAGE 22
A possible rift between coach Mike Zimmer and his defensive backs came to light after Green Bay wide receiver
Jordy Nelson carved up the Minnesota defense for seven catches, 145 yards and two touchdowns in the first
half Saturday.
equally adamant about it

being a non-issue.
Id like to get that
clear: This thing is not
what people think, Newman said.
That was the message
from Zimmer, too.
I probably wasnt specific enough in the things I
was asking them to do, and
it went out there, Zimmer
said. The one thing about
it is Xavier and Terence,
these guys are as good of
people as there is in the
world.
Theyre going to do
their best every single
time. They come out and
they work every single day.
They study, and theyre really good kids.
Nelson was targeted
seven times in the first half
on Saturday. He caught all
seven passes for 145 yards
and two touchdowns as the
Packers built a 28-13 lead
at halftime, with Rhodes
beginning to follow him
late in the first quarter.
When asked afterward
about the apparent change
in the coverage plan, Zim-
mer said Rhodes was

supposed to shadow Nelson the entire game, but
someone decided otherwise.
For much of the first
quarter, Rhodes stayed on
the right side and Newman
or backup Trae Waynes
was on the left, though
when Nelson lined up in
the slot the responsibility
landed with nickel cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.
Rhodes was then asked
for his view and, after initially hesitating to discuss
the matter, let loose in describing how the defensive
backs decided during the
week to stay on their sides
rather than dispatching
Rhodes to follow Nelson.
That couldve been his
attempt to cover for and
avoid public criticism of a
teammate, if Newman was
the one who steered the
strategy.
Zimmer, who began his
NFL coaching career as a
defensive backs coach and
has long been lauded for
his developmental work
with players at that position in addition to his success calling rushes and
coverages during games,
had clearly softened his
23
stance after the situation

became a national headline.
The coach claimed
some responsibility for
confusion in a plan that
evolved from the beginning of the week to the beginning of the game.
Typically when we lose
and we dont play good in
the back end, I get upset,
Zimmer said. So theres a
lot of different things I was
upset about I think when
I said it. That was one of
the things that came to my
mind. I probably shouldnt
have been as honest after
the games as I typically
am, which Ill learn my lesson.
Both Rhodes and Newman, relative to their age,
role and expectation, have
performed well all season
and are about as low on
the list of problems for the
Vikings as players could
be. That made this situation all the more jarring
in a year thats been full of
them.
Were all the same
page. Were all in this thing
together. We got beat,
Newman said. Theres
no issue. I promise you.
Theres no issue at all.
24
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WOLF RIVER MEDIA

WEEK 17 PACKERS vs. LIONS

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Rodgers, Nelson consistently making big plays

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016

GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-6)