Aaron Rodgers Leads Packers to NFC North Title

Six weeks ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers predicted that his team, 4-6 at the time and in a four game losing streak, would win its remaining six games and make it to the playoffs. New Year’s Day night, on Sunday Night Football in the last regular season game of the NFL season, Rodgers’ prediction came true. Green Bay beat the Detroit Lions 31-24 at Ford Field to win the NFC North.

Rodgers completed 27 of 39 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He closed out the season with 40 touchdown passes, best in the NFL. It’s the first time Rodgers has led the league in touchdown passes. He threw two TD passes to Davante Adams, one to fullback Aaron Ripkowski (who was also Green Bay’s leading rusher with 61 yards) and one to Geronimo Allison, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois who had four catches for 91 yards and that touchdown. Allison is emerging as another weapon in the Packers’ wide receiver arsenal.

Detroit finished 9-7 and will also be going to the playoffs but as a Wild Card team. The Lions will be at Seattle on January 7th. Detroit also made it in because the Washington Redskins lost to the New York Giants 19-10 in a lackluster performance. We tuned into some of the Redskins’ radio broadcast on satellite radio and at times the announcers were questioning the team’s effort in a must win game and wondering if some players were looking forward to going home instead of the playoffs. Wow.

The Packers (10-6) will host the  Giants (11-5) in a first round playoff game on January 8th.  Both teams have played well down the stretch and this should be a good one.