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Rodgers named Pro Football Weekly’s MVP, Cobb makes All-Rookie Team

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been named Pro Football Weekly’s Most Valuable Player for the 2011 NFL season. He also made the publication’s annual All-NFL Team as the lone quarterback. WR/KR Randall Cobb was honored as the All-Rookie Team kickoff returner. The awards are voted on by Pro Football Weekly, along with the Professional Football Writers of America.

Here is the full list of honors:

2011 All-NFL Team

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers / Packers

Running backs
Maurice Jones-Drew / Jaguars
LeSean McCoy / Eagles

Wide receivers
Calvin Johnson / Lions
Wes Welker / Patriots

Tight end
Rob Gronkowski / Patriots

Center
Maurkice Pouncey / Steelers

Offensive Guards
Jahri Evans / Saints
Carl Nicks / Saints

Offensive Tackles
Jason Peters / Eagles
Joe Thomas / Browns

Defensive ends
Jared Allen / Vikings
Jason Pierre-Paul / Giants

Defensive tackles
Haloti Ngata / Ravens
Justin Smith / 49ers

Outside linebackers
DeMarcus Ware / Cowboys
Terrell Suggs / Ravens

Inside linebacker
Patrick Willis / 49ers

Cornerbacks
Darrelle Revis / Jets
Johnathan Joseph / Texans

Safeties
Troy Polamalu / Steelers
Eric Weddle / Chargers

Placekicker
David Akers / 49ers

Punter
Andy Lee / 49ers

Punt returner
Patrick Peterson / Cardinals

Kickoff returner
Joe McKnight / Jets

Special-teamer
Matthew Slater / Patriots

Most Valuable Player — Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Defensive MVP — Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs
Coach of the Year — 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh
Rookie of the Year — Panthers QB Cam Newton
Offensive Rookie of the Year — Panthers QB Cam Newton
Defensive Rookie of the Year — 49ers OLB Aldon Smith
Most Improved Player of the Year — Giants WR Victor Cruz
Comeback Player of the Year — Lions QB Matthew Stafford
Executive of the Year — 49ers GM Trent Baalke
Assistant Coach of the Year — Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
Golden Toe (Best Placekicker or Punter)  — 49ers PK David Akers/49ers P Andy Lee (co-winners)

2011 All-rookie Team

Quarterback
Cam Newton / Panthers

Running backs
DeMarco Murray / Cowboys
Roy Helu / Redskins

Wide receivers
A.J. Green / Bengals
Julio Jones / Falcons

Tight end
Kyle Rudolph / Vikings

Center
Mike Pouncey / Dolphins

Offensive Guards
Stefen Wisniewski / Raiders
Danny Watkins / Eagles

Offensive Tackles
Tyron Smith / Cowboys
Nate Solder / Patriots

Defensive ends
J.J. Watt / Texans
Jabaal Sheard / Browns

Defensive tackles
Marcell Dareus / Bills
Phil Taylor / Browns

Linebackers
Aldon Smith / 49ers
Von Miller / Broncos
Ryan Kerrigan / Redskins

Cornerbacks
Patrick Peterson / Cardinals
Richard Sherman / Seahawks

Safeties
Chris Conte / Bears
Chris Harris / Broncos

Placekicker
Dan Bailey / Cowboys

Punter
Matt Bosher / Falcons

Punt returner
Patrick Peterson / Cardinals

Kickoff returner
Randall Cobb / Packers

Special teamer
Akeem Dent / Falcons

Packers-Giants post-game notes & quotes

GIANTS TOP PACKERS, 37-20, IN NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF

• The N.Y. Giants beat the Packers, 37-20, on Sunday at Lambeau Field to advance to the NFC Championship.
• Green Bay’s 15 wins overall on the season rank tied for No. 2 in franchise history (1997) behind only the team’s 16 victories overall in 1996.

OTHER POST-GAME NOTES:

• Today’s paid attendance was 72,080. It was the 302nd consecutive sellout (285 regular season, 17 playoffs) at Lambeau Field.
• WR Donald Driver caught three passes today, giving him a franchise-record 49 receptions for his career in the post- season. That surpassed WR Antonio Freeman’s mark of 47 career catches in the playoffs.
• With 45 receiving yards, Driver moved past WR Robert Brooks (651 yards) for the No. 2 spot in franchise postseason history. Driver now has 675 career receiving yards in the playoffs.
• Driver has now caught a pass in 12 consecutive postseason games, which is tied with Freeman for No. 2 in franchise playoff annals behind only RB Dorsey Levens (13 games).
• QB Aaron Rodgers set a single-game franchise postseason record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback with 66 yards on seven carries (9.4 avg.). That topped the previous mark held by Rodgers (39 yards, at Chicago, Jan. 23, 2011). Rodgers’ 66-yard day was the most by an NFL quarterback in a playoff game since Atlanta’s Michael Vick posted 119 yards rushing vs. St. Louis on Jan. 15, 2005.
• With 264 passing yards on the day, Rodgers surpassed QB Bart Starr (1,753 yards) for the No. 2 spot in the franchise postseason record book. Rodgers now has 1,781 career passing yards in the playoffs.
• With two TD passes today, Rodgers moved into a tie with Starr for the No. 2 spot in team history for the most TD passes in the postseason with 15 in his career.
• LB Brad Jones became the first Packer to block a field goal in a playoff game since DL Cletidus Hunt did so vs. San Francisco on Jan. 13, 2002.
• S Morgan Burnett posted his first career postseason interception with his second-quarter INT of QB Eli Manning.

Read more »

Packers-Giants game chat transcript

Click here to read the transcript from writers Vic Ketchman and Mike Spofford as they share their opinion on the Packers-Giants game with fans.

Giants end Packers’ season

The Packers’ season is over.

A season that went more than three months before the Packers lost a game, lasted only one game into the postseason. Again, it was the New York Giants that were the spoilers, just as they were in the 2007 NFC title game. This time, the Giants scored a 37-20 win in a divisional-round playoff game at Lambeau Field.

Turnovers and dropped passes were the culprits for the Packers. The Packers lost four turnovers and it would’ve been one more had Referee Bill Leavy not upheld a no-fumble ruling in a controversial replay review in the first half.

Eli Manning, who quarterbacked the Giants to the NFC title-game win in what was the last time the Packers had hosted a postseason game, threw for 330 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks made one of the big plays of the game, bouncing off safety Charlie Peprah and finishing a 66-yard, catch-and-run touchdown in the first quarter that staked the Giants to a 10-3 lead. Nicks then delivered the big blow of the game on the final play of the first half, as he went high into the air to catch a 37-yard, Hail-Mary pass from Manning that sent the Giants to the locker room with a 20-10 lead.

The Packers got to within 20-13 in the third quarter, before the Giants sealed their spot in San Francisco for an NFC title game match with the 49ers, with a flurry of takeaways and big plays in the final quarter.

Packers.com will update this story following postgame interviews. Tune into packers.com for full coverage of Sunday’s game.

Brad Jones, C.J. Wilson to start; Packers-Giants gameday inactives

The following players have been declared as inactive for Sunday’s Packers-Giants NFC Divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field:

Green Bay Packers
6 QB Graham Harrell
31 CB Davon House
49 LB Robert Francois
72 T Herb Taylor
84 TE D.J. Williams
95 NT Howard Green
97 LB Vic So’oto

Starting lineup changes: On defense, #98 C.J. Wilson will start at right defensive end for #95 Howard Green. #59 Brad Jones will start at right outside linebacker for #93 Erik Walden.

New York Giants
13 WR Ramses Barden
33 RB Da’Rel Scott
58 LB Mark Herzlich
63 C Jim Cordle
69 DE Justin Trattou
73 DT Jimmy Kennedy
79 T James Brewer

Philbin resumes coaching duties

Packers Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin will return to his coaching duties today, when the Packers host the New York Giants in an NFC Divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field. Philbin had been absent from the team’s preparation this week, following the death of his son, Michael.

Shovelers at Lambeau Field

Scenes from the snow shoveling today at Lambeau Field. Nearly 500 people showed up to help with the effort, with the Packers providing the shovels and each person being paid $10 per hour. There were still flurries in the air, temperatures were around 20 degrees and winds between 15-20 mph. The first winter snowstorm of the season in Green Bay hit Thursday, which is very late for the area.

NFL Capsule: Giants at Packers

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012

NEW YORK GIANTS–NFC EAST (10-7) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS–NFC NORTH (15-1)

SERIES NOTES:

LEADER, REGULAR SEASON: Packers, 27-21-2

STREAKS: Packers have won six of the last seven.

COACHES vs. OPPONENT: Tom Coughlin: 2-5 vs. Packers; Mike McCarthy 3-1 vs. Giants

AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS IN 2011: Giants: 1-1 (New Orleans, 0-1, StL: 1-0); Packers: 2-0

PLAYOFF RECORD: Giants: 21-24; Packers: 29-16

LAST WEEK: Giants: Win, 24-2 over Atlanta in Wild Card playoff; Packers: Bye (Week 17: Win, 45-41 over Detroit)

LAST GAME AT SITE, REGULAR SEASON: 12/26/10: Packers 45, Giants 17. Rodgers passes for 404 yards & 4 TDs, each to different receiver. Packers FB John Kuhn adds 2 rushing TDs.

LAST GAME AT SITE, POSTSEASON: 1/20/08: Giants 23 at Packers 20 (OT). New York K Lawrence Tynes converts game-winning 47-yard FG in OT as Giants win NFC Championship.

REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS:

PASSING (comp., att., yards, TDs, INTs, rating): NY: Manning: 359-589-4,933-29-16-92.9; GB: Rodgers: 343-502-4,643-45-6-122.5

RUSHING (carries, yards, avg., TDs): NY: Bradshaw: 171-659-3.9-9; GB: Starks: 133-578-4.3-1

RECEIVING (catches, yards, avg., TDs): NY: Cruz: 82-1,536-18.7-9; GB: Nelson: 68-1,263-18.6-15

OFFENSE (avg. yards per game): NY: 385.1 ypg.; GB: 405.1 ypg. (3^rd in the NFL).

TAKEAWAY/GIVEAWAY: NY: +7; GB: +24

DEFENSE (avg. yards allowed): NY: 376.4; GB: 411.6

SACKS (leader): NY: Pierre-Paul: 16.5; GB: Matthews: 6

INTs: NY: Webster: 6; GB: Woodson: 7

PR (avg.): NY: Ross: 7.1; GB: Cobb: 11.3

KR (avg.): NY: D. Thomas: 24.3; GB: Cobb: 27.7

PUNTING (avg.): NY: Weatherford: 45.7; GB: Masthay: 45.6

KICKING: NY: Tynes 100 (43/43 PAT, 19/24 FG); GB: Crosby: 140 (68/69 PAT, 24/28 FG)

NOTES

The Packers and Giants meet for the seventh time in postseason…The first five meetings were NFL Championship…Last playoff meeting was 2007 NFC Championship…Green Bay has won four of previous six postseason meetings…New York won last playoff meeting (2007 NFC Championship, 23-20 in OT) during team’s Super Bowl XLII championship season…Packers won Week 13 meeting (38-35).

GIANTS: Playing in 31st postseason, most in NFL history. Head coach Tom Coughlin has led NYG to five postseason appearances, tied with Bill Parcells for most in team history. Giants had 2 players selected to Pro Bowl: QB Eli Manning (second) and DE Jason Pierre-Paul (first)… Manning passed for 277 yards, 3 TDs and 129.3 rating in Wild Card victory last week. Has 11 postseason TD passes, the most in team history. Ranks second in club playoff history with 1,574 pass yards, 136 comp. & 225 att., Had franchise-record 4,933 pass yards and eight 300-yard games in reg. season…Has 22 career 300-yard games and passed Phil Simms (21) for most in team history. Recorded seventh consecutive season with 3,000+ pass yards and 20+ pass TDs, the most in team history. Had 15 4th quarter TD passes in regular season, most ever in season, topping Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning…RB Brandon Jacobs tied for second in club postseason history with three rushing TDs and needs one to tie Joe Morris (four) for most. Since start of 2005 (incl. playoffs), Jacobs has 59 rush TDs, tied for fourth most in NFL…RB Ahmad Bradshaw is one of seven players in NFL with 1,800+ rushing yards (1,894) & 80+ receptions (81) since the start of the 2010 season…WR Hakeem Nicks had six catches for 115 yards & 2 TDs last week, his first career playoff game. He ranked second on the team in the regular season with 76 catches, 1,192 yards and seven TDs. He’s the only player in team history with 75+ catches, 1,000+ yards and 7+ TDs in consecutive seasons…WR Victor Cruz had team-record 1,536 rec. yards in the regular season, 193 more than previous mark (1,343, Amani Toomer). Had a team-high nine receiving TDs in the regular season, including a 99-yard TD in Week 16, tied for longest in NFL history. Also had five receiving TDs of 65+ yards in the regular season, the second-most in a season in NFL history (six, Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, 1951). Cruz had seven 100-yard games in the regular season, the most by a Giant in a season. Cruz (1,536) and Nicks (1,192) are the first set of Giants to each record 1,000+ receiving yards in the same season…WR Mario Manningham has 19 career receiving TDs and 13 have been 20+ yards, including a 27-yard TD in last week’s playoff game vs. Atlanta…Pierre-Paul ranked fourth in NFL with 16.5 sacks. He joined Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan as only Giants with 16+ sacks in a season…DE Justin Tuck had two sacks in Super Bowl XLII, tied for most in a postseason game by a Giant…In the past 23 games (incl. playoffs), DE Osi Umenyiora has 20.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles. He has three career postseason sacks…The Giants had 20 regular-season interceptions, their most since 2000 when club advanced to Super Bowl XXXV…CB Corey Webster led the team with career-high six  INTs in the regular season. He had an interception in the 2007 NFC Championship vs. the Packers, and has two career postseason INTs. 

PACKERS: Have won 13 NFL championships, most all-time. Team’s .644 postseason winning pct. (29-16) is best in NFL history. Club has 29 playoff wins, 3rd most in NFL annals…Head coach Mike McCarthy is 5-2 (.714) in the postseason, the second best mark in franchise history, trailing only Vince Lombardi, 9-1, .900…The Packers won a franchise-record 15 games, only the sixth team in NFL history with 15 wins. The Packers were 6-0 vs. 2011 playoff teams. The team scored 560 points, the most in franchise history and the second most all-time…Green Bay had seven players selected to Pro Bowl: WR Greg Jennings (2nd), FB John Kuhn (1st), LB Clay Matthews (3rd), DT B.J. Raji (1st), QB Aaron Rodgers (2nd), C Scott Wells (1st) and CB Charles Woodson (8th)…Rodgers had a 122.5 rating, the best single-season mark in NFL history. He set NFL season record with 13 games with 100+ rating and 12 games with 110+ rating. Had franchise record 4,643 pass yards and 45 TDs. Became the only QB in NFL history to pass for 4,000+ yards and have six or fewer INTs. In the postseason, Rodgers has completed 118 of 174 (67.8 pct.) for 1,517 yards with 13 TDs vs. 3 INTs for 112.6 rating, highest in NFL history. Also ranks first in NFL playoff history with 67.8 comp. pct. and 8.72 avg. gain…Is 2-0 in career vs. NYG with 773 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT and 121.2 rating…RB Ryan Grant rushed for franchise playoff record 201 yards in 2007 Divisional playoff vs. Seattle (1/12/08), one of only seven 200-yard rushing games in NFL postseason history…RB James Starks led the NFL with 315 postseason rushing yards last year…Packers had five WRs with 25+ catches each for the first time in team history: Jordy Nelson (68), Jennings (67), James Jones (38), Donald Driver (37) and rookie Randall Cobb (25). Nelson had career-highs in catches (68), yards (1,263) and TDs (15). His 15 receiving TDs were 3rd most by Packer in season. In seven career playoff games, Jennings has five TDs and three 100-yard games…Driver has 46 postseason catches and needs two to pass Antonio Freeman (47) for most in team history…Cobb led NFC and was second in the NFL with 27.7 kickoff return avg. TE Jermichael Finley had 55 catches for 767 yards and eight TDs. He is the team’s first TE with two seasons of 50+ catches, 600+ yards and 5+ TDs…Since joining GB in 2006, Woodson has 37 INTs (second in NFL) and nine INT-TDs (first in NFL). The cornerback has an interception return for a touchdown in each of his six years with GB and is the only player in NFL history with INT-TD in six consecutive seasons…Since 2010 (incl. playoffs), CB Tramon Williams leads the NFL with 13 INTs. Williams had three INTs in last year’s playoffs, incl. 70-yard interception for a TD…LB Matthews had six sacks and three INTs (one TD) in 2011 and is the first player in team history with defensive TD in each of his first three NFL seasons. Had INT-TD in last game vs. NYG…LB Desmond Bishop led the team in tackles…S Charlie Peprah tied for third among safeties with career-high five INTs and had most the most INT return yards by a safety in the NFL (147).

Packers aiming for 30

The Packers have won 13 NFL championships, the most all-time, and the club’s .644 postseason winning percentage (29-16) is the best in NFL history. Green Bay currently has 29 playoff wins. With a win Sunday against the Giants at Lambeau Field, the Packers can become the third team to record 30 postseason victories in NFL annals, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers (33) and Dallas Cowboys (33).

 The teams with the most playoff victories in NFL history:

 *still active in 2011 playoffs

Lambeau Field grounds crew prepares for playoffs, paints field

Green Bay Packers fields manager Allen Johnson and his staff are in the midst of a busy week of preparing Lambeau Field for Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. CT showdown between the Packers and New York Giants. The crew painted the Divisional Playoffs logo along both sidelines Tuesday afternoon.

Click here to see photos of the process.