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Six players earn game balls vs. Chicago

The Packers coaching staff awarded game balls to a half dozen players following the 21-13 victory over Chicago that clinched the NFC North title for Green Bay.

On special teams, FB John Kuhn was the game-ball recipient.

On offense, QB Aaron Rodgers and WR James Jones earned game balls. Rodgers completed 23 of 36 passes for 291 yards with three TDs, all to Jones. Rodgers posted a 116.8 passer rating.

Jones enjoyed the first three-TD game of his career, catching five passes for 60 yards in all. Jones now has 12 TD receptions on the season, a total that leads the league and is his career high.

On defense, LBs Clay Matthews and Brad Jones, plus CB Sam Shields, all were awarded game balls.

Matthews, returning from a four-game injury absence, had two sacks to raise his team-leading total to 11. He also had two other tackles for loss and deflected a pass.

Jones led the team with eight total tackles, according to the press box statistics, and was involved on back-to-back run stops at the goal line in the third quarter. Jones also was credited with two passes defensed.

Shields engaged in a game-long physical battle with Bears WR Alshon Jeffery and ended up shutting the rookie out. Shields was credited with three passes defensed, and he also drew three offensive pass interference penalties on Jeffery, who did not have a catch in the game.

Aaron Rodgers ranks fourth overall in Pro Bowl voting

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers ranks fourth in the Pro Bowl voting amongst all NFL players, according to the league.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning has the most votes, with 586,523, followed by Patriots QB Tom Brady (534,020), Texans RB Arian Foster (519,261), Rodgers (485,196) and Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (484,227).

In addition to Rodgers, four other Packers lead the NFC voting at their respective positions. They are FB John Kuhn, C Jeff Saturday, OLB Clay Matthews and S Charles Woodson.

Pro Bowl voting continues through Monday, Dec. 17, and counts one-third in the selection process for the annual all-star game. Fans can vote by clicking here.

The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 26, on NFL Network’s “Total Access”.

The 2013 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 and televised live on NBC at 6 p.m. CT from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews named to PFW midseason all-pro team

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews have been named to Pro Football Weekly’s midseason all-pro team.

Rodgers leads the league in TD passes with 25 and ranks second in the league in passer rating at 107.4. Matthews is tied with two other players for second in the league in sacks with nine.

Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Bears and Vikings each had three players selected. For Chicago, they’re all on defense — DE Julius Peppers, LB Lance Briggs and CB Charles Tillman. For Minnesota, RB Adrian Peterson and WR Percy Harvin were selected, along with K Blair Walsh. Harvin was also chosen as kick returner.

The full team:

OFFENSE
QB Aaron Rodgers/Packers
RB Adrian Peterson/Vikings*
RB Marshawn Lynch/Seahawks
WR A.J. Green/Bengals*
WR Reggie Wayne/Colts
WR Percy Harvin/Vikings
TE Rob Gronkowski/Patriots
C Mike Pouncey/Dolphins
OG Mike Iupati/49ers*
OG Marshal Yanda/Ravens
OT Duane Brown/Texans
OT Anthony Davis/49ers

DEFENSE
DE J.J. Watt/Texans*
DE Julius Peppers/Bears
DT Geno Atkins/Bengals*
DT Vince Wilfork/Patriots
OLB Lance Briggs/Bears
OLB Clay Matthews/Packers
ILB Daryl Washington/Cardinals*
ILB Sean Lee/Cowboys
CB Richard Sherman/Seahawks
CB Charles Tillman/Bears
S Earl Thomas/Seahawks
S Mark Barron/Buccaneers

SPECIALISTS
PK Blair Walsh/Vikings
P Andy Lee/49ers
PR Leodis McKelvin/Bills
KR Percy Harvin/Vikings

HEAD COACH
Mike Smith/Falcons

EXECUTIVE/GM
John Elway/Broncos

* — Unanimous selection by PFW editors

Does Rodgers see stars aligning?

QB Aaron Rodgers was asked on Wednesday if he sees similarities between this season and 2010, when the Packers withstood a rash of injuries and a 3-3 start to ultimately win the Super Bowl.

“This has been similar in the fact that we lost some key guys in 2010 and we lost some key guys already this year,” Rodgers said of the season-ending injuries, which were to starters Ryan Grant, Mark Tauscher, Morgan Burnett, Nick Barnett, Brad Jones and Jermichael Finley in the first five weeks of 2010. The Packers have lost Desmond Bishop and D.J. Smith for the season this year, and now Cedric Benson and Charles Woodson for extended periods.

“We started a little slow, lost a couple of overtimes games early that year, then we started getting on a roll before the bye week. We’d like to do the same thing this season.”

After the 3-3 start, including consecutive OT losses to Washington and Miami, the Packers won three straight to get to their bye week at 6-3. This year, the Packers actually fell to 2-3 with the loss at Indianapolis but have won two straight to get back above .500 with two more games left before the bye.

The other thing Rodgers noted was what he called “a little-talked-about-fact,” that the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants have returned to the Fall Classic this year. Karma in the making?

“We’re pulling for the Giants to get a win and hopefully that means we’re heading down to New Orleans,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers practices full; Raji limited

QB Aaron Rodgers took all the snaps in Thursday’s practice after getting very limited work on Wednesday due to a calf injury. With Thursday’s practice in pads, Rodgers’ making it all the way through is a strong indication he’ll be fine come Sunday in St. Louis.

“Just talking to Aaron this morning, he wanted to go today,” Mike McCarthy said. “He thought it was important to get on it (the calf) and see where he was. Then once we started practicing, he felt like he needed to take all the reps, and he did.”

NT B.J. Raji also returned to practice for the first time in two weeks, but on a limited basis. Raji missed last week’s game with an ankle injury, but McCarthy was encouraged by what he saw from Raji on Thursday.

“B.J. definitely took a step today,” McCarthy said. “As always, when a player does come back for the first day, the examination tomorrow will obviously be very important. But it was good to have him out there.”

The only other change to the injury report from Wednesday was that TE D.J. Williams (hamstring) was a full participant in practice. He missed last Sunday’s Houston game but appears well on the comeback trail.

Meanwhile, fellow TE Andrew Quarless practiced for just the second time this season, having come off the PUP list on Wednesday. Quarless said the medical staff is easing him back into practice with a limited number of reps, but he’s felt no discomfort or setbacks after his first two days.

“Every day if I could just get a little better, just kind of get my step back — I don’t want to say ‘swag,’ but to be out there moving around and feeling good about it,” Quarless saisd. “It’s coming. I feel it. I felt great today in practice. I just have to get it back.”

Quarless had been out since tearing the ACL in his knee in Week 13 last season against the Giants. He said the long, arduous process of rehab gave him an appreciation for all the players he’s seen previously who missed long stretches due to injuries.

“A lot of guys come off this injury better than they were,” he said. “I don’t feel like (number) 81 yet, but I feel good. Right there. I’m happy about it. Real excited.”

Packers-Saints replay Tuesday; Rodgers miked Wednesday

The Packers’ 28-27 Week 4 victory over the Saints will be re-broadcast at 8:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday on NFL Network as one of the featured NFL Replay games. The condensed, 90-minute broadcast will include exclusive sound from QB Aaron Rodgers, who was miked for the game, plus additional NFL Films camera angles and coaches’ commentary.

More of the Rodgers audio will be part of NFL Network’s Sound FX program at 9:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Slightly earlier on Wednesday, at 9 p.m. CT, the NBC Sports Network will have an in-depth look at the Saints-Packers game, along with wired sound from Rodgers, on its NFL Turning Point show.

Finley’s agent ‘has his own opinion’

TE Jermichael Finley distanced himself from agent Blake Baratz’s Twitter comments on Thursday after Baratz questioned QB Aaron Rodgers’ leadership of the Packers.

“He has 30 clients around the league,” Finley said. “He has his own opinion.”

Finley added that everything is fine between him and Rodgers over the matter. Rodgers brushed everything off, likening Baratz’s disparaging comments to something a guy at the burger restaurant “Five Guys” might say about him if he thinks he’s a bad tipper.

“He’s the leader of this team,” Finley said of Rodgers. “He’s the man, and I respect him as a player. Outside the locker room, I’m a fan of Aaron Rodgers. We’re all good.”

As for the rest of the team, the injury report is rather extensive, but the only significant concern may be with WR Greg Jennings (groin), who missed practice. Jennings has by no means been ruled out of Monday’s game, however.

Also missing practice were TE Tom Crabtree (shoulder) and LB Jamari Lattimore (ankle). Five players were limited participants in the non-padded practice: WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), CB Davon House (shoulder), G Josh Sitton (knee), RB James Starks (toe) and DE C.J. Wilson (groin). Both LB Nick Perry (wrist) and Terrell Manning (concussion) were also listed on the injury report, but they were full participants in practice. Mike McCarthy said he  expects Cobb and Sitton to be fine by Monday, and he has no doubts Perry will play.

Jones not upset with Rodgers

WR James Jones said on Tuesday that the sideline scolding he received from QB Aaron Rodgers against the Bears last Thursday was not a problem between the two. After Rodgers threw an interception in the fourth quarter on a pass intended for Jones, TV cameras showed Rodgers visibly upset with Jones for turning one way on his route when Rodgers expected him to turn the other.

“Me and A-Rod are way closer than that to let something like that come in between us,” Jones said. “We’re out there trying to win the ballgame. It was my fault. I gave him mixed signals. We’re all emotional out there.

“I’m not mad at him. We’re trying to win. Get on me. I messed up.”

Jones chalked it up to a family squabble, heightened by the frustration many were feeling for the offense’s struggles through the first two weeks. He said Rodgers later apologized to him for calling him out in front of everyone like that, but he told Rodgers there was no need to do so.

“I messed up. Frustration happens,” Jones said. “It’s all good, no love lost. We’re teammates, we’re family in here. We’re all trying to win.”

Jones added that questioning Rodgers’ leadership abilities in the wake of the incident was “ridiculous.”

“He’s a natural-born leader, not just by what he says but how he carries himself, how he plays the game, how he handles certain situations,” Jones said. “Everybody in this locker room looks up to him as a leader. Everybody in this locker room believes in him.”

Rodgers vows revenge

One day after having his weekly briefing with reporters in front of his locker cut short by a shaving-cream-pie-in-the-face from FB John Kuhn, QB Aaron Rodgers issued a warning that he’ll get his revenge at some point.

“I respect the prank, but you have to understand when they do it to me, it’s going to come back twice as hard,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers, of course, is as much a prankster as anyone in the locker room, but for the most part his antics don’t become media and public fodder because he specifically chooses spots that help keep things in-house. His teammates, of course, specifically chose to get him when all the cameras were on him around his locker.

“I can appreciate a practical joke,” Rodgers said. “In order to be someone who enjoys doing those things, you have to know at some point it’s going to come back to you. I didn’t expect my old partner (at card games, as well as his training-camp roommate), Brett Goode, to be a part of that. He was kind of distracting me in the back, and took my attention over there, while John snuck around … and got me in the face.”

On the field, Rodgers finished up another day involving scout team snaps. He and the starters will play probably one series on Thursday night before giving way to the rest of the players pushing for roster spots. Mentally, Rodgers sounds as though he has already moved on to the season opener against San Francisco on Sept. 9.

“It will be exciting Thursday night to watch those guys fighting for jobs with an opportunity,” he said. “The older guys are ready for this thing to start up. We’ve got a tough matchup coming up.”

Other notes from the last practice of training camp on Tuesday:

–Returning to practice from injury were TE Ryan Taylor and DE Ryan Pickett. New to the injury list and sitting out was LB Jamari Lattimore.

–With Lattimore and Robert Francois out, the defense was a little thin at inside LB, prompting outside LB Brad Jones to work there. Jones had worked at inside LB throughout the spring during OTAs and the minicamp but had gone back to his more familiar outside position at the start of training camp.

Video chat with Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday, August 28

Do you want to video chat live with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers? Packers.com is holding a Google+ Hangout on Tuesday, August 28, at 2 p.m. CT.

Approximately five Packers fans will be selected to participate in this exclusive Hangout. Within the comments on the Packers’ Google+ page, post a link to a 30-60 second video of yourself explaining why you deserve to be selected. You must submit a video for consideration. Click here to enter for a chance to participate.

What is a Google+ Hangout?

It’s a live video chat hosted by Google – and it’s your opportunity to go face-to-face with Rodgers. Click here to watch Packers.com’s Google+ Hangout with LB Clay Matthews from June.

Fans will be notified by Sunday evening if they have been selected to participate.