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Packers player to be profiled on Top 100 segment Thursday

The NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players of 2013″ is down to the top 40, and a Packers player will be profiled in the Nos. 40-31 segment scheduled to air at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday.

That player’s name and his ranking will be revealed during the show. Through the first 60 players, so far only one player who played for the Packers last season has been profiled. DB Charles Woodson, who played for Green Bay from 2006-12 and recently signed as a free agent with Oakland, was ranked No. 85.

The weekly series will continue each Thursday until only the top 10 remain. Back-to-back episodes at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. CT on June 27 will profile the top 10 players.

Update: The Packers player profiled on Thursday was LB Clay Matthews, who was ranked No. 31. To see the video of his profile, click here.

Four years of Clay Matthews

Photos:
Clay Matthews – the first four years

The Green Bay Packers have signed LB Clay Matthews to a contract extension. Here’s a look at some of the Matthews biggest plays.view photos

Game Highlights

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  Clay Matthews gets the strip/sack/recovery(0:15)

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  Clay Matthews drops back to snag pick(0:27)

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  Matthews picks Manning, goes for six(0:45)

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  Pickett tips it, Matthews picks it(0:39)

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  Super Bowl XLV Big Play: Clay Matthews(0:45)

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  Clay Matthews strips the ball from Giants RB Brandon Jacobs(0:45)

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  Clay Matthews takes it 62 yards for a TD(0:38)

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  Clay Matthews records his third sack (0:17)

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  Clay Matthews strips Adrian Peterson(0:17)

Clay Matthews dominates, registers 3.5 sacks

Green Bay Packers linebackers Clay Matthews had a big game in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. Matthews dominated the defense with 3.5 sacks on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.Watch Video

Wallpapers

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  at Chicago Bears – December 16, 2012

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  vs Jacksonville Jaguars – October 28, 2012

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  at St. Louis Rams – October 21, 2012

  • Download 4:3
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  vs. New Orleans Saints – September 30, 2012

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  vs. Chicago Bears – September 13, 2012

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  vs. San Francisco 49ers – September 9, 2012

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Infographic: Clay Matthews finds his way to the QB

Group of Packers joins Team Gleason in ALS fight

Four Packers — Head Coach Mike McCarthy, QB Aaron Rodgers, LB Clay Matthews and C Jeff Saturday — contributed to the production of a new PSA to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, a disease that afflicts former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason.

You can view the PSA on Gleason’s “Team Gleason” website right here.

Gleason played for the Saints when McCarthy was offensive coordinator there. DB Charles Woodson also is participating in the effort, but he wasn’t featured in this first video release. Woodson is expected to be shown in an upcoming video.

Clay Matthews joins CBS Super Bowl coverage

Packers LB Clay Matthews will join CBS as a contributing analyst for the network’s Super Bowl pre-game show, “The Super Bowl Today.”

Matthews will join the CBS team of James Brown, Dan Marino, Bill Cowher, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Greg Gumbel on the set of “The Super Bowl Today” from the Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Sunday, Feb. 3.

Matthews was voted to the Pro Bowl this season for the fourth consecutive year but did not travel to Hawaii to participate. He has been named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad each of the four years of his career.

Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews named second-team All-Pro

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews have been named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for 2012.

The annual All-Pro team features one player at each position voted as the best for that season. No Packers made the first team, which included Vikings RB Adrian Peterson and Texans DE J.J. Watt as unanimous selections.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning made the first team, with Rodgers the second-team pick at QB. The first-team choices at Matthews’ position of outside linebacker were Denver’s Von Miller and San Francisco’s Aldon Smith.

Kuhn, Matthews, Shields, Manning earn game balls vs. Vikings

The coaching staff awarded four game balls from the NFC Wild Card playoff victory over the Vikings on Saturday night. They went to FB John Kuhn on offense, LB Clay Matthews and CB Sam Shields on defense, and rookie LB Terrell Manning on special teams.

Kuhn rushed for a 3-yard TD and caught a 9-yard TD pass, giving him both a rushing and receiving TD for the second time in his career in a playoff game, a first in franchise history. He also scored for the fourth consecutive postseason, the only player in the NFL who can make that claim.

Matthews had two sacks, including a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the second one. The two sacks accounted for 18 lost yards as Matthews had the second two-sack playoff game of his career. The only other player in franchise history to accomplish that is Reggie White.

Shields was credited by the press box statisticians with seven tackles, a team high. He also broke up two passes and had an interception, the third of his career in the postseason.

Manning was credited with two coverage tackles, bringing down Minnesota returner Marcus Sherels on both the first kickoff and first punt of the game. Manning also helped to separate Sherels from the ball when he muffed a punt in the fourth quarter.

Packers elect six playoff captains

The Packers have voted for and selected their six captains for the 2012 postseason.

They are QB Aaron Rodgers and WR James Jones on offense, LB Clay Matthews and DB Charles Woodson on defense, and DB Jarrett Bush and LB Jamari Lattimore on special teams.

Those six players will wear a “C” patch on their jerseys for Saturday night’s game against Minnesota and for as many postseason games as the Packers play. The Packers don’t have any players wear a “C” during the regular season, as some teams do, because they choose weekly captains to go out for the coin toss each game.

Rodgers, Woodson and Bush have all been elected playoff captains in past years.

Rodgers finished the regular season as the NFL’s top-rated passer for the second season in a row. He posted a 108.0 rating, more than two points higher than Denver’s Peyton Manning, who was second at 105.8. Rodgers completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,295 yards with 39 TDs and only eight interceptions.

Jones led the Packers and the league in TD receptions with 14. He became the first Packers player to lead the league in that category since Sterling Sharpe had 18 TD catches in 1994. Jones also set career highs this season in both receptions (64) and yards (784).

Matthews led the Packers in sacks with 13, which fell just one-half sack short of his career high set in 2010. He ranked fifth in the league despite missing four games.

Woodson had just one interception and 1 1/2 sacks this season but has missed the last nine games with a broken collarbone. He has been medically cleared to play in the playoffs.

Bush and Lattimore are two of the Packers’ four special teams players who recorded double digits in coverage tackles. Bush led the team with 17 and added a fumble recovery, while Lattimore recorded 10.

Quotes from Green Bay Packers 2013 Pro Bowlers

QUARTERBACK AARON RODGERS

(what the recognition means to him)
“It’s an honor to be voted in, knowing that it’s a combination of the fans, my fellow players and the coaches. To be recognized by all of those people, it’s pretty special.”

(on dealing with some changes this season as far as injuries, roster moves, etc.)
“I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself to play well every week. I have high expectations, I know this organization and my teammates do as well, they expect me to play well. We’ve had some personnel changes and injuries this year, but guys have stepped up and we’ve been fortunate to keep it rolling. I know I personally prepare to be successful, Monday through Saturday, and I think that’s why you see some of the success on the field on Sundays. I put a lot of time into it, I care about it, it means a lot to me, and I know my teammates are counting on me to play well every week.”

LINEBACKER CLAY MATTHEWS

(his reaction to being selected)
“It means a great deal to me to continue to maintain the success on a personal level year-in and year-out, but ultimately this is a testament to the team that we have. The players around me, the coaching staff, the personnel department, and everybody who is involved with allowing me to do the things I can do on the field and helping to put me in a position to excel.”

(on being the first Packer to be selected to the Pro Bowl each of his first four seasons in the NFL)
“It’s pretty special to hear something like that. Obviously, there have been so many great players to have come through here, so it is very meaningful. But to me, making the Pro Bowl again really speaks a great deal to the team we have and what we’ve been able to accomplish over these past four years in my short tenure here. Hopefully it’s an early foreshadowing of things to come as far as the success not only for myself, but for this team.”

CENTER JEFF SATURDAY

(what the recognition means to him)
“Obviously, it’s always an honor. Anytime you get to go to the Pro Bowl, it is an honor and you appreciate everyone, the players, coaches and fans that voted for you. As an offensive lineman, it is nice to get the award.”

(what it has been like for him to be with a new organization and new teammates)
“It has been fun. I have enjoyed the young guys and playing next to new guys for me. I am disappointed for Josh Sitton; I think he should be there. It is disappointing for me, for him. I would love to be able to pass it to him. He is a tough player and has played very well all season. I respect the heck out of the way he has played and it has been fun to play next to him. I’ve had fun playing with T.J. (Lang) and Evan (Dietrich-Smith). These guys have been a lot of fun to play with and obviously you depend on those guys. They make you look a lot better on game film, so I am very appreciative to those guys as well.”

Clay Matthews waiting to see how Uncle Bruce schemes against him

LB Clay Matthews is the Packers’ best pass rusher. His uncle, Bruce Matthews, is the Tennessee Titans offensive line coach.

It won’t be the same for Clay as going head-to-head on the field against Bruce, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman, but this is about as close as it gets.

“It’s going to be exciting,” the younger Matthews said on Thursday in the Packers’ locker room. “It’s one of those things you think about but you never think it’s going to come to fruition.”

Matthews said he talks with his uncle here and there during the season, but their conversations have stopped this week, understandably so. Matthews leads the Packers with 11 sacks, and his uncle is in charge of keeping Tennessee QB Jake Locker upright on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

“It will be interesting to see what they do, if they give a little extra help over there, or if he wants to leave me one on one,” Matthews said. “Ultimately, I’ll have some choice words for him after the game.”

Another Matthews, Kevin — who is Clay’s cousin and Bruce’s son — had been starting at center for the Titans but injured his ankle this past week and likely will miss the game. So the two cousins probably won’t be on the same field together for the first time as pros.

Matthews returned to action last week after a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury, and he was no worse for wear. He recorded two sacks plus two other tackles for loss and deflected a pass in coverage.

“I’m happy to have gotten through the game with no setbacks,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a new week, not only building up physical strength but knocking the rust off. I feel good overall.”