NEW YORK (AP) For the last five years, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have had a firm grip on this border state rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings that has otherwise been remarkably close.
Well, the Vikings have a prime opportunity to pry themselves loose in the NFL on Sunday.
”We’re going out there playing at a very high level. Guys know that this is the year for us,” cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. ”We’ve been doing what we’re supposed to do. It’s the time. The time is now.”
The Packers will bring a sputtering offense, injured important players, and a three-game losing streak to Minnesota to face a well-rounded team that has won five games in a row to take over the NFC North lead. The Packers are the underdogs for the first time this season.
The Packers have won nine of the last 11 matchups, losing once in 2012 with one tie. Rodgers, who missed the tie in 2013 because of a broken collarbone, has been as responsible for this recent run as anyone.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback in 2008, Rodgers has a 71.1 completion percentage, 32 touchdown passes and only four interceptions in 15 games against the Vikings.
Yes, Rodgers has an injury to his right shoulder that limited him in practice this week. Sure, he has slipped to 18th in the league with an average of 7.3 yards per attempt. There’s no disputing that his impeccable accuracy has not quite been the same.
The Vikings, though, remain respectfully wary.
”We don’t take lightly what they’ve done before they got on the three-game losing streak. They’re going to come in ready to play,” said Adrian Peterson, the NFL leading rusher. ”They’ve got Aaron Rodgers, so they always have a chance.”
The Washington Redskins have moved within a game of the NFC East lead behind Kirk Cousins’ passing, but their turnaround will be tested by the Carolina Panthers, who have the best record in franchise history at 9-0.
Cam Newton has matured into a force as the Panthers have won 13 straight regular-season games, scoring at least 27 points in seven consecutive games. Carolina’s defense, paced by linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman, has helped it to a plus-8 turnover margin, tied for second best in the league.
The Redskins, like everyone else, have seen Newton’s touchdown celebration dance – and, like everyone else, had opinions on it.
”Hey, the guy is entertaining, man. He’s good for the sport, man,” Redskins defensive lineman Jason Hatcher said. ”The guy can dance. Just turn the music off, he’ll stop dancing. … That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to say `DJ, cut! Enough dancing, Cam.”’
If Tom Brady is standing outside Gillette Stadium on Monday with a welcoming sign for the Buffalo Bills, that’s understandable. The New England Patriots have won 27 of the last 31 meetings dating to 2000, Brady has 24 regular-season wins against the Bills – more than against any other opponent in his career – and has more touchdown passes (61) against Buffalo than any team.
Both clubs come off emotional victories at the Meadowlands. Buffalo beat the Jets in coach Rex Ryan’s return to where he worked for the previous six seasons, and New England needed a 54-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the dying seconds to edge the Giants.
When the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Arizona Cardinals, it will be the Carson Palmer show.
Palmer was the top overall pick in the 2003 draft by the Bengals and had some success there, forced a trade in 2011 (to Oakland) and has revived his career in the Valley of the Sun. Palmer ranks second in the NFL in passer rating (108), with Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton, who has started every game for the Bengals since Palmer left, ranking fourth (104.6).
Cincinnati tasted defeat for the first time last Monday against Houston. The league switched this game to prime time in the U.S. The Bengals play their third straight night game, the Cardinals their second.
The Week 11 action began on Thursday when Jacksonville beat Tennessee 19-13, winning consecutive games for the first time in more than two years.
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