Aaron Rodgers has probably been the NFL’s top quarterback since Thanksgiving in late November.

He’s re-established that dynamic connection with receiver Jordy Nelson for the Green Bay Packers, and Ty Montgomery’s emergence as a receiver-turned-running back has been a revelation.

Rodgers is on a roll, and when he gets going, the Packers look unstoppable, capable of building big leads and coming back from any deficit. After a 1-2 start in 2014, Rodgers famously admonished fans to R-E-L-A-X. This season, after a 4-6 start, he promised to ”run the table” and led them to another NFC North division title.

They feature in the showcase of wild-card playoffs weekend, when they host Eli Manning and the New York Giants on Sunday.

The playoff history between the Packers and Giants is rich. For the record, the Packers have a 4-3 edge.

The Giants won the first matchup and the NFL title in 1938, beating the Packers 23-17. The Packers won the next four games and NFL championships in 1939, `44, 61 and `62. The Giants won the last two playoff games in 2008 and 2012, both at Lambeau Field, and went on to win the Super Bowls.

The Packers’ weakness is in defense, where the secondary is depleted. The offense has been on a remarkable run of mistake-free football during their six-match winning streak, but they could be hard-pressed to keep up in high-scoring games like they were during a midseason four-game slump.

The Giants are showing elements of the frenzied pass rush and opportunistic defense that won them their last two NFL crowns. Over the last 11 games, opponents have averaged just 16 points against the Giants.

They need that stingy defense because of their ineffective offense. The Giants didn’t score 30 points in any game, and haven’t even reached 20 points since Nov. 27 against the hapless Cleveland Browns. The running game is so-so, and Manning seems comfortable throwing only to Odell Beckham Jr. Not that it’s a bad idea.

In the other game on Sunday, Pittsburgh hosts the Miami Dolphins, who turned around their season with an Oct. 16 victory over the Steelers.

But Miami is yet another team using a backup quarterback, Matt Moore, after starter Ryan Tannehill was ruled out on Thursday because he wasn’t ready to practice on a sprained left knee. If Jay Ajayi can run wild again, Miami has a solid chance.

However, the Steelers are a tested bunch and got to rest several key players in the regular season finale, including Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

Wild-card weekend begins with the Oakland Raiders, one of the AFC’s powers until the past three weeks, traveling to the Houston Texans on Saturday, followed by the Detroit Lions at the Seattle Seahawks.

Raiders rookie Connor Cook will become the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first start in a playoff game. Derek Carr and Matt McGloin remain injured. Cook had 150 yards passing and a touchdown in his NFL debut last week.

Meanwhile, the Texans are going back to the so-far-underwhelming Brock Osweiler after Tom Savage was concussed last week.

Neither the Seahawks nor the Lions have been inspiring in the past month, with Detroit throwing away the NFC North crown with three straight closing defeats, and Seattle kicking away a bye by splitting its final six games.

These are two of the worst running teams in American football, but Seattle has gotten back Thomas Rawls, which could make for a distinct edge.

The Seahawks also have the better defense, though its been vulnerable against the pass since star safety Earl Thomas broke his left leg a month ago.

Detroit’s Matthew Stafford is the first quarterback to lead eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime since the 1970 merger, but he’s been sacked an NFL-most 37 times. The Lions are also down to their third running back.

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It’s not just Jordy Nelson making the big plays as the Packers roll into an NFC playoff game on Sunday against the New York Giants with a six-game winning streak.

Davante Adams capped his breakout regular season with three touchdown catches over the last two games, giving him 12 for the season.

Athletic 6-foot-4 tight end Jared Cook is a matchup problem in coverage. Undrafted rookie Geronimo Allison has turned into a late-season find with eight catches for 157 yards and a score over his last two games.

Receiver-turned-running back Ty Montgomery remains a threat to catch passes out of the backfield. Fullback Aaron Ripkowski made his first career touchdown catch last week against Detroit .

”I like to think that’s the way we’ve always played,” coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday about the diversity in the passing game. ”To lock (Rodgers) into a receiver or one or two or three players all the time is not really utilizing all your resources.”

And the Packers (10-6) have played the last two weeks without Randall Cobb, whose quickness gives defenses problems over the middle. Cobb, who has an ankle injury, has been limited in practice this week, though that’s a positive step after he missed practice last week.

A full complement of receivers might be needed against a Giants defense that is the stingiest in the league in the red zone (39.5 percent), an area where Cobb and Nelson usually get a lot of attention.

”Another guy that gets a tremendous amount of respect from defenses,” Adams said about the possible return of Cobb. ”Having him out there will take a lot of off our run game, myself and Jordy. It frees up other guys because they’ve got to account for him.”

Though Cobb has been hurt of late, the Packers’ injury situation has stabilized on offense. The injuries in October to running back Eddie Lacy (ankle) and James Starks (knee) forced the Packers to adjust in the backfield; Cook missed time earlier in the year with an ankle injury.

At one point, McCarthy said he had to put together a midweek game plan involving 21 personnel groups, an abnormally high number. The groupings would be whittled down as the week wore on and players’ availabilities become clearer.

”It’s something you spend the whole offseason putting together and then you’ve got to make sure you’ve got everything in there to get you through the season. You have to add some wrinkles here and there as the season goes on,” McCarthy said.

No need for so many personnel groupings this week, according to McCarthy. It also helps to a quarterback like Rodgers, who can extend plays and find open guys.

”It starts with Aaron, and he does an outstanding job as far as taking what the defense gives him,” offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett said. ”Spreading it around and getting more people involved, and those players making the most of those opportunities certainly helps.”

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In the locker room, or on sideline conversations in practice, Rodgers’ attitude didn’t change. He remained steady, and believed in his teammates whether they were two games under .500 or NFC North champions.

Winners of six straight games, the Packers hope to keep their hot streak going Sunday when they meet the New York Giants in an NFC playoff game.

”The biggest compliment I could give him, he is coming in here every single week and been the same dude,” center Corey Linsley said Wednesday night after practice. ”No matter when we were 4-3 or 4-6 or where we are now, he’s never changed who he is. I think having that kind of consistency, with your leader is huge.”

A strong arm and uncanny knack to extend plays helps a lot, too.

Rodgers has thrown 15 touchdown passes without an interception during the winning streak. In fact, Rodgers hasn’t been picked off since Week 10 in a 47-25 loss at Tennessee.

Keep in mind that Rodgers was hurt during much of December, playing with either a sore hamstring or sore calf. Both injuries have subsided, as evidenced by how much Rodgers hurt Detroit last week outside the pocket in a 31-24 win to clinch the NFC North title.

”Inside the pocket he can shred you, he can make all the throws,” Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. ”To think that such a good passer, you would think they’d get him out of the pocket, damper him, or put some type of uneasiness about him – but no, he’s very comfortable outside the pocket.”

Rodgers was 23 of 45 for 259 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the teams’ first meeting on Oct. 9, a 23-16 win for Green Bay at Lambeau Field. That was back when the Packers were still trying to find their groove on offense.

Those big-play Packers are back, having scored at least 30 points each of the last four weeks.

But the Giants have changed, too, especially on defense. Just look at how New York flustered the high-octane Washington Redskins in a 19-10 win on the road that eliminated their NFC East foes from playoff contention.

The Giants have the second-best defense in the league, allowing just 17.8 points per game.

”Well, they’re playing very good run defense … and they’ve got playmakers in their back end,” coach Mike McCarthy said about the Giants’ improvements since the teams met in Week 5.

But they perhaps haven’t faced a quarterback on such a hot streak like the roll Rodgers is on now. He remarked that the Packers could ”run the table” after their record dropped to 4-6, a scenario that seemed unlikely to a lot of people outside of the locker room at Lambeau.

There were certainly other factors at work besides Rodgers’ stellar play.

The Packers, at least for a few games, got healthier at the injury-decimated positions of cornerback and linebacker. Converted receiver Ty Montgomery has shown big-play flashes at running back, helping to make up for the season-ending ankle injury to Eddie Lacy in October. Receiver Jordy Nelson and Rodgers are proving to be a dangerous red-zone combination again.

But ”run the table” stands as a turning point in remarkable late-season rebound in Green Bay. Those six straight wins mean a lot.

”Because guys have confidence and there’s an expectation that you’re going to win. Whereas before, it was . hope,” Rodgers said. ”Now, there’s an expectation that when we take the field we’re going to come away with a `W.”’

Notes: WR Randall Cobb, who missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury, was limited in practice on Wednesday. Cobb appeared to be moving well on the practice field. ”I hope so,” Cobb said when asked if he would play against the Giants. ”I expected to play last week, but that didn’t happen so we’ll see.” … Joe Thomas, one of the Packers’ best linebackers in pass coverage, missed practice after leaving the Lions game with a back injury.

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AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

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“Fine,” Rodgers said Tuesday on his ESPN Milwaukee radio show, although this time he did not spell out the word.

Rodgers said he used the bye last week to treat his injury but said he would not have missed a game if the Packers weren’t off.

“I was on a great plan,” Rodgers said. “The medical staff here gave me a seven-day plan to attack the rehab, and I stuck to it. I also added in just a little wrinkle, as well.”

He wouldn’t elaborate on the wrinkle other than to say it “involves needles.”

Rodgers pulled his left hamstring at the end of a scramble in the third quarter of the Packers’ last game, a 44-23 loss at the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 26. He remained in the game until late in the fourth quarter, when coach Mike McCarthy pulled him with the game out of reach.

McCarthy said Rodgers participated in the team’s first post-bye workout Monday, and McCarthy reported that Rodgers “looked good.”

Rodgers said there was never any serious discussion about coming out of the game immediately following the injury. However, McCarthy altered his play calling significantly after Rodgers pulled up lame at the end of a run. He kept Rodgers in the shotgun and didn’t call any designed bootlegs. After the injury, Rodgers managed a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter but looked gimpy doing so.

“It was a glimpse of me at 40, I think,” the 30-year-old Rodgers said.

The Packers return to the practice field Wednesday in preparation for Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.

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“We’ll see,” Rodgers said at the time.

Apparently, it’s not.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that he does not expect Rodgers to have any lingering issues by the time the Packers return to action on Nov. 9 against the Chicago Bears.

“So far, so good I would say is how we’re looking at it,” McCarthy said.

Rodgers did not come out of the game following the injury in the third quarter, but his mobility was limited. McCarthy put Rodgers in the shotgun almost exclusively to lessen the amount of movement his quarterback had to make. Rodgers finally came out of the game, not because of injury, but because of the nature of the blowout loss.

Still, he threw for 418 yards, the second-highest total of his career.

“Our medical policy [for remaining in Green Bay during the bye] is really based off of evaluation, finishing the game,” McCarthy said. “So they’re very confident where Aaron is today.”

The Packers (5-3) have several key players nursing injuries heading into the bye. Before Rodgers’ injury on Sunday, they lost right guard T.J. Lang to a sprained ankle after the first drive. They also were missing three starters on defense – safety Morgan Burnett (calf), cornerback Sam Shields (knee) and defensive end Datone Jones (ankle).

“This is a great time for a bye for Aaron and T.J. and Morgan and Sam,” McCarthy said. “So it will be good for us to get healthy.”

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The tight end is due a $3 million roster bonus on March 27 and there were rumblings during last season that the team was preparing to cut ties with him. If the Packers trade or release Finley, they would save $8.25 million.

He told ESPN that he hasn’t been contacted by the Packers about restructuring his contract, a two-year deal he signed with the team last offseason.

“The Packers are barely talking to me right now,” he told ESPN. “I know they’re just doing it the Packer way and playing it close to the vest.”

“I haven’t got a call. I haven’t got a text asking me to take a pay cut or to restructure my deal at this point — not at all,” he said.

If the Packers do contact him about reworking his contract, he made it clear he’d rather be released than have to take a pay cut.

“I’d have to walk for sure, meaning I couldn’t take a pay cut,” he told ESPN. “Maybe I’d restructure if it’s a deal that I like and it makes sense, but I’m not the guy that’s just going to sign anything and let anything pass.

“I’m not that guy. Other than that, taking a pay cut or restructuring doesn’t sound good to me at this time. I like my deal. I start training in Minneapolis [on Thursday] and I’m more inspired than ever to start next season off right and be the tight end I know I can be. It’s all business at the end of the day. I just love what I do.”

Finley, 25, had a bit of a disappointing season in 2012, catching 61 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns. His agent also made waves last season when he questioned quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ leadership qualities.

He has 64 receptions for 2,485 yards and 17 TDs in three seasons.

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Flacco, the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. His new deal is expected to rival those of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, whose contracts are among the most lucrative in NFL history for quarterbacks.

Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, said in an interview with CNBC that Flacco should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.

“I think everybody is going to see what Joe [Flacco] ends up signing for,” Rodgers said Tuesday on his weekly radio show on 540 ESPN. “I’m sure they want to lock him up. He’s a great player — had an incredible run in the playoffs — and I’m sure they want to keep him around. A guy like that, with the postseason success he’s had, you want to keep a guy like that around for a while.”

Also a former Super Bowl MVP, Rodgers is under contract through 2014, having signed a six-year, $65 million contract in October 2008. Rodgers’ base salary next season is $9.25 million, while his 2014 deal is worth $10.5 million. Manning ($18 million base salary) and Brees ($20 million base) also are former Super Bowl MVPs.

Rodgers, who didn’t discuss whether he would give the Packers a hometown discount, understands that the market will dictate his next contract.

“It kind of is what it is, as far as that goes. The team, when they’re ready to talk contract, we’ll get there when we get there,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers also is confident that things will work out with the Packers, saying, “When that time comes, we’ll get a deal done. I’m not worried about that. I think the Packers want to keep me around for a little while longer, and I’d love to be a Packer for life.”

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San Francisco at Atlanta
When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 20, 2013
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FOX.
Line: 49ers -3.5. O/U: 48 –
Prediction: 49ers 35, Falcons 24

Kaepernick faced the questions that any first-time starter faces going into his first playoff game and answered every one against the Packers. After throwing an interception on his first series, Kaepernick set a playoff record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 181 and passed for 276, totaling four touchdowns along the way. The 25-year-old made a strong connection with wide receiver Michael Crabtree and helped open things up on the ground for Frank Gore, who rushed for over 100 yards (119) for the first time since Week 7. Defensively, San Francisco finished third in the NFL during the regular season but showed some cracks in the first half against Aaron Rodgers and company in the divisional round. Defensive tackle Justin Smith is dealing with a torn triceps and the 49ers struggled at times to get pressure on Rodgers.

The 49ers were a 45-31 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Packers. They covered the 3-point spread as favorites, while the total score (76) made winners of OVER bettors.

San Francisco: 11-4-1 SU, 9-7 ATS
When playing in January are 7-3
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 6-3-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco’s last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco’s last 7 games when playing Atlanta
San Francisco is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road

Ryan does not have the same ability to escape the pocket that Rodgers has and will need more from his offensive line against the San Francisco pass rush. Ryan finally proved he could win a playoff game last weekend, throwing three touchdown passes and driving Atlanta for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Overlooked is the fact that the Falcons’ defense put Ryan in the position to come back by breaking down in the fourth quarter. Ranked 24th in the regular season, Atlanta’s defense allowed Wilson to pass for 385 yards and rush for another 60 while squandering a 20-point lead. Defensive end John Abraham, who will be one of the keys to keeping Kaepernick in the pocket, tweaked his ankle against the Seahawks and is listed as questionable for this week, though the Falcons expect him to play. Atlanta has had trouble with mobile quarterbacks like Wilson and Cam Newton, who used a similar read-option offense to put up 58 points in two regular-season games.

Atlanta was a 30-28 winner in its last match at home against the Seahawks. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 58 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Atlanta: 13-3 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 8-2
When playing outside the division are 10-0
Atlanta is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games

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This game was so full of action, intrigue and tension they’re going to stage it again next weekend.

Peterson finished 9 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, but he still powered the Vikings past the Packers 37-34 Sunday with 199 yards to set up a rematch at Lambeau Field in a first-round playoff game.

“I told myself to come into this game focused on one thing, and that’s winning,” Peterson said.

Peterson rumbled around the left side of the line for a 27-yard gain in the closing seconds, his career-high 34th carry exactly one year after reconstructive surgery on his left knee. That set up Blair Walsh’s 29-yard field goal as time expired and put the Vikings (10-6) in the postseason after consecutive last-place finishes.

“For our guys to be as resilient as they were, it has you swelling with pride,” coach Leslie Frazier said.

The division champion Packers (11-5) dropped to the NFC’s No. 3 seed. Their five-game winning streak against the Vikings ended.

“I had a feeling that we had the game in the bag the whole game,” Vikings cornerback Chris Cook said. “It was just a vibe that I had on the sideline, in how we were carrying ourselves.”

Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 40 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions, connecting with Jordy Nelson from 2 yards to tie the game with 2:54 remaining. But Christian Ponder threw for three scores, including one to Peterson.

Ponder went 16 for 28 for 234 yards, including a 65-yard zinger in stride to Jarius Wright midway through the fourth quarter that set up Ponder’s third touchdown toss.

“It’s disappointing. A lot of us wanted that extra week,” Rodgers said.

Peterson finished with 2,097 yards, becoming the seventh player in NFL history to reach the 2,000 mark. He had to work for it, pulling out all the cutbacks, stutter-steps and spins he could find in his exceptional skill set. His longest run was only 28 yards against a defense geared to slow him down, and the first contact often came at, near or behind the line of scrimmage.

“It wasn’t meant to happen, or it would’ve happened. Not to say it doesn’t hurt, because it does,” Peterson said of Dickerson’s 28-year-old record. “But we came in here tonight and accomplished the ultimate goal, and that was getting a win and punching our ticket to the playoffs.”

The Packers cut the lead to 27-24 late in the third quarter on a touchdown reception by James Jones. The on-field ruling was a fumble at the goal line, triggering an automatic review. Because the Packers threw the challenge flag after the replay process began, however, they were only penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, not prevented from benefiting from the overturned call. That’s what happened to Detroit infamously on Thanksgiving, when a disputed score by Houston was prevented from review.

After posting a 9-23 record over the last two years, the Vikings made so many strides in 2012 that the season was already a success. But no NFL team would ever be satisfied by finishing in defeat against a division rival, and the emotion and energy behind the quest was palpable all afternoon.

“It took us a little while to adjust to the crowd noise, and we didn’t get going,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “That usually happens up here. This is a tough place to play, no doubt. We anticipated this being the loudest environment of the year. They pumped it in here pretty good today.”

The NFC North was sewn up by the Packers two weeks earlier. Even though the bye remained in the balance the top seed didn’t do the Packers any good last season. They went 15-1 and lost their opener at home to the eventual champion Giants.

Rodgers played without injured leading receiver Randall Cobb, so Greg Jennings was the main guy, grabbing eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. But the Vikings sacked Rodgers five times, recovering a fumble on one of them at midfield to set up a third-quarter touchdown.

Rodgers has 24 touchdowns, only four interceptions and a 70 percent completion rate over 10 career starts against the Vikings. His poise, arm strength and savvy came through clear against them as much as any other team. Plus, cornerback Antoine Winfield’s aggravated hand injury kept him on the sideline for most of the game.

Just as Ponder capably complemented Peterson, DuJuan Harris came out of nowhere to provide Rodgers some help. Green Bay has been proving lately it’s not a one-sided offense, either, and Harris rushed 14 times for 70 yards

But this was Peterson’s show. Second-and-27? He surged off right tackle and bounced outside for 28 yards on a drive that ended with his second touchdown, a 2-yard reception that pushed the lead to 27-17 in the third quarter. The “MVP” chants from the crowd rang out in earnest after that.

Game notes

Cobb’s absence meant the Packers went without a 1,000-yard receiver for the first time since 2003. Cobb finished with 954 yards. … Vikings WR Jerome Simpson was woozy after an end-zone collision in the third quarter, falling back down after trying to get up the first time. He passed concussion tests and returned to the game.

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