GREEN BAY, Wis. � Aaron Rodgers didn’t make any bold proclamations about running the table this time around.
But the similarities between the Green Bay Packers� current turnaround and their remarkable run to the NFC championship game back in 2016 otherwise are too obvious to ignore.
kAmp7E6C =@D:?8 6:89E @7 E96:C 7:CDE `a 82>6D[ E96 !24<6CD Wg\gX 92G6 H@? 7@FC 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6D 2?5 H:== C6249 E96 A=2J@77D :7 E96J 362E E96 s6EC@:E {:@?D Wg\gX @? $F?52J ?:89E 2E {2>362F u:6=5] %92E a_`e E62> C63@F?565 7C@> 2 c\e DE2CE E@ H:? 6:89E DEC2:89E 367@C6 =@D:?8 E@ E96 pE=2?E2 u2=4@?D H:E9 2 $FA6C q@H= 3:5 2E DE2<6]k^Am
kAm“}@H[ E92E Wa_`eX E62> 925 D@>6 8FJD H9@â€�5 366? 2 A2CE @7 H:??:?8 D@>6 C62==J 3:8 7@@E32== 82>6D[â€� #@586CD D2:5] â€�%9:D E62> 92D =6DD @7 E9@D6 8FJD] qFE x ;FDE E9:?< E9:D E62> :D 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 E2=6?E65 E@A E@ 3@EE@>] s67:?:E6=J @? E96 324< 6?5[ E96 H2J @FC 8FJD A=2J :? E9:D 5676?D6[ x E9:?<[ 8FJ\7@C\8FJ :D AC@323=J 2 =:EE=6 3:E 36EE6C @? E92E D:56 @7 E96 32==] ~776?D6 :D AC@323=J AC6EEJ D:>:=2C] p?5 E96? H6 92G6 W<:4< C6EFC?6CX z6:D62? }:I@?]â€k^Am
kAm%96 4FCC6?E !24<6CD H9@ A=2J65 @? E92E a_`e E62> :?4=F565 #@586CD[ @776?D:G6 E24<=6 s2G:5 q2<9E:2C:[ 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 z6??J r=2C<[ <:4<6C |2D@? rC@D3J[ H:56 C646:G6C #2?52== r@33 2?5 :?;FC65 5676?D:G6 =:?6>2? s62? {@HCJ]k^Am
kAm“xE 567:?:E6=J 92D D@>6 D:>:=2C:E:6D[ E96 4@FCD6 @7 E96 D62D@?[ E96 H2J E92E :E H6?E[â€� r@33 D2:5] “u@C FD E@ 32EE=6 324< 2?5 36 :? E9:D D:EF2E:@? 2?5 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ[ E92E’D 2== J@F 42? 2D< 7@C]â€k^Am
kAm#@586CD D2:5 324< :? a_`e 96 36=:6G65 E96 !24<6CD H@F=5 “CF? E96 E23=6� 367@C6 E96J H6?E @? E92E DEC62<] %96 7@FC\E:>6 |'! BF2CE6C324< 5:5?’E >2<6 2 D:>:=2C AC65:4E:@? E9:D E:>6[ 3FE D2:5 27E6C E96 c`\`f G:4E@CJ @G6C E96 |:??6D@E2 ':<:?8D @? $F?52J E92E 96 925 2 8@@5 766=:?8 E96 !24<6CD H@F=5 >2<6 2 =2E6 CF?]k^Am
kAmw6 C642==65 E9:?<:?8 H96? E96 !24<6CD H6C6 b\e E92E :7 E96J 4@F=5 H:? ;FDE @?6 @7 E96:C ?6IE E9C66 82>6D � 9@>6 >2E49FAD H:E9 s2==2D 2?5 %6??6DD66 A=FD 2 EC:A E@ !9:=256=A9:2 � E96J 4@F=5 H:? E96:C 7:?2= 7:G6 82>6D] vC66? q2J 362E s2==2D :? @G6CE:>6[ =@DE E96 ?6IE EH@ 82>6D[ 3FE 92D 8@?6 c\_ D:?46 H9:=6 A=6?EJ @7 @E96C C6DF=ED :?G@=G:?8 @E96C E62>D 92G6 72==6? E96:C H2J]k^Am
kAmâ€�%96C6 H2D D@>6E9:?8 :? E96C6 E92E 925 9@A6[ 3FE :E H2D 2 7@@=’D 9@A6 2E E96 E:>6 x E9:?<[â€� #@586CD D2:5] “p?5 D@ >F49 925 E@ 92AA6?[ H9:49 :D H9J[ =:<6 x D2:5 $F?52J ?:89E[ x 925 E@ HC2A >J 9625 2C@F?5 E96 D46?2C:@D 2?5 7:?5 2 A6246 :? E92E]â€k^Am
kAm%96D6 !24<6CD 92G6 C6=:65 @? 2 5:776C6?E 7@C>F=2 E92? E92E a_`e E62>]k^Am
kAm#@586CD =65 E96 H2J :? a_`e 3J E9C@H:?8 `d E@F495@H? A2DD6D H:E9@FE 2? :?E6C46AE:@? :? 2 D:I\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62< E@ 6?5 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?] w6 E96? E9C6H D:I E@F495@H? A2DD6D H:E9 @?=J @?6 :?E6C46AE:@? :? vC66? q2J’D EH@ A=2J@77 G:4E@C:6D H9:=6 E9C@H:?8 E@ 2 A@E6?E C646:G:?8 8C@FA 762EFC:?8 y@C5J }6=D@?[ s2G2?E6 p52>D 2?5 r@33]k^Am
kAm%96 bh\J62C\@=5 #@586CD 92D 366? D@=:5 3FE F?DA64E24F=2C @G6C E96 A2DE 7@FC 82>6D � 96 92D E9C@H? @?=J @?6 E@F495@H? A2DD :? 6249 @7 E96> � 3FE vC66? q2J’D 5676?D6 92D 4@>6 @? DEC@?8 27E6C F?56C249:6G:?8 7@C >F49 @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96:C 7@FC\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62<[ E96 !24<6CD 92G6 7@C465 E96 D2>6 ?F>36C @7 EFC?@G6CD W`aX E92E E96J 5:5 E9C@F89 E96:C 7:CDE `a 82>6D @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“xâ€�5 =:<6 E@ 36 `d 2?5 _[â€� #@586CD D2:5] â€�%92E H2D 2 7F? CF?] qFE E9@D6 2C6 5:776C6?E E62>D] s:776C6?E A=2J6CD[ 5:776C6?E >:?5D6E[ 5:776C6?E D496>6] x ;FDE ?665 E@ 36 677:4:6?E] x7 xâ€�> 677:4:6?E 2?5 E2<:?8 42C6 @7 E96 7@@E32== 2D 36DE x 42?[ >2<:?8 E96 C:89E 4964<D[ x 42? DE:== :>A24E E96 82>6 :? 2 A@D:E:G6 H2J]â€k^Am
kAmvC66? q2J 36?67:E65 7C@> D@>6 DF3E=6 EH62<D 5FC:?8 E9:D =2E6 DFC86] !24<6CD 4@249 |2EE {2u=6FC D2:5 96 EC:65 E@ :?4=F56 >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 A6C:@5D :? AC24E:46 â€�;FDE E@ ECJ E@ 96:89E6? E96 :?E6?D:EJ 2 =:EE=6 3:E]â€k^Am
kAmp 7@FCE9\BF2CE6C C2==J AC@G:565 E96 DA2C<]k^Am
kAm~?6 >@?E9 28@[ E96 !24<6CD H6C6 c\g 2?5 EC2:=:?8 E96 =@H=J r9:428@ q62CD `h\`_ 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 7:?2= A6C:@5] %96 !24<6CD C2==:65 E@ H:? ag\`h 2?5 92G6?’E =@@<65 324< D:?46] #@586CD 42==65 E92E >@>6?E E96 EFC?:?8 A@:?E]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE E9:?< :E 76=E 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:776C6?E :? E96 =@4<6C C@@>[â€� #@586CD D2:5] â€�%96C6 H2D >2J36 2 566A 6I92=6 7C@> 6G6CJ3@5J[ 2?5 E96? H6 925 E96 3J6 H66<] p?5 E96 3J6 H66< 2==@H65 >6 E@ 86E 962=E9J] x E9:?< :E 2==@H65 FD E@ >6?E2==J 86E D@>6 4=2C:EJ 2?5 H6 42>6 324<[ 2?5 7@C H92E6G6C C62D@?[ H6 925 2 5:776C6?E =6G6= @7 6?;@J>6?E 2?5 6?6C8J 2E AC24E:46]â€k^Am
kAm%96 !24<6CD 2C6?’E E2<:?8 2?JE9:?8 7@C 8C2?E65]k^Am
kAm%96J’C6 DE:== :? 2 >FDE\H:? D:EF2E:@? 282:?DE E96 {:@?D[ H9@ 92G6 DE2865 E96:C @H? C6>2C<23=6 EFC?2C@F?5 3J H:??:?8 D:I @7 E96:C A2DE ?:?6 82>6D 27E6C 2 `\e DE2CE] %96 {:@?D H@F=5 62C? E96:C 7:CDE A=2J@77 36CE9 D:?46 a_`e :7 E96J 362E E96 !24<6CD 2?5 E96 $62EE=6 $6292H<D Wg\gX =@D6 2E 9@>6 E@ E96 {@D p?86=6D #2>D Wd\``X]k^Am
kAms6EC@:E’D DFC86 DE2CE65 EH@ >@?E9D 28@ H:E9 2 `d\h G:4E@CJ @G6C E96 !24<6CD :? H9:49 #@586CD E9C6H E9C66 :?E6C46AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< @FC 82>6 <:?5 @7 >2J36 82=G2?:K65 E96> E@ EFC? :E 324< :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?[ 2?5 E96J’G6 366? A=2J:?8 C62==J 8@@5 7@@E32== � 2D 8@@5 2D ;FDE 23@FE 2?J3@5J :? E96 =628F6 E96 =2DE ?:?6 H66<D[� #@586CD D2:5]k^Am