Aaron Rodgers is gradually beginning to get mentioned in the conversation with the best quarterbacks in today’s game. Last week’s dominating performance against the 13-3 Falcons advanced that reasoning even further. Rodgers picked apart the stagnant Falcon D, en route to a 31-36, 366 yard, and four touchdown performance in the 48-21 demolition.

The Packers needed the week 17 victory against the Bears just to get in to the playoffs, but now that they are here, they are having a field day. The undrafted Tramon Williams has morphed into a big play corner. He has three picks and two forced fumbles through two playoff games. No interception was bigger than the pick of Michael Vick in the end zone to ice the game. And then there was the interception return for a touchdown to sway momentum before the half against the Falcons. There is no doubt Jay Cutler will have to watch where he is on the field. He could turn into DeAngelo Hall, who picked Cutler off four times during the early pat of the season.

What’s more impressive is the resilience through the uncertainty. The Packers got to where they are despite losing 15 players to injury throughout the season, six of which were starters. Rodgers even missed a few games with a lingering concussion. But through it all, they are in the final four. Mike McCarthy certainly deserves to be in the conversation for coach of the year considering everything the team has endured.

The Bears may have an antidote for Rodgers potent passing attack in Julius Peppers. The Pro Bowl defensive end’s pass rush is one of the best in the league. Both defenses pose some problems for the opposing offense. The Packers’ Clay Matthews’ presence will be huge in both the pass and run game. It will be interesting to see who will get the upper hand on defense. Rodgers and the offense doesn’t have a cakewalk either, but he has a definitive advantage.

Rodgers’ escape ability is what really puts him over the top. Besides Vick, he is the best at avoiding a sack. That will have to be put on display if Rodgers wants to remain upright.

The Packers have been fighting for their lives throughout the entire season. Their desperation and perseverance kept them in the playoff race during the season and has driven them to success in the playoffs. And who knew who James Starks was before this season? Titletown has an opportunity to live up to its name with the upcoming grudge match with the biggest rivalry in football.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Usually when a team has the third pick in the NBA Draft, the team would be lucky to reach the .500 point the following season. For the Thunder, they were able to reach the 50-win plateau for the first time since they moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City. With a core that includes Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, the future could not be brighter. However, it could all come together this coming off-season. Let’s be honest; the chance of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, or Amare Stoudemire coming to Oklahoma City is pretty much 0%. However, there will be other all-star caliber players on the market such as Carlos Boozer and David Lee. Do not put it past Oklahoma City management to shell out money for a big man.

Oklahoma City, Seattle, or whatever you want to call them, have lacked a big man for a long time. Since the days of Shawn Kemp, they have not had a huge inside presence. They passed up on Brook Lopez, although they are hardly at fault due to the success of Russell Westbrook. But this team has gone through big men of the likes of Robert Swift and Jerome James. This can all be fixed in the 2010 off-season, if management solves the big man problem.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

The Detroit Lions have the 2nd pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, and they face a difficult decision. Believe it or not, the Lions 2-14 record was actually a major improvent on their historical 2008 mark of 0-16. The Lions were actually competitive in a number of games and have something to build on with Matthew Stafford, who at times looked like a star and other times looked like a rookie, and Calvin Johnson who is an absoulte stud. The question for the Lions is who do they take with the #2 pick in the draft. I think you have to narrow it down to two guys, the best offensive lineman in the draft, Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, and prehaps the best player in this years draft, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Like nearly every unit on a 2-14 team, the offensive and defensive lines need upgrades, but with Jeff Backus and 2008 first round pick Gosder Cherilus, the Lions are pretty solid at the offensive tackles. The defensive line however, is another story. The Lions ranked 26th in rush defense and 29th in sacks, so their defensive line neither plugged holes nor rushed the passer effectively. For those reasons, Ndamuknog Suh should be the selection. Suh was the most dominant player in college football last season, as he was often double and triple teamed, but was still very productive in one of the top two conferences in college football. Many believe that Suh has the ability to step into the NFL right away and help a team improve, which is something that the Lion’s defense sorely needs. If the Lions take Suh, it will be a big step forward for their defense, as he will be able to anchor that side of the ball for the next decade.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network

From the day that the Rams secured the #1 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, there was debate as to who the Rams should take to jumpstart the rebuild of the franchise. Well the answer to this debate should be clear, the Rams must start with a quarterback, and more specifically, Sam Bradford. Look at the teams who have been consistent winners over the past 5 years: the Steelers, Colts, Eagles, Giants, Chargers, Patriots. What do they all have in common? A pro bowl level quarterback. When you have the ability to get a franchise quarterback, you have to take it, especially when you look around the league at the teams that have not been able to have sustained success and it is largely due to subpar quarterback play. The Rams in particular, have been hampered for several years with the likes of an injury plagued Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, Keith Null, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Sam Bradford has been given a clean bill of health and if he had declared last year, would have been selected ahead of both Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. A minor shoulder injury should not scare the Rams away from taking a potential franchise changing player. The NFL is now a pass happy, quarterback driven league, so when Roger Goodell reads the first name from the podium on Thursday night, he better read: Sam Bradford, quarterback, Oklahoma.