Rodgers aims to prove point

SAN FRANCISCO — The anxiety-filled green room and draft day seem so long ago now to Aaron Rodgers.

Still, on this weekend, any lingering feelings of frustration about how far he dropped will be directed right at the team that passed him up with the No. 1 pick nearly eight years ago.

Rodgers brings the high-scoring Green Bay Packers (12-5) to Candlestick Park on Saturday to face No. 2 seed San Francisco (11-4-1) in prime time for a place in the NFC Championship Game. He'll take the field in the very venue where he became a regular fan as a boy rooting for Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young.

Rodgers, who appeared in a preseason game at Candlestick in 2008, will play his first meaningful game at the stadium at last, as an eighth-year pro. He will look to avenge a 30-22 season-opening home loss to the 49ers.

"It will be fun. I went to a few baseball games there growing up, and saw a game there when I was in college," Rodgers said. "Stadium's got a lot of tradition. Looks like we're kind of fortunate with the weather right now. Still wonder what that's going to be like.

"But it will be a night game, it will be loud, it will be a great environment and it should be a good show for the fans."

Rodgers is putting on quite a show, all right.

He returns to Northern California, where he became a college star for California across San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, with a healthy cast of receivers and the swagger of a Super Bowl champion.

When Rodgers dropped to No. 24 in the 2005 draft after Alex Smith went No. 1, he was asked about his disappointment. He so matter-of-factly said, "not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn't draft me."

Now, everybody in the Bay Area and beyond will be watching his every move again.

He already upset some friends he couldn't accommodate with tickets. Family first, with everybody else making the 4-hour trek from his hometown of Chico left to fend for themselves.

Most important, of course, is getting Green Bay one step closer to another Super Bowl. Last season's chance at a repeat championship came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Giants in this very round at Lambeau Field.

The Giants came to San Francisco the next week and won the NFC title game, 20-17 in overtime.

Just as the Niners moved on from that heartbreaking loss and used it as a motivational push each day this season, the same goes for Rodgers after being slighted by his beloved San Francisco on draft day.

"It's been a long time since the green room," Rodgers said. "I have a lot of good memories growing up watching Steve Young and Joe Montana on TV and the Super Bowl wins and being a 49ers fan. That was a team I enjoyed watching and dreamt about playing for. I'm eight years removed here, and obviously I'm really happy with the situation I'm in."

A lot has changed in that time for San Francisco, too.

The QB the 49ers picked ahead of Rodgers — Smith — spent the season's second half on the bench as coach Jim Harbaugh promoted second-year pro Colin Kaepernick, who is set to make his playoff debut on Saturday.

In an odd twist, Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee and adopted before moving to California at age 4. Yes, he began as a toddler Cheesehead, then changed allegiances "when I got drafted," Kaepernick said.

He has never met Rodgers.

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Liverpool set to hire Rodgers as manager

LONDON — Liverpool appears set to hire Brendan Rodgers as its new manager.

The hire would vault the Northern Irishman from relative obscurity to one of the toughest jobs in soccer, with his current club Swansea claiming a deal was expected to be finalized on Thursday.

Following talks with Liverpool's American owners — Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox — Rodgers told Swansea on Wednesday he has been offered the job as Kenny Dalglish's replacement at Anfield and was ready to accept.

"We are trying to finalize within the next 24 hours," Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said. "Although we are very disappointed to lose such a talented, young British manager, we didn't wish to stand in his way."

Liverpool will have to pay compensation to Swansea, reported to be in the region of $6 million, because Rodgers has three years left on his contract after signing a new deal in January.

In what will be one of the most low-key managerial appointments made by the traditional English powerhouse in a generation, the 39-year-old Rodgers was preferred to Wigan manager Roberto Martinez despite having only one season's experience in England's top division.

That year, however, was a highly successful one, with Swansea finishing 11th in its first season in the Premier League, earning plenty of admirers because of the Welsh team's attractive, possession-based style of play. It made Rodgers one of the most sought-after managers in Britain.

"We wish Brendan every success in the future," Jenkins said. "We will always remain good friends and we thank him for all his hard work and passion at this football club over the past two years. We shall now refocus and quickly start the process of finding his replacement to continue the great work Brendan has carried out at this football club."

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Brady, Rodgers named starting QBs on Pro Bowl rosters

NEW YORK — Tom Brady is one of eight Patriots and Patrick Willis one of eight 49ers to make the Pro Bowl, the most on each roster.

Man for the big occasion: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been named starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. AP

Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday.

Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots.

Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative.

Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.

Green Bay's Rodgers is the starting NFC quarterback, backed by record-setting Drew Brees of New Orleans (12-3).

"It does have special significance, because when I was voted in in 2009, I was the third guy and I was very thankful to be voted in, and got the opportunity to start because of some injuries and guys not going," Rodgers said. "It's great to be voted in as a starter, that means a lot to me and it's a special honor."

Four of the NFL's biggest headline makers this season did not get voted in by players, coaches and fans: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Steelers LB James Harrison, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, and Denver QB Tim Tebow.

Suh might have lost support after drawing a two-game suspension for stomping an opponent, and Harrison's one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy might have reduced his support.

Fifteen first-time Pro Bowlers made the NFC squad, including Rogers, Staley and safety Dashon Goldson of the 49ers. Thirteen AFC players were first-time selections, including Gronkowski, Carter and Slater of New England. Carter is on injured reserve (left quadriceps) and won't play.

"If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end," said the Saints' Jimmy Graham, the starter at the position and a first-time Pro Bowler. "And to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously."

Fourteen teams from each conference were represented, with St. Louis (2-13) and Washington (5-10) drawing blanks in the NFC, Buffalo (6-9) and Tennessee (8-7) shut out in the AFC.

Pittsburgh (11-4), New Orleans and Chicago (7-8) each had five representatives.

Three rookies were chosen: Denver linebacker Von Miller, Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green, and Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, selected as a kick return specialist. He has tied an NFL record with four punt runbacks for TDs this season.

All the kickers are from Bay Area teams.

NFC special teamers included two 49ers: record-setting placekicker David Akers, and punter Andy Lee; Peterson; and Corey Graham of Chicago.

For the AFC, the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski is the placekicker, Shane Lechler the punter. The kick return specialist is Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, and the special-teams player is Slater.

METAIRIE, LOUISIANA — Although Sean Payton helped Drew Brees become the NFL's all-time single-season passer, the coach isn't divulging whether he'll enable his star quarterback to maintain that distinction.

With 5,087 yards passing after Monday night's victory over Atlanta, Brees enters the final week of the season 190 yards ahead of New England's Tom Brady. Yet the Saints' regular-season finale might not matter in terms of playoff seeding, meaning the more prudent choice for Payton could be to rest Brees for much of Sunday's game against Carolina.

The Patriots, by contrast, must beat Buffalo to ensure they'll have the top seed in the AFC.

Payton says he must consider what puts the Saints in the best position to make a Super Bowl run, and that such decisions are not always popular.

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Bears train sights on Packers QB Rodgers

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — With Aaron Rodgers trying to help the Green Bay Packers secure a No. 1 playoff seed against a sputtering Chicago Bears team missing its two best offensive players, the NFL's most storied rivalry is looking pretty lopsided these days.

Going into a Sunday night matchup at Lambeau Field, the Packers can clinch home-field advantage in the NFC with a win, with the added bonus of knocking their rivals out of the playoffs and beating them for the fourth — yes, fourth — time in 2011.

The Packers may have lost their shot at a perfect season with a loss at Kansas City last week, but probably won't need a perfect performance to beat a team that has turned to Josh McCown at quarterback.

Green Bay does have one major concern, though: Can an offensive line depleted by injuries keep Rodgers from taking too many big hits from a still-dangerous Bears defensive line?

Rodgers conceded that the Packers may have to adjust their offense to compensate for a reshuffled line.

"Depending on who's playing where, you might have to tweak a few things because those guys are used to playing in certain spots," Rodgers said. "If they have to move around a little bit, it's going to take getting used to. We feel confident about the guys we're going to line up, and there's an expectation that they're going to play and play well. But you've got to be smart with the personnel you've got as well."

Kansas City got good pressure on Rodgers, including four sacks, and the Bears hope to do the same.

"We're lucky we're athletic up front," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "We've got some guys who can rush the passer with four, which has helped us quite a bit. And we're pretty athletic in the back end as well, so we run around. But there's really not a whole lot you can do against him. He's going to make his plays. Hopefully we can make some as well."

The Packers could be without three of their top four offensive tackles on Sunday after injuries to starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga and backup Derek Sherrod. Bulaga sprained his left knee and has been ruled out for Sunday, while Sherrod broke his right leg and is out for the season.

Veteran left tackle Chad Clifton returned to practice this week, but it's not clear when he'll be ready to play. Clifton hurt his hamstring in the Packers' Oct. 9 victory at Atlanta, then hurt his back during the rehabilitation process.

The Packers could play Marshall Newhouse at left tackle, Evan Dietrich-Smith at left guard, Scott Wells at center, Josh Sitton at right guard and T.J. Lang at right tackle. In that scenario, Wells and Sitton would be the only starters playing their natural positions.

Even before losing Bulaga and Sherrod on Sunday, the Packers have been allowing too much pressure on Rodgers the past few weeks. Rodgers has been sacked seven times in the past two games and taken several other big hits.

"Obviously, everybody knows the sacks and the hits, problems that we've had the past few weeks," Lang said. "It's never good to watch a quarterback get hit as many times as he's getting hit. We've got some guys moving around. That's not an excuse for us. Our mentality is, whoever's playing, your No. 1 job is to protect the ball carrier, protect the quarterback."

Packers receivers also struggled to make up for the absence of Greg Jennings, who has a left knee sprain and is expected to return for the playoffs. But Urlacher said Rodgers' play can cover up a lot of other issues for the Packers' offense.

"No. 12's still playing quarterback, so that's all that matters in that offense," Urlacher said. "He gets rid of the ball so fast and knows where to go with the ball. It may be a little bit of a weakness for them, but he's still playing quarterback for them, so they're still dangerous."

But even if the Bears deliver a typically good performance on defense, they still might struggle to score.

Jay Cutler broke his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, when the Bears were 7-3. Running back Matt Forte then sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in a loss to Kansas City Dec. 4, leaving the Bears without their two most critical players on offense.

Backup Caleb Hanie took over for Cutler and struggled, throwing nine interceptions in four starts, all losses. Now the Bears are turning to McCown, who hasn't started a game in four years.

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Rodgers named AP's 2011 top male athlete

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — When Aaron Rodgers needs to rekindle the feelings that drove his rise from a junior college quarterback to Super Bowl MVP, he doesn't have to look too far.

What a ride: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the 2011 AP Male Athlete of the Year on Wednesday. Rodgers guided the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl title last season. AP PHOTO

Rodgers held on to the many rejection letters he received from marquee college programs as he was coming out of high school. Even today, he leaves a few of them sitting out at his house.

"I chose the couple that I thought were most demeaning to display in a space in my house that really nobody is able to see but myself," Rodgers said. "It's something that I think is important to keep fresh on your mind. Maybe not every day, but once a week your eyes might pan across it and you have a little laugh about the journey you've been on — at the same time, remembering that there still are people out there that you can prove something to."

Good luck finding those doubters now.

Rodgers is the 2011 Male Athlete of the Year, chosen by members of The Associated Press, after he turned in an MVP performance in the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in February and then went on to lead his team on a long unbeaten run this season.

Rodgers received 112 votes out of the 212 ballots submitted from U.S. news organizations that make up the AP's membership. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander finished second with 50 votes, followed by tennis standout Novak Djokovic (21), Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton (6) and NASCAR champion Tony Stewart (5).

Rodgers is one of three quarterbacks to receive the honor in the past five years.

The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees won in 2010 and the New England Patriots' Tom Brady won in 2007.

Rodgers says it still feels "surreal at times" to be considered among the biggest names in sports.

"Those guys are household names, the best of the best," Rodgers said. "(It's) special to win the award, and something I'll remember."

Through 14 games this season, Rodgers has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 4,360 yards with 40 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Packers are 13-1, and Rodgers' play is leaving people speechless — even his coach, Mike McCarthy.

"I'm running out of things to say about him," McCarthy said earlier this month, after Rodgers drove the Packers into position for a last-second, game-winning field goal to beat the New York Giants.

Green Bay's 19-game winning streak came to an end at Kansas City on Sunday, but the Packers remain a strong favorite to repeat as champions. That's thanks in large part to Rodgers' knack for making big plays without major mistakes.

It has been a long and challenging journey out of obscurity for Rodgers, who wasn't offered a big-time scholarship out of high school and had to play a year in junior college. Then came his agonizing wait on draft day, three seasons on the bench behind Brett Favre and a tumultuous first year as a starter.

If Rodgers' path to stardom had been smoother, he says he wouldn't be the player — or person — he is today.

"It's something that gives me perspective all the time, knowing that the road I took was difficult. But it did shape my character and it shaped my game as well," Rodgers said. "I try and keep that on my mind as a good perspective, but also as a motivator, knowing that it took a lot to get to where I am now and it's going to take a lot to stay where I'm at."

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Rodgers executes late drive to keep Packers unbeaten

EASTRUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to wait until overtime.

Meet at the quarterback: Giants quarterback Eli Manning is hit by Packers defenders Clay Matthews, rear, and Erik Walden on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. AP PHOTO

It was the perfect choice for a team pursuing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

"Those are the fun ones when they end up like that," Rodgers said.

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game.

"We've had a number of games we won by a couple scores," Rodgers said. "You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it's very rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top."

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

"I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine," Williams said after the game. "Like I said, it's a good throw and catch. He made some good throws."

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

"It was a huge drive," said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. "We haven't had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It's great to see what we could do at the end like that."

Saints 31, Lions 17: In New Orleans, Drew Brees passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

Brees' performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games of a season.

Broncos 35, Vikings 32: In Minneapolis, Tim Tebow led yet another late rally, passing for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to help the Broncos win their fifth straight game.

Steelers 35, Bengals 7: In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and set a team record for career completions.

Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13 (OT): In Glendale, Arizona, LaRod Stephens-Howling caught a short pass from Kevin Kolb and zipped 52 yards for a touchdown in overtime, snapping the Cowboys' four-game winning streak.

Texans 17, Falcons 10: In Houston, rookie T.J. Yates threw a touchdown pass in his first NFL start and Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards.

49ers 26, Rams 0: In San Francisco, Frank Gore ran the Niners into the playoffs, becoming the 49ers' career rushing leader in a shutout that wrapped up the franchise's first NFC West crown and postseason berth since 2002.

Patriots 31, Colts 24: In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Rob Gronkowski caught two touchdown passes then scored on a lateral and New England then withstood a fourth-quarter rally to keep Indianapolis winless.

Dolphins 34, Raiders 14: In Miami, Reggie Bush rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown and once-woeful Miami won for the fourth time in the past five games.

Titans 23, Bills 17: In Orchard Park, New York, Chris Johnson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns as Tennessee remained in the playoff chase.

Chiefs 10, Bears 3: In Chicago, Tyler Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he was briefly lifted for Kyle Orton.

Jets 34, Redskins 19: In Landover, Maryland, Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores.

Ravens 24, Browns 10: In Cleveland, Ray Rice rushed for a career-high 204 yards, breaking loose on a game-changing 67-yarder in the third quarter.

Panthers 38, Buccaneers 19: In Tampa, Cam Newton ran for three touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for rushing TDs by a quarterback.

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