Week 17 takeaways: Packers are to be feared in playoffs

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers' downfield heave hadn't even found Randall Cobb's hands when the thought had to cross through the collective minds of the NFC playoff field: No matter how they got here, the Green Bay Packers can be a scary team in January with their star quarterback back under center.

"Been hoping they get knocked out for weeks," a high-ranking scout for another playoff-bound NFC team told USA TODAY Sports, speaking on condition of anonymity for competitive reasons.

It didn't happen, despite Rodgers' half-season absence because of a broken collarbone, opening the door for a series of quarterback changes and a five-game winless streak.

That final play — 46 seconds to go, fourth-and-8, a seven-man rush flushing Rodgers left, an off-balance throw on the money with the season on the line — to beat the Chicago Bears 33-28 on Sunday is kind of thing that strikes fear into any defensive coordinator.

"We're in it. That's the most important thing," said Rodgers, who finished 25-for-39 passing for 318 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "We're hosting a playoff game. I think the NFC is wide open."

Make no mistake: The Packers have issues. Their defense has been unreliable and just lost top pass rusher Clay Matthews again to a broken thumb. The offense has been shorthanded beyond Rodgers, too, though getting Cobb back from his knee injury was another big boost.

The team they'll see in next weekend's NFC wild-card playoff game at Lambeau Field, the San Francisco 49ers, beat the Packers in Week 1 at Candlestick Park and has won six in a row. Colin Kaepernick tore up the Green Bay defense and outdueled Rodgers that day.

But when Rodgers is on his game, he's on another level. Tapping into that Sunday in the toughest of spots after a nearly two-month absence showed why other teams surely were hoping they might see the Bears or Detroit Lions instead.

-- Good for New York Jets owner Woody Johnson in wasting no time saying coach Rex Ryan would be back in 2014. But the words will ring hollow if Johnson isn't willing to extend Ryan's contract, which is set to expire after the 2014 season. It's a minor miracle the Jets went 8-8 in a transition year under new general manager John Idzik, winning three of their last four. They traded their best defensive player in the offseason, had virtually no weapons on offense and started a rookie quarterback. Tack on two years to Ryan's deal, get him some help in developing Geno Smith and go from there.

-- Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman's job appears safe, and dynamic WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson is one reason why. The rookie's latest highlight-reel touchdown —from 50 yards on a double-back end around — plus an 8-yard TD catch were enough to beat the Detroit Lions late and gave Patterson nine scores this season. Spielman had the ammunition to trade four picks to the Patriots and grab Patterson at No. 29 overall in part because he'd acquired two picks (plus another in 2014) from the Seahawks for wide receiver Percy Harvin, who has appeared in only one game this season because of hip problems. It appears Spielman missed on quarterback Christian Ponder in 2011, and that's a big miss. But his five first-round picks since — left tackle Matt Kalil, safety Harrison Smith, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and Patterson — form a young core to build around.

TAKEAWAYS

Houston 10: Bonus for whoever's hired as head coach: your choice of quarterback (or other player) with the No. 1 pick.

TENNESSEE 16: Will Mike Munchak's long history with the franchise buy him time? It may depend on who makes the call.

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Detroit 13: A 1-6 finish should seal Jim Schwartz's fate. The question is, could GM Martin Mayhew get the ax, too?

MINNESOTA 14: Farewell to the Metrodome. Farewell to Leslie Frazier next? He'll get to plead his case today.

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Carolina 21: Remember when they were 1-3? Their only loss since was Dec. 8 in New Orleans — and they won't have to go back.

ATLANTA 20: Just about everything that could go wrong did. But was it an aberration or a sign of decline?

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Cleveland 7: They went from one of the NFL's best stories to costing coach Rob Chudzinski his with seven straight losses.

PITTSBURGH 20: Only a Ryan Succop miss 2,500 miles away kept them out of the postseason. Too bad after a remarkable turnaround.

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Washington 6: It's finally over. How long will Dan Snyder allow his stare-down with Mike Shanahan to last?

N.Y. GIANTS 20: A glimmer of positivity at the end of a lost season: wideout Jerrel Jernigan's emergence down the stretch.

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Baltimore 17: One of many questions: Did RB Ray Rice just have a down year, or have nearly 1,800 NFL touches worn him down?

CINCINNATI 34: WR Marvin Jones' one-handed TD catch was as good as it gets. Even down three tight ends, Cincy has weapons.

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Jacksonville 10: The finish wasn't pretty, but this was a .500 team in the season's second half after a 0-8 start.

INDIANAPOLIS 30: The Colts have won their last three by 58 points combined — a span in which Andrew Luck has one turnover.

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N.Y. Jets 20: Credit where it's due: Rookie Geno Smith (17-for-27, 190 yards, no turnovers) finished on a good note.

MIAMI 7: Step one to fixing an offense that tallied seven points in its last two games: fire coordinator Mike Sherman.

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Denver 34: The scoring record is theirs. Now they must do what the 2007 Patriots and 1998 Vikings couldn't: win it all.

OAKLAND 14: Eight losses in nine games and one last quarterback change to finish can't help Dennis Allen's cause.

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Kansas City 24: Not a bad showing in a meaningless game with almost every key player on the sideline. Next stop: Indy.

SAN DIEGO 27: The fake punt on fourth-and-2 in OT was inspired lunacy. Give it to Mike McCoy, though: It paid off.

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San Francisco 23: A wild-card matchup with a Green Bay defense that hasn't stopped the run all season seems favorable.

ARIZONA 20: The Saints' win eliminated the Cards, but Bruce Arians' crew went down swinging. Now find a better QB.

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Green Bay 33: Talk about getting healthy just in time. Aaron Rodgers' fourth-down strike to Randall Cobb was legendary.

CHICAGO 28: The decision to go back to Jay Cutler will be debated forever, but the defense is the major concern.

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Tampa Bay 17: It appears Greg Schiano has peeled himself off the hot seat. But it won't take much to get him back on it.

NEW ORLEANS 42: The Saints secured the playoff spot at home. Now they head on the road, where they've lost five of six.

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Buffalo 20: There were positives in Doug Marrone's first year. Getting EJ Manuel into next season healthy is job one.

NEW ENGLAND 34: Make it four consecutive first-round byes. One win to set a (likely) rematch with the Broncos — in Denver.

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St. Louis 9: DT Kendall Langford's ejection for accidentally knocking off an official's hat was as bizarre as it gets.

SEATTLE 27: A little late-season drama didn't deny the Seahawks the No. 1 seed. Two home wins, and they're Super Bowl-bound.

GALLERY: Best of Week 17

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

11 Consecutive seasons in which a team that finished last or tied for last in its division won the division the following year, after the Carolina Panthers wrapped up the NFC South.

9 Sacks the Panthers got on Falcons QB Matt Ryan, a single-game franchise record.

7 Consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks for Minnesota Vikings DE Jared Allen, who got one early against the Detroit Lions to reach double digits again.

11 Games with at least three touchdown passes this season for Broncos QB Peyton Manning, five more than anyone else in the NFL.

7 Starters deactivated by the Kansas City Chiefs, rested QB Alex Smith, RB Jamaal Charles and others vs. the San Diego Chargers.

2 Bengals receivers (Marvin Jones and A.J. Green) with at least 10 touchdown catches, the first duo to accomplish that in a season in team history.

28 Yards run after having his helmet torn off for the Jacksonville Jaguars' LaRoy Reynolds, who made the tackle on punt coverage.