NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Senior writer jclombardi reports FB Kuhn, NT Raji, RT Bulaga & QB Flynn news.

Kuhn becomes roles player: “Mr. Versatility,” Bennett said before offering several reasons why he believes Kuhn has earned that label during his fourth season with the Packers. ”When it’s time to jump in there and play fullback, he’ll go in and block. You talk about a guy that’s capable of doing anything from a blocking standpoint, running the football as well as receiving it out of the backfield. But also a guy that you can trust more than anything. ”You’ve got a guy you can put in any situation and he’ll respond.” Packers coach Mike McCarthy called last week’s 31-27 loss to the New England Patriots the best game of Kuhn’s career. He carried the ball six times for 21 yards and set career highs with three receptions for 27 yards, including a touchdown. Kuhn has 74 carries for 259 yards and 12 receptions for 83 yards. Three times during the game, the 6-foot, 250-pound Kuhn hurdled New England players en route to gaining a first down. He also made nifty moves to elude defenders on a six-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and a nine-yard reception in the red zone on the final play of the third quarter. Until this season, Kuhn was seen as a short-yardage back with a conversion rate of 85.7 percent (6 of 7) on third-and-1 plays that’s tied for 10th in the NFL. But both Bennett and Philbin raved about Kuhn’s instincts as a runner in the open field. Bennett used the word “passion” to describe Kuhn’s running.

NT Raji Pro Bowler?: Raji's disappointing rookie year spawned a second season that could have him on the brink of cracking into the NFL's elite. A NFL scout who has watched extensive tape of the Green Bay Packers said recently that Raji's improvement has rivaled that of tight end Jermichael Finley. And that was before perhaps the best individual performance of Raji's young pro career last Sunday at New England, when he had six tackles (five solos and one for a loss), a career-best two sacks, two hits and a pressure.  That showing, which came on the NBC Sunday night prime-time game, was the final image Pro Bowl voters would have in their minds when they filled out their ballots this week. Here's Raji's case for the Pro Bowl: He leads all NFL nose tackles with 5½ sacks and leads all Packers' defensive linemen with 58 tackles. The Pro Bowl is also about name recognition, and Raji entered the league as a known commodity and was the ninth overall pick in the draft even though he was somewhat of a disappointment as a rookie. Having a full offseason and training camp has helped Raji immensely.

Rookie RT Bulaga tackles mistakes: At 21, Bryan Bulaga is the youngest player on the Green Bay Packers’ roster. He only has 10 professional starts under his belt. All are valid excuses, it would seem, for the mistakes Bulaga made on the critical final series of last week’s 31-27 loss to the New England Patriots. But none of them are being used to exonerate the rookie right tackle. ”You’re a rookie for X amount of time,” Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. “But now it’s Week (16) of an NFL season and we’ve got to get guys to step up and perform better.” Packers offensive line coach James Campen was asked Thursday if Bulaga, a first-round pick, is given any leeway because he’s a rookie. ”Zero,” Campen said. “Whoever’s out there playing gets zero leeway. It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or not, you have to do your job and mental errors are inexcusable.” If you think Bulaga’s coaches are tough on him, you should hear him analyze what happened in the final minute-plus Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

QB Flynn returns to reality: Life has returned to normal this week for Matt Flynn. As the backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, he’ll get very few reps in practice. And when the team takes the field for Sunday’s home game against the New York Giants, Flynn will put on his headset and try to aid starter Aaron Rodgers in any way he can. Flynn is perfectly content in that role, even though it’s a much less exciting one than he had last week as he prepared to make his first career start in place of Rodgers, who was sidelined with a concussion. ”It’s not anti-climactic,” Flynn said. “It’s the job. It’s the backup quarterback’s job. I was very fortunate and very happy about last week and being able to play. This week, we’ve got Aaron back. We’re in a must-win situation so it’s good to have him back. I’m going to prepare just like I did last week and be ready to go if anything happens.”

Within the last couple of days, news broke that Rex Ryan's wife starred in an internet foot fetish video with a gentlemen who's voice sounded strikingly familiar to that of the New York Jets head coach.

Seems appropriate since this week's evenly matched, defensive battle could come down to the toe of a kicker.

Here's a breakdown of which team holds the advantage in all the unit matchups.

Sanchez vs. CHI Defense

Mark Sanchez will be playing with a partial tear in his shoulder. That doesn't bode well for a 2^nd-year QB facing one of the league's top 5 defenses. Sanchez's numbers are modest: 54% completion, 16 TDs and 12 INTs.

At this point in his career, he's still more of a game-manager than a playmaker. However, if he can keep his mistakes to a minimum, the Jets will keep this one close.

• Advantage: CHI

NY O-Line vs. CHI D-Line

The Bill Callahan-coached Jets O-line features two young, perennial Pro Bowlers in C Nick Mangold and T D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Next to the Patriots, this is probably the best line the Bears have faced all year. But with veteran T Damien Woody likely out with an injury, you have to like Julius Peppers and Izzy Idonije's chances against a backup.

• Advantage: CHI

NY Running Game vs. CHI Defense

The Jets duo of LT and Shonn Greene has combined for nearly 1,600 rushing yards and over 4 yards per carry. Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will stay patient with the ground game and I expect them to have moderate success throughout the day.

But look for the Bears D to tighten up when they need to and force Sanchez to convert some big, late 3^rd and longs.

• Advantage: NY

NY WRs vs. CHI DBs

Santonio Holmes is banged up. Braylon Edwards is erratic. The Bears won't give up the deep ball, so the Jets will have to be patient and take what the defense gives them. On a bad surface in wintery conditions, I normally like the WRs…but not this week.

• Advantage: CHI

Cutler vs. NY Defense

Jay Cutler has said publicly the Bears won't shy away from visiting Revis Island – the side of the field All-World CB Darrelle Revis usually shuts down. As evidence, consider the numbers he's allowed to some of the league's best pass-catchers: Andre Johnson: 4 catches for 32 yards; Calvin Johnson: 1 catch for 13 yards; Terrell Owens: 3 catches for 17 yards. Antonio Cromartie is no slouch on the opposite side of the field.

On one play, Ryan could blitz with 7, then on the next drop 9 into coverage. Cutler will have his hands full trying to read the various blitzes and coverages.

• Advantage: NY

CHI O-Line vs. NYJ D-Line/OLB

Rex Ryan employs an aggressive 3-4 defense and he likes to bring heat from anywhere and everywhere. Olin Kreutz will be responsible for making the line calls. The Bears offensive line is improved, but keeping Cutler clean with the likes of Jason Taylor, Calvin Pace, David Harris and Bart Scott will be a tall order.

• Advantage: NY

CHI Running Game vs. NY Defense

Martz's re-commitment to the ground game during the middle of the season is the #1 reason the Bears have already clinched their division. While the numbers won't be gaudy against a top-5 rush defense, if the Bears can must 30+ rushes from Forte and Taylor, they'll walk away with a W.

• Advantage: CHI

CHI WRs vs. NY DBs

About the only thing the Bears have going for them against Revis, Cromartie and Co. is the element of surprise – on any given play, any one of Chicago's receivers (including TE Greg Olsen) could be the go-to guy. The Jets won't be able to key on one main target.

As stated above, Revis has shut down some of the game's best, and whoever he covers (I'm guessing Knox, mostly) will be a non-factor.

• Advantage: NY

CHI Special Teams vs. NY Special Teams

The Bears have allowed some big returns in recent weeks vs. the Lions and another against the Vikings. Jets KR Brad Smith has 2 returns for TDs, including last week's opening kickoff vs. the Steelers. Rex Ryan said he doesn't plan on kicking to Hester.

Nick Folk has missed 9 field goals this year while Robbie Gould doesn't miss at home. The punters are even.

• Advantage: CHI

Prediction:

As you can see, the defenses hold all the cards in this one. In what has the makings of an offensively-challenged, TV-ratings-killing battle, I think the Bears home crowd and kicking advantage will be the difference.

Guess you could say I like the Bears by a couple of feet…

Bears: 16, Jets 10

Jake Locker, QB, Washington, 6′3 226

Position Ranking: #3

Strengths: Has the ideal measurables and playing demeanor for a professional quarterback; looks the part. Very strong armed and can make all the NFL throws. Shows that he can throw the football 45 yards off his back foot and puts enough zip on throws to fit passes in small coverage windows at every layer of the field. Very effective on the move, squares shoulders and is accurate on the short, intermediate, and deep.

Shows good command of his huddle and plays with confidence even when his team is down. Has good touch & timing on his intermediate throws as he develops a rythm. Very good zip on intermediate routes inside and outside the numbers. Shows over the top release point on throws and has a quick enough release. Athleticism is very good for a quarterback and is said to be able to run a 4.4 40 yard dash. Picks up speed as he runs and can blow by linebackers who fall asleep on Locker’s running ability. High character player who is loved and respected by coaches and teammates. Shows natural leadership skills.

Needs Improvement: Still isn’t comfortable making plays inside the pocket. Doesn’t always see the entire field and can be slow to locate the open receiver after his first read. Mechanics are still a work in progress and will throw off back foot when pressure builds around him. Accuracy seems to be a consistent problem as he tends to lead his receiver too far or throw behind them on too many occasions.

Will force throws into double coverage and doesn’t always seem to pick-up quickly on disguises in coverage. The game hasn’t seemed to slow down for him as a 5th year senior; looks confused and hurried when he should be poised and collected. Takes off to run and leaves his progressions too early, not trusting the play to develop. Is still too dependent on his athleticism over arm and playcall development.

Bottom Line: Jake Locker was a somewhat frustrating player in evaluations because there are times where he flashes big time ability as both a passer and an athlete, showing shades of great quarterbacks Steve Young and John Elway. Those times aren’t often enough though and he still looks like he’s learning the basic nuances of the quarterback position even after two seasons of running the same playbook. After looking back at last years games it became evident to me that Locker has regressed as a passer this season in both his progression reads and technique; he was sharper in 2009. To his credit Locker keeps his head high and will go down with the ship. He hasn’t been surrounded by great talent and never outwardly blamed teammates for mistakes.

While his physical tools and leadership abilities are big time strengths, his football intelligence and pocket instincts are currently below adequate and he may never become a natural in this regard. His upside will be hard for quarterback needy teams to ignore and Locker will surely be impressive during the interview process and workout portions leading to the draft . The team that selects Locker must give him time to learn, and put him in an offensive system that allows him to move outside the pocket and take advantages of his athletic strengths until the mental part comes around. His arm strength, athleticism, and intangibles are what will likely make him an early pick. His effort and work ethic will never be questioned.

Draft Projection: mid 1st to mid 2nd round

The Bengals look to spoil San Diego's playoff hopes as the Chargers come to Paul Brown Stadium for a 4:05 kickoff Sunday.  The game was originally scheduled to be on NBC's Sunday Night Football, but it was flexed to the 4:05 kickoff and was replaced for the nightcap by the Eagles-Vikings.  The game is blacked out in local Cincinnati markets as the game did not sell out.

The Chargers have followed their pattern of recent years, stumbling out of the gate only to come on strong down the stretch. They currently rank second in the league in total offense, second in passing offense, first in total defense, first in passing defense, and second in rushing defense.

With gaudy stats like that, it's a wonder that they sit presently at 8-6, a game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West and needing to win out to have any hope of a playoff berth. One loss and they'll likely lose out on any hope for the division crown, and with the Jets/Patriots and Steelers/Ravens virtually assured of any available wildcard spots, the Bolts could be the most impressively talented team to sit out the playoffs in years.  The good news for San Diego is that their last two games are against the lowly Bengals and Broncos.

As for the Bengals, they were able to stop a 10-game losing streak last week with a strong performance against Cleveland.  With Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco hobbled, Cincinnati played their youngsters more than they have all year, and the result was a ferocious running attack from Cedric Benson, and some very efficient passing from Carson Palmer to Jordan Shipley, Jerome Simpson, and Andre Caldwell.  The defense put together a solid effort, stoning Cleveland's power back Peyton Hillis, and containing phenom QB Colt McCoy.  Look for the Bengals to do more of the same Sunday.

Do they have any hope of pulling an upset?

On paper, it appears the answer is no, but the team should be feeling confident and several players have a lot to prove. The game is in Cincinnati, where the weather is expected to be sloppy, with snow expected. Bad weather could work in Cincy's favor, limiting Philip Rivers and the Charger passing game, protecting the Bengal secondary.

But for the Bengals to win, they'll need to protect the ball against San Diego's defense, and they'll need to generate some turnovers on defense.  They must establish Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott in the running game and get the same kind of push from the offensive line as they got against Cleveland.  Benson will need to run with the kind of aggression he showed in getting 150 yards on 31 carries. The Bengals will also need to have their young defensive players, particularly rookies DE Carlos Dunlap and DT Geno Atkins, to bring pressure and rush Rivers into quick throws.

Prediction:

The Bengals will be playing for a lot Sunday.  Players will be trying to put their best plays on tape as the organization prepares for offseason roster evaluations. They might also be playing for Marvin Lewis' job, and the opportunity to force the Chargers to watch the playoffs on TV just as they will.  However, the Chargers will be playing for more.  With their playoff hopes on the line, the Chargers will struggle with the Bengals, but will make enough plays in the end to keep their hopes alive. Chargers 34, Bengals 20.

Things to look for:

• Carson Palmer's command of the offense without diva WR's Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens on the field.
• The play of young WR's Jerome Simpson, Jordan Shipley, and Andre Caldwell
• DE Carlos Dunlap and DT Geno Atkins:  These rookie DL have been getting good pressure on opposing QB's, with Dunlap recording seven sacks

For those that are around Friday night or want to DVR it like I willl, NFL Network will be premiering their latest Top 10, which will be the “Top 10 Steelers of All-Time.” From the clips they have already shown, it sounds like there will be some serious debate. With so many players to choose from over the seasons with six NFL titles, here’s the way I think they list will play out.

10. Lynn Swann – Combined with John Stallworth for a powerful 1-2 punch with Terry Bradshaw as an offense that could take over games and put up bunches of points in their last two Super Bowls. Another SB MVP, and a WR that came up with some of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. Swann deserves to be on the list.

9. Jerome Bettis – He’s just the second modern player on the list, but “The Bus” deserves the spot. He came over for peanuts (a draft pick) from the Rams, and led the team and had a huge off the field presence as well as maybe the most popular player in the teams history. He was the driving force in the teams run to their 5th SB title, and had some huge plays and seasons over the years. He’ll be yet another Steeler in the HOF within the next few years.

8.John Stallworth – Another playmaker on offense of those 70’s teams, Stallworth was the steak while Lynn Swann was the sizzle. He seemed to always come up with the big plays at the big time, and did it not only for the glory teams, but stayed around and played on some of the not so good teams in the 1980’s when he was also catching balls and making plays for teams led by the likes of Cliff Stoudt and Mark Malone.

7. Mike Webster – Sorry, just too hard to get away from the 70’s guys that meant so much to the franchise. Webster was the anchor of the line, a line that protected Bradshaw and pounded teams with the run game. The Steelers never needed to worry about the center spot with Webster, and that’s why he’s yet another HOF and is #7 on the list.

6. Mel Blount – They changed the rules due to his greatness, and he’s yet another HOF player from the 70’s teams, and was the most physical DB in the history of the game. He ran the defensive backfield with his play, and even after they changed rules to open up the offense, he still was as good as any corner in the league, which is saying quite a bit.

5. Hines Ward - The first modern player on the list, he’s the all-time leader in catches and yards for the Steelers, and while those numbers get overlooked, one thing that doesn’t is his ability to block and be more physical than just about any player on the field. Ward is a two-time SB champion, and a SB MVP. He could be higher on the list, but at #5 that’s right about where I can see them putting him.

4. Jack Lambert – You know the name: “Count Dracula in Cleats.” He was the vocal leader of the linebackers, and was not afraid to call out his own teammates to make them better, and he himself never seemed to miss many plays. Undersized when he entered the league, it didn’t take long for him to round out into the starting MLB on four Super Bowl teams.

3. Franco Harris – The greatest running back in franchise history, he was the man that was called upon to get the tough yards when the team needed them. He also set records in the Super Bowl, and found himself near the top of the all-time lists by the time he walked away after a mini-stint in Seattle. He easily could challenge Bradshaw or Greene for #2 or #1 on the list.

2. Terry Bradshaw – The face of the offense in the 70’s Super Bowl run, Bradshaw was the conductor of an offense that had a Hall of Fame running back, and two Hall of Fame wide outs. While his career didn’t start great, he and the team got better and eventually reached heights that not a lot of people could have ever predicted.

1. Joe Greene – The franchise player that started the run of the four Super Bowl titles, no player had more impact on the franchise than “Mean” Joe. Chuck Noll’s first draft pick, it’s really hard to think of anyone else that could possibly be #1 on the list other than the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.

After coming off of an embarrassing loss to the division rival Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins look to get back on the better side of .500 this weekend against the Detroit Lions.

The Lions feature a dangerous squad full of players with chips on their shoulders. The Lions will be the underdogs in this matchup even despite the Fins loss last week, and the fact that the game is in Miami, and the Dolphins are 1-6 at their home stadium should scare Dolphins fans all around. But if the Dolphins can manage to keep a select few players in check this weekend, the game should be theirs to win.

3. Contain Ndamukong Suh:

This guy is a one man wrecking crew. In only 14 games played this year he has 40 tackles, 8 sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown. It's safe to say that the Dolphins need to come up with a defense for this guy, or else Chad Henne may not have many chances to prove he can be a prolific/efficient passer.

Suh will be facing off against Fins center Joe Berger, who has been pushed around all season long. Last week, Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams dominated Berger for 6 tackles and half a sack. The previous week against the Jets, their nose tackle, Sione Pouha registered 10 tackles and one sack. So to say Berger has been on a hot streak would be dead wrong. Williams should be a contender for Defensive MVP this year, as he has been distruptive all season, but the only player who has arguably been hotter is Suh, who is running away with the Defensive Rookie of the Yera award.

Suh will most likely draw double teams though, as well as line up on the outside as well as the inside. Fins starting right tackle Lydon Murtha matched up against Suh in college during practice, as both of them graduated from Nebraska, only a year apart. Murtha will give the interior line the scoop on Suh and his tendencies, so if Suh breaks loose for a big game it will not be for a lack of knowledge on the rookie, it will just be because of their inferiorness in capability.

Stopping Suh will be right up their on Tony Sparano's To-Do list for the game, as he would like to see what Henne can do when standing upright for most of the game, something that has not happened for a couple games now.

2. Will the Real Miami Dolphins Offense Please Stand Up?:

Let's face it, the Dolphins offense has been more inconsistent than anything else all season long. But as of late it been more abysmal than anything. Whether it be the questionable play-calls, or the lack of production from the quarterback and running game, there is always something running awry on the Miami offense.

We have seen both Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall flash signs of greatness this season. But both have been inconsistent in their production all season long while the running game hasn't showed up since last season.

There are only two games left in the season and we still do not know whether or not Henne has it in him to step up and be this franchise's quarterback of the future, or whether or not our offense knows how to correctly use Brandon Marshall to their advantage. In these final two games I will be looking for some consistency to lead the way to victory.

1. Stop Calvin Johnson:

Johnson has been the Lions' go-to guy all season long, and in the process has put in 1068 yards and 12 touchdowns on 73 receptions. He has arguably been the league's best receiver all season  long, and has come up big in crunch time, no matter if the Lions are out of the game or not.

Johnson has been everything the Dolphins wished they would get out of Brandon Marshall this year. A prolific red-zone threat, a guy who goes up and gets the better amount of the jump balls thrown his way, and a dominant force. The Dolphins corners will have a tough time defending against Johnson, whether it be his physicality or his size, the Dolphins corners do not match up well against him.

You know what Johnson will get during the game. He will get double digit targets, and maybe double digit catches and a touchdown. But what the Dolphins cannot do is allow the Lions to hang around, and let Johnson beat them in the fourth quarter, where he has 5 of his 12 touchdowns. We all saw Andre Johnson single-handidly beat the Dolphins back in 2007, and that is exactly what cannot happen against us this year with Calvin. He has the ability to take over the game, and whether or not the Dolphins can control that ability will determine whether or not they win this game.

Final Prediction:

While the game is at home for the Dolphins, I think they pull this game out in the end, 17-13. Johnson will have his say in the end result, but the Dolphins defense will not let him decide the game and send them to no better than an 8-8 final record. The offense will struggle to score points again this week, but this week they will put up just enough to scrape by, and Henne will have a good enough game to silence the critics for at least the upcoming week.

Two weeks to go and it's do-or-die for Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks.

Sunday, the Seahawks, tied for first place in the NFC West with the St. Louis Rams and one game ahead of the San Francisco 49ers, take on the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in the first of two must-win games in order to secure a spot in the playoffs.

"Our guys are excited about the fact that we have a chance to do something with the season," said Carroll during his Wednesday press conference from the team's Renton, Wash. training facilities on the opportunity to make the postseason – a feat the Seahawks haven't been able to boast about since 2007.

"It's up for grabs and it's going to be exciting to see how it goes."

Should Seattle (6-8) grab the division's playoff bid it will require a win against an upstart Tampa Bay team. Following a last-place finish in the NFC South last season with a rookie under center, the Buccaneers (8-6) are a game behind the New York Giants for the NFC's final Wild Card spot.

"This is a very young, talented football team," said Carroll, "they're going to be good for a long time."

In addition to second-year quarterback Josh Freeman, the Buccaneers are headlined by rookies LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams.

Headed into his final season at the University of Oregon, Blount was amid the discussion for the Heisman Trophy until the running back punched an opposing player on the field following an opening-week loss to Boise State. The punch caught the ire of the national media and the Ducks suspended Blount for 10 of the team's games.

Missing much of the season, Blount's draft stock took a plunge.

After going undrafted, the running back bounced around the National Football League. Following preseason stops in San Francisco and Tennessee, Blount wound up on Tampa Bay's 53-man roster less than a week before the start of the season.

Since joining the Buccaneers, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound running back has vaulted up the NFL's rookie running back totem pole, becoming the league's top first-year rusher with 777 yards.

"He's always shown special ability to make people miss," said Seattle's Carroll, who, while coaching at the University of Southern California, faced Blount during the running back's collegiate career.

"Then when you add in the fact that he's so physical…he'll make you look like you're not even trying if you don't have a really dedicated effort and a plan in mind in how to get him wrapped up and get him down."

Like Blount, Mike Williams' draft stock took a hit and now leads the league's rookies at his position.

Williams missed the 2008 season at Syracuse University after an alleged academic cheating issue forced the wide receiver to leave the school. Then, in 2009, he left the Orange during the season and ended his collegiate football career.

Prior to his leaving, the 6-foot-2, 204-pound wideout totaled 133 receptions for 2,044 yards and 20 touchdowns in 33 games. He also set a school record for catching a touchdown in nine consecutive games.

Some projected the receiver to be a high-round draft pick, but Williams fell to the Buccaneers in the fourth round and now leads the NFL's rookie pass catchers in receptions (58), yards (880), yards per game (62.9), catches of 20-yards or more (17), first-down receptions (39) and touchdowns (8).

"Right off the bat, he's a playmaker," said Pete Carroll. "You can see the confidence that [quarterback] Josh [Freeman] has in him, to go to him…counting on him to make a play. He might not even be open, you know? Might be going against what the coverage tells him to do, but he'll go to him."

Unlike Blount and Williams, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's season has been lackluster. The 12-year veteran ranks 15th in the league in passing yards (2,977), 21st in completion percentage (59.8), 25th in touchdowns (12), fifth in interceptions (17) and 29th in quarterback rating (73.1).

In the last two games, Hasselbeck's accounted for nine turnovers, yet, despite the poor play, Seattle's head coach affirmed the quarterback’s starting status over first-year Seahawk Charlie Whitehurst earlier this week.

"It has nothing to do with Charlie," said Carroll. "It has to do with we think Matt can get the job done for us."

"We have to keep him in good situations. We gotta play good football around him. You know, I can't emphasize that enough, that – and it's for all quarterbacks – that they play with a bunch of other guys on the field as well and we have to do well running the football and protecting and all that and then the quarterback's got to do his job."

Sunday’s kickoff in Tampa Bay between the Seahawks and Buccaneers is set for 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab? Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Senior writer jclombardi previews Packers vs Giants game.

Sunday afternoon showdown: Mike McCarthy announced on the flight home from New England that the playoffs were starting before the team's charter touched down.  The message: Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers (8-6) and the New York Giants (9-5) at Lambeau Field is a de facto playoff game. The Packers can ensure a postseason invitation by beating the Giants and then beating the NFC North division champion Chicago Bears (10-4) on Jan. 2. To that end McCarthy wanted to send clear message to the team. After McCarthy acknowledged to his players after Sunday night's loss to the New England Patriots that winning their final two games was almost certainly their only way into the playoffs. "Our playoffs started when we got on the plane to come home Sunday," McCarthy said Wednesday. "That's the way we're approaching our preparation, that's the way we're approaching this game. It's going to be a playoff-type atmosphere here at home." That message got through loud and clear to his team, as player after player echoed that sentiment in the locker room following McCarthy's press conference. "There's no room for error," cornerback Tramon Williams said. "Basically, the playoffs start now for us. Either we win or we go home – the next two weeks. It's like six-week playoffs for us. If we win these two games, then we're really considered it the playoffs, but it's just like the playoffs now." While disappointed with their record, the Packers realize they got some much-needed help last weekend and are thankful to be in contention after a rash of injuries and six losses by four points or fewer. "We control our own destiny. We have everything in front of us. That’s all you can ask for at this point of the season," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Commentary: What is at stake? For 2010 NFL season, the Packers self-respect, pride, and everything with the playoffs starting now. The Packers lost 3 of 4 last games, play at home, and face the Giants with memories of January, 2008 NFC Championship game.  It’s time to even the score and move on. They have an opportunity to show the Packers nation, the NFL, and prime time television audience outside of laughable biased NY media that they are a legitimate contender. Story Line—Toughness test. In the January, 2008 NFC championship game, the Giants imposed their will against the Packers. They were more physical and dominated the lines in the winter conditions in Lambeau. The Giants are essentially the same team. The Packers need to show that they are tougher than that day. For the Packers playing at home knowing you can determine your destiny, how can they lose knowing the stakes!