Aaron Rodgers

Brett who? Aaron Rodgers has turned these NFL playoffs into his own showcase. Carving up the NFC's top-seeded team, Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and led the Green Bay Packers to their second consecutive postseason road victory with a stunning 48-21 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night. The Packers (12-6) will have to win one more on the road to complete their improbable run from sixth seeding to the Super Bowl, but nothing looks out of the question the way Rodgers is playing.

NEW YORK - Rough night for USC quarterbacks. Matt Barkley went undrafted through the second and third rounds of the NFL draft on Friday, and fellow former Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets moved closer to the door. The Jets picked West Virginia's Geno Smith in the second round, adding a sixth quarterback to their roster and sending another none-too-subtle message to Sanchez that he's not their future. Projected by some people as a first-rounder, Barkley tumbled through the first three rounds.

What the Green Bay Packers need to do to defeat the Chicago Bears in Sunday's NFC championship game in Chicago (Noon PST; Channel 11): Keep No. 12 upright No quarterback has a hotter hand than Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers , who's coming off a close-to-flawless performance at Atlanta. He's had some concussion problems, though, and the Bears sacked him twice in the regular-season finale. As well as backup Matt Flynn played in a near-upset of New England, the Packers need Rodgers at his best to make this final push.

This ought to give Aaron Rodgers better memories of the NFL draft. The Green Bay Packers signed their franchise quarterback Friday to a five-year contract extension through the 2019 season, eight years after they stopped his slide down the draft board and took him with the 24th pick in the first round. The deal, according to a person with knowledge of the contract who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not released the details, is worth as much as $110 million, with $40 million guaranteed.

Aaron Rodgers' uniform number says it best — 12. And zero. The Green Bay Packers quarterback stared down fellow gunslinger Eli Manning of the New York Giants on Sunday, directing a 55-second, four-completion series of 68 yards to set up kicker Mason Crosby for a game-winning 30-yard field goal as time expired. Green Bay 38, New York 35. Rodgers threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns to push the Packers to an automatic playoff berth and their 18th consecutive victory dating to last season.

Whoa, Pack, whoa! The team from the NFL's smallest market came up huge Sunday, as the Green Bay Packers clinched their fourth Super Bowl victory with a wire-to-wire 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday. Powered by the spectacular play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who rocketed passes into mailbox-sized openings, the Packers became just the second sixth-seeded team to win it all, joining the 2005 Steelers. Rodgers, once doubted by many as a suitable replacement for legendary Brett Favre, now has as many rings as that future Hall of Famer.

When Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to the Bay Area to face San Francisco on Saturday night, it will be a homecoming for him - with a twist. His beloved 49ers passed on him with the first pick in the 2005 draft, selecting Alex Smith instead. Rodgers, who was a candidate for that prime draft slot, tumbled to 24th, where the Packers selected him. Rodgers certainly isn't grousing about that now, having won a Super Bowl and a most-valuable-player award with Green Bay, yet he certainly has to love the opportunity he has this weekend.

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was so clear back then, in April 2005, when quarterbacks Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers were selected in the NFL draft. There was nothing murky that day about who won and who lost. Smith was taken No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers, and Rodgers -- once thought to be in the running for the top pick -- languished for almost five hours before Green Bay took him 24th. The cash disparity told the story. Smith's contract guaranteed him $24.

Story line:  The last two Super Bowl winners meet for the fourth time in three seasons. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers is surging (24 touchdowns) and the Packers have won six of their last seven games. New York's Eli Manning hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three games. It might be best for Giants to lean on running back Ahmad Bradshaw. They're 6-0 when he rushes for 100 yards. Packers said: “It gives our offense a ton of confidence, knowing that we don't have to press thinking that we got to score just about every possession in order to win the game.

Brett Favre will get the press. Aaron Rodgers will get the pressure. That's how it's looking for Sunday's game, when Minnesota plays at Green Bay and Favre makes his first return to Lambeau Field. When these teams played at the Metrodome in Week 4, Favre played brilliantly, throwing for 271 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 30-23 victory. Although Rodgers also looked exceptional, throwing for 384 yards and two touchdowns, he was harassed all night.

Image makeover Kevin Durant is not nice? The marketing slogan may have a sliver of truth to it after the Oklahoma City Thunder star's questionable gesture and explanation Thursday against Golden State. Durant collected the ball off a Russell Westbrook block and drove for a vicious dunk. If only he had stopped there. The player who is so polite that he routinely exchanges pleasantries with out-of-town reporters in the hallways of Chesapeake Energy Arena then pretended to slash his throat before crossing his hands in prayer.

When Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to the Bay Area to face San Francisco on Saturday night, it will be a homecoming for him - with a twist. His beloved 49ers passed on him with the first pick in the 2005 draft, selecting Alex Smith instead. Rodgers, who was a candidate for that prime draft slot, tumbled to 24th, where the Packers selected him. Rodgers certainly isn't grousing about that now, having won a Super Bowl and a most-valuable-player award with Green Bay, yet he certainly has to love the opportunity he has this weekend.

Happy Aaron Rodgers Day Eve, everyone! Ah, don't you just love the holiday season. Thanksgiving just last month, Christmas a mere two weeks away, New Year's Day right after that. And this year is very special because we get a day to honor the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback smack dab in the middle of all that, on Dec. 12! That's 12/12/12 -- a.k.a. Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number. Get it? The Wisconsin Legislature designated the day to pay tribute to last year's NFL MVP, something it did not do on April 4, 2004, for Rodgers' predecessor, Brett Favre, who wore No. 4. But just what does one do to celebrate Aaron Rodgers Day?

Story line:  The last two Super Bowl winners meet for the fourth time in three seasons. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers is surging (24 touchdowns) and the Packers have won six of their last seven games. New York's Eli Manning hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three games. It might be best for Giants to lean on running back Ahmad Bradshaw. They're 6-0 when he rushes for 100 yards. Packers said: “It gives our offense a ton of confidence, knowing that we don't have to press thinking that we got to score just about every possession in order to win the game.

  This week's Monday edition of our NFL Google+ hangout -- "NFL Slam with Mark and Sam," starring Times NFL columnist Sam Farmer and Mark Thompson of "Mark and Brian" radio fame -- took a look at the NFL at the midpoint of the season. The Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL, but it's not what it seems. "They almost lost at home to the Raiders and the Panthers, but they are 7-0 and could lock up the division by Thanksgiving. In a season of .500 teams, that is something to be respected," Farmer said.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman had words for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the field during the game Sunday, on the sidelines immediately following the game and on Twitter hours after the game. Sherman intercepted a Brady pass attempt in the third quarter after he had told Brady all game that he would do so. "I kept saying I'm going to get that next time. Every TV timeout, I went up and said it right to [Brady]: 'Please keep trying me. I'm going to take it from you.' That was when they were winning," Sherman said, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

NEW YORK - Rough night for USC quarterbacks. Matt Barkley went undrafted through the second and third rounds of the NFL draft on Friday, and fellow former Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets moved closer to the door. The Jets picked West Virginia's Geno Smith in the second round, adding a sixth quarterback to their roster and sending another none-too-subtle message to Sanchez that he's not their future. Projected by some people as a first-rounder, Barkley tumbled through the first three rounds.

"I actually prayed to God last night he'd give me a couple of inches." Aaron Rodgers, former California quarterback, after an announcement at the NFL combine that he was measured at 6 feet 2 inches

Robert Griffin III made an NFL debut Sunday that may have only been surpassed in league history by Cam Newton last season. But Griffin, the Washington Redskins quarterback, accomplished one thing that even Newton wasn't able to do in his first game as a pro -- earn the title of offensive player of the week. The NFL announced Wednesday that Griffin received that honor in the NFC, marking the first time in either conference that a rookie has been the recipient of the award since its inception in 1984.

It's one thing to bemoan professional sports for its business-only attitude and lack of loyalty and sensitivity, but Bill Plaschke's latest rant [March 21] is his most whiningly naive and childish ever. Despite Tim Tebow's magical mystery tour last year, the NFL doesn't owe him a thing. He'll get another chance if a team believes they can win with him and not because they are unrealistically fawning in love with him as Plaschke obviously is. "Former convicts and miscreants" had jobs in the NFL because they could win. Tebow will have a job if he can win, as well.