I was on the edge of my seat about to scream at the TV as any rational adult would, when the Packers finally got it together and engineered a second half comeback.  Rodgers was utterly dreadful overthrowing his receivers 16 times which put him on the same level as Josh Freeman at the end of his NFL career.  The bottomline is the Packers won their 13th game and secured the number 2 seed in the NFC.  The talk right now is the Packers are the worst 13 win team in NFL history, the reality is that if you win 13 games in a season you've clearly done something right.  In honor of the New Year I will be rewarding cheers to those responsible for saving the Packers on Sunday.

Cheers:

1. Aaron Jones:

This is Aaron Jones team now.  Anytime the Packers need a touchdown or a game changing play, Aaron Jones manages to come through for the Packers.  On Sunday, Aaron Jones found a way to weave his way through the Lions defense enroute to putting the Packers into field goal range.  3 Cheers for Aaron Jones!

2. Za'Darius Smith:

Although Za'Darius did not register a sack, he was under David Blough's chin what seemed like all day.  Za'Darius's persistence paid off in the second half as Blough was forced to throw the ball away and rush his throws which halted their second half passing attack and lead to Blake Martinez's game changing interception.  3 Cheers for Captain Z!!!

3. Blake Martinez:

It's been a struggle this year for Blake trying to live up to his expectations with a broken hand.  Sunday's game was a release for him as he was able to register a key sack and provide the Packers with the turnover, they needed in crunch time.  Blake Martinez is a huge reason for why the Packers have a first round bye this week, three cheers for him!

4. Aaron Rodgers:

Aaron gets one cheer for the three crucial throws that he made to shift the momentum in Green Bay's favor which ultimately was the difference between a win and a loss.  Beautiful pass to Davante, great throw to find Lazard, and a typical Aaron Rodgers like throw to complete the screen pass to Aaron Jones.

5. Mason Crosby:

Mason has been clutch this season and has made countless big kicks for the Packers during his career.  With the state of kicking in the NFL being the way it is, it makes you appreciate Mason that much more.  3 cheers for Money Mason!  

Jeers:

1. Rodgers and the Receivers:

Rodgers was dreadful for 80-85% of the game and it brings up the question of whether he is on the decline.  I think it is pretty evident he is on the decline, he's even said he can see the 18th hole, but I'm not sure that I believe he is on the level of a Josh Freeman.  Let's look at the talent at the wide receiver position whose name is not Davante Adams.  Leading off we have Geronimo Allison who may very well be the worst receiver in the NFL to have received significant reps throughout the season.  His lack of production has allowed Allen Lazard to emerge but he is the only receiver who has consistently contributed during the latter part of this season.  

Secondly, we have the immortal Marquez Valdes-Scantling who has engineered one of the greatest disappearing acts of all-time.  Instead of continuing to develop, MVS has grown distant with his quarterback and as a result, his development has grinded to a halt.  Rounding it out, we have the over the hill Jimmy Graham (tight end) who has forgotten how to catch basic passes.  I think after enough reps, we can see that the Jimmy Graham experiment has been a disappointment and he and Rodgers have failed to develop any chemistry over the last two seasons.  

With all of that being said, Aaron Rodgers needs to be more accurate with his passes and try at all costs to get his receivers on the same page.  Even the smallest improvement will make a big difference in the Packers passing game.  If he can get hot over the next (potentially) three games, look out!