Packers prepare for divisional game in Arizona

What happened in 2010?

The Seattle Seahawks rallied to beat the Minnesota Vikings in frigid conditions 10-9, while the Green Bay Packers rolled over the Washington Redskins 35-18 in the National Football Conference wild card playoff games over the weekend.

“We like to move the ball fast”, receiver James Jones said after the win over Washington. While Rodgers still didn’t reach the 300-yard mark (he finished with 210), he looked back to his normal self in commanding the offense and picking apart the Washington secondary.

“I do play”, Rodgers said.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy also conceded that his mind has wandered to that special 2010 run.

“I think they understood I was fine”, Tretter said about the safety after the game. The 35 points were the most scored by Green Bay since a 38-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. Although players were at Lambeau Field on Tuesday for meetings and conditioning workouts, they will not get back on the practice field until Wednesday for what McCarthy described as an “abbreviated” session.

The Green Bay Packers (11-6) will be looking to forget their dismal performance at Arizona less than three weeks ago when they visit the Cardinals (13-3) again Saturday in the divisional round of the playoffs.

So what would Rodgers, who in 2013 signed a five-year, $110 million contract extension, do if he won the grand-prize money?

The Cardinals enter this week’s practices with a game plan for Green Bay virtually completed. Arizona tacked on two early touchdowns in the third quarter to turn it into a blowout.

Arizona’s game plan will be to control the Packers’ running attack. “It’s going to be tough to block us both when we’re both humming”. “Give them credit, they got after it. But we’re a better team than that”.

Much like that year, the Cardinals are coming off a successful run to the NFC West crown and the Packers squeaked by to earn a wild-card berth after Rodgers and the rest of Green Bay struggled down the stretch. “We don’t care about those opinions out there”.

The play of the Packers’ offensive line was evident to Cardinals coach Bruce Arians. It means that wide receiver Jared Abbrederis will have a chance to step up and play a big role for the Green Bay offense. “You want to be with people who believe in you and we are going to find out – because we haven’t discussed it much yet – how much I am wanted and where that’ll go”.

You know, it could very well go right back to this in Arizona.

Will this time be different?

The running game took over after being held to 17 yards in the first half.

Game-planning sessions can get a little dry sometimes for the Green Bay Packers.

“This is playoff football, ” Cobb said. All you can ask for is an opportunity.