But given the messy divorce between Favre and the Packers last year, the reconciliation — and the ceremony — probably won’t happen this year.

“I don’t anticipate it this season,” Murphy said Saturday, speaking to reporters at the team’s annual “fan fest” at Lambeau Field. “Obviously we will do it. We’ve made that commitment. He deserves to have his number retired. I just think both sides need some time.”

Besides, Murphy joked, who’s to say Favre won’t change his mind yet again?

“Quite honestly, from a practical standpoint, we had to cancel one retirement ceremony already,” Murphy said, laughing. “I think it’s smart to make sure that he is retired, rather than going through a situation like that again.”

All kidding and past acrimony aside, Murphy said Favre will be welcomed back when both sides decide that the time is right.

“He’ll be a member of our family long-term,” Murphy said. “Most players go through a period of time and I think when you’re away from it for a while, I think it’ll be meaningful for him and for us when he does come back.”

Favre announced his retirement from the Packers last March, but continued to deliberate on his football future in private. He told team officials he wanted to come back a few weeks after announcing his retirement, and they were prepared to take him back — only to have him change his mind again and stay retired.

By the time Favre had his mind firmly set on a comeback in July, Packers management had decided to move forward without him. Tensions mounted and turned the Packers’ training camp into a circus, and Favre was traded to the New York Jets.

Favre got off to a rousing start with his new team but faltered down the stretch and the Jets missed the playoffs. He retired again in February.

Assuming Favre really stays retired this time, there’s a possibility that a future reconciliation with the Packers could include a financial arrangement.

In the middle of Favre’s unretirement saga, the Packers offered him a multimillion-dollar marketing deal — a move interpreted by some as a bribe for Favre to stay retired, a charge the team rebuked.

Favre turned it down at the time, but it was widely assumed that the two sides would reach a similar agreement once Favre retired for good.

“I think we’ll determine that with time,” Murphy said. “And obviously it can’t just be us, it’s got to be him. Both sides will look at it. But I think now is not the right time to have those discussions.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Promising cornerback Tramon Williams looks like he’s next in line.

Unlike Grant, Williams hasn’t said through his representative that he will not play the coming season for his minimum-salary tender.

But agent Rodney Williams of Katy, Texas, made it clear last week that his client deserves to be paid in 2009 at a rate commensurate with other emerging young players at his position.

“There is no way I can go back to my player and say, ‘Hey, just play it out, it’s OK, don’t worry about it,’?” Rodney Williams said. “Hopefully, we can get something that shows a little value where he’s at. That’s all we’re looking for.”

Williams, with two accrued seasons, was the lowest-paid player on the Packers’ roster last season. When that two-year, $655,000 deal expired, the Packers sent him the one-year tender of $460,000.

As an exclusive-rights free agent, Williams basically can play for the Packers or not at all. It’s the same no-leverage position that Grant found himself in last year.

But during a seven-day holdout amid the Brett Favre uproar in which his agent publicly excoriated club officials, Grant was able to extract a four-year, $18 million contract.

In effect, the Packers backed down, something general manager Ted Thompson and vice president Russ Ball surely don’t want to have happen again.

Rodney Williams and Ball met last month in Indianapolis during the National Football League scouting combine. According to the agent, Ball made no promises.

Some of their conversation centered on what the player will do during the off-season program, which begins March 16. Last year, Grant showed up for the meetings but did nothing on the field.

“On March 16, I expect Tramon to be in Green Bay,” Rodney Williams said. “He wants to be there. Without a contract, he can’t participate. Our hands are kind of tied.”

But the chances of Williams signing the tender and getting on the field with the new defensive staff appear remote.

“There is no incentive for me to sign a minimum-year deal and get him there early and then fall in the back of the line for getting new contracts,” said Rodney Williams. “Then you come in there next year where you can restrict him again and make it so hard for him to move that nobody bites again.”

Williams, who will be 26 on March 16, played 73.9% of the defensive snaps last season after playing 16% in 2007.

Early in 2008, he started four games for injured Al Harris at right cornerback. Later, when Charles Woodson was moved to safety, Williams started three games on the left side.

In all, Williams started nine of 16 games, intercepted five passes, forced two fumbles and recovered another, broke up 14 passes and made 52 tackles. He played with aggressiveness and confidence.

At the same time, Williams gave up a team-high 10 1/2 plays of 20 yards or more and four touchdown passes. He blew too many assignments and guessed too much trying to make big plays.

With Woodson to turn 33 and Harris to turn 35 during the season, Williams is the next-best option unless Pat Lee shows vast improvement in his second season.

Late last week, the Packers ranked fourth in the NFL in available cap room at $30.2?million. Largely a non-participant in free agency, their plan is to use the space to re-sign as many of their own players as possible.

“The tough part on the team’s part, which isn’t my worry, is they’ve got a couple other guys who are about to become unrestricted,” Rodney Williams said. “So their priorities might be closer to the guys that are about to be UFAs than Tramon.”

Starters with contracts due to expire in February 2010 are Greg Jennings, Aaron Kampman, Nick Collins, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Ryan Pickett, Chad Clifton, Brandon Chillar and Johnny Jolly.

Just in the last three weeks, the market for cornerbacks has skyrocketed. Oakland’s decision to re-sign Nnamdi Asomugha for an average of $14.296 million per year caused tremors across the NFL.

Other enormous deals for cornerbacks went to the Redskins’ DeAngelo Hall ($9 million average), the Giants’ Corey Webster ($8.7 million), the Colts’ Kelvin Hayden ($8.6 million), the Ravens’ Domonique Foxworth ($6.8 million) and the Rams’ Ron Bartell ($6.25 million).

Given their accomplishments, it’s probable that Woodson ($5.576 million) and Harris ($5.418 million) have been rethinking their own paychecks.

“If the Packers were smart, in this market before it even gets worse, they’d be trying to do a long-term deal with him,” said Rodney Williams. “That will be my focus.”

Looming over every team and player is the possibility of a work stoppage. If management and players don’t agree to extend the collective bargaining agreement, 2010 would become an uncapped year and the requirement for unrestricted free agency would increase from four to six years.

In that event, Williams could be years away from gaining the leverage that comes from unrestricted status.

“In this climate, you’d be more inclined to lean toward, ‘Hey, let’s go ahead and try to get a long-term deal,’” Rodney Williams said. “In the end, I think something will get done. Hopefully, sooner than later.”

All of this is brand new for Tramon Williams. His only bonus check in three years was the $10,000 that he got from Houston in May 2006 as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech.

“He’s willing to show loyalty by being there because they took a chance on him when nobody else would,” said Rodney Williams. “Of course, he sees the opportunity.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.

It bounced right into Garrard’s arms as he fell to the ground, giving Jacksonville a much-needed break and leaving Green Bay with another familiar-feeling loss.

Garrard threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 31 yards and the Jaguars snapped a four-game losing streak with a 20-16 victory over the Packers on Sunday.

“It’s been awhile,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “It was a happy locker room.”

The Jaguars (5-9) won at home for the first time since September, ended Green Bay’s slim playoff chances and left the Packers (5-9) arguing, pointing fingers and searching for answers after another fourth-quarter collapse.

“We shouldn’t be having this miscommunication in Week 15 of the season,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Disappointing. You get an opportunity to win the game down the stretch and can’t do it.”

The Packers might have had reason to bicker. After all, they lost on a late drive for the third consecutive week. Carolina beat Green Bay 35-31 two weeks ago with a 55-yard drive in the final two minutes. Houston kicked a field goal as time expired in last week’s 24-21 victory.

The latest one came courtesy of Garrard, Dennis Northcutt, Maurice Jones-Drew and several missed opportunities.

The Packers entered the final quarter with a 13-7 lead, poised to snap a three-game slide, but Garrard directed two scoring drives that gave Jacksonville its second win in eight games.

The turnaround started with the first play of the fourth. On fourth-and-1 at the Jacksonville 44, the Jaguars stuffed fullback John Kuhn up the middle. It was one of many problems the Packers had in short-yardage situations.

“That was the turning point in the game,” Jaguars defensive end Paul spicer said. “The momentum could have gone either way.”

Garrard took over from there. He converted a fourth-down play with a 4-yard run, completed a couple of short passes to Reggie williams and then beat an all-out blitz by finding Jones-Drew over the middle for a 14-yard touchdown.

The Packers went back in front 16-14 on Mason Crosby’s third field goal. But Garrard and the Jaguars answered against Green Bay’s porous defense.

The second drive was even more efficient that the first, with Garrard hooking up with Northcutt for a 41-yard gain — the Jaguars had been the only NFL team without a pass play of at least 40 yards — and later scrambling for 16 yards on third down.

His fortuitous fumble at the end of the run was key, though.

“Luckily some angels kept the ball close enough and I was able to corral it and not give up a terrible play,” Garrard said.

Jones-Drew scored on the next play, putting Jacksonville ahead for good. Jones-Drew, starting in place of Fred Taylor, finished with 48 yards rushing and 22 yards receiving. Northcutt caught five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, a 31-yarder on the game’s opening drive.

Green Bay had a final chance to win, but Reggie Nelson intercepted Rodgers’ pass over the middle with 40 seconds remaining.

Rodgers finished 20-of-32 passing for 278 yards and a touchdown. James Jones caught four passes for 132 yards. Ryan Grant ran for 56 yards.

The defense was the Packers’ biggest problem — again. Green Bay failed to generate much pressure on Garrard, and defenders spent much of the fourth quarter squabbling with each other and pointing fingers.

“We had opportunities and didn’t capitalize on those opportunities,” safety Charles Woodson said. “I don’t know what you do. At this point, we’re not good at all. We’re just not very good.”

It was the second straight late defensive meltdown at home by the Packers (5-8), who came into Sunday’s game holding on to playoff hopes in the mediocre NFC North.

The Texans won despite committing four turnovers, perhaps the byproduct of a warm-weather team playing in temperatures that hovered around 3 degrees at kickoff. Still, the Texans (6-7) managed their second victory in six days after beating Jacksonville on Monday night.

Schaub was 28 of 42 for 414 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his return. He showed plenty of mobility, completing pass after pass on rollouts and bootlegs.

Texans rookie running back Steve Slaton rushed for 120 yards and caught three passes for 40 yards, a continuation of his 130-yard, two-touchdown performance against Jacksonville.

Aaron Rodgers was 19 of 30 for 295 yards for Green Bay, with two touchdowns and an interception. Ryan Grant rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown.

With the Texans trailing 14-13 and driving early in the fourth quarter, Schaub nimbly rolled to his left and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson to regain the lead.

Schaub then rolled to his right on the 2-point conversion attempt to hit Johnson again, putting Houston ahead 21-14 with 10:05 left in the game.

The Texans’ defense then came up with a stop, but Houston’s Jacoby Jones fumbled a punt near midfield and the Packers drove for a game-tying 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson.

New Packers punter Jeremy Kapinos later pinned the Texans at their 3-yard line with less than two minutes left, but Schaub hit fullback Vonta Leach, wide receiver David Anderson and tight end Owen Daniels for big gains to set up Brown’s field goal as time expired.

Houston led 10-7 at halftime, then extended its lead to 13-7 with Brown’s 41-yard field goal early in the third quarter. But Slaton’s fumble late in the third quarter cost the Texans a chance to take a commanding lead.

Houston punter Matt Turk turned a potential blocked punt into an 18-yard gain and a first down — a potentially back-breaking play for the Packers, especially after Houston continued its drive to the Green Bay 16. But Slaton fumbled the ball on the next play.

After struggling for most of the afternoon, Rodgers dropped a precise pass into double coverage for 63-yard completion to Greg Jennings on the final play of the third quarter. Grant ran in for a 6-yard touchdown on the next play, giving the Packers a 14-13 lead.

The Texans dominated the first half, as Schaub announced his return right away.

Facing a heavy pass rush on the third play of the game, Schaub lofted the ball deep down the left sideline. Wide receiver Kevin Walter adjusted to the underthrown ball to make the catch, then eluded defensive backs Tramon Williams and Nick Collins to jog into the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown.

The Packers were on the verge of a two-touchdown deficit early in the second quarter, but linebacker Desmond Bishop stripped the ball from Daniels just short of the goal line and cornerback Tramon Williams made the recovery.

Another turnover later in the quarter cost Houston points. With the Texans facing first-and-10 at their own 23, Williams jumped an out route to Davis for an interception. Two plays later, Rodgers threw a 20-yard touchdown to tight end Donald Lee to tie the game at 7 with 5:07 left in the half.

But Williams gave up a big play on the next series, a 46-yard pass from Schaub to Walter that set up a 30-yard field goal by Brown, giving the Texans a 10-7 lead.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

With Rodgers getting some heat for losing close games, the Packers look to bounce back from their latest defeat Sunday when they host a Texans team that may be set to put Schaub back in the starting lineup.

Green Bay (5-7) is 1-4 in games decided by five points or fewer after making a habit of winning close games in its charge to the playoffs last season. It’s been convenient for Packers fans to blame Rodgers after Green Bay traded Brett Favre to the New York Jets in August, but coach Mike McCarthy knows his starting quarterback’s play is probably the least of his worries.

“I think you have to look at all of the elements that have happened throughout the course of a game,” McCarthy said. “Our quarterback position, I think, has played at a very high level this year. I don’t think it’s an issue at all.”

Rodgers did throw an interception with 1:19 left in Green Bay’s 35-31 loss to Carolina last Sunday, but the Packers also allowed three straight big plays after taking a 31-28 lead with 1:57 left. They gave up a 45-yard kickoff return to Mark Jones, a 54-yard pass to Steve Smith and a 1-yard touchdown run to DeAngelo Williams.

Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said closing out games will be a point of emphasis for coaches heading into Sunday’s contest.

“We talked to our guys about it: The one thing we have to do better, that we haven’t done, is close out a ballgame,” Philbin said. “It’s still hanging over our head, so to speak, and there’s no easy answer.”

Philbin has helped Rodgers develop into a solid replacement for Favre. Rodgers has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,897 yards and 20 TDs against 10 interceptions.

Green Bay certainly has more pressing issues than Rodgers’ play.

The Packers continue to have trouble stopping the run or rushing the passer, ranking 27th in run defense with 141.8 yards allowed per game and 26th with 20 sacks.

There’s also the punting problem, which Green Bay addressed by releasing the inconsistent Derrick Frost Monday without immediately announcing who would replace him against the Texans (5-7).

Houston has won its last two despite mediocre play from quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who has thrown two TDs while getting picked off three times in that span.

Schaub is expected to return Sunday, barring any setbacks in the recovery of his injured left knee. He has missed the last four games after injuring his medial collateral ligament early in Houston’s 28-21 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 2.

“I think if everything goes OK this week the expectations are that he goes back into his role as our starter,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.

Schaub has thrown for 1,762 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games this season. Rosenfels has 10 interceptions and six touchdowns in five starts in his place. The Texans have gone 2-2 since Schaub’s injury, winning with defense and a strong running game.

Rookie running back Steve Slaton has emerged as a threat on offense, and should help ease Schaub’s transition back into the starting lineup.

Slaton had two fourth-quarter TDs to lead Houston to a 30-17 win over Jacksonville on Monday night after telling Kubiak at halftime that he wanted the ball more.

“I wanted to let him know that if he needed someone to count on, it was me,” said Slaton, who has tied a Texans rookie record with eight rushing TDs.

On defense, Houston is enjoying its best stretch of the season, holding its last two opponents to a combined 23 points.

Mario Williams, the top pick in the 2006 draft, had a season-high three sacks and forced a fumble versus the Jaguars. He has 11 sacks, but only three in six road games.

The Packers won their only meeting against the Texans, 16-13 at Houston on Nov. 21, 2004.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The Packers appeared headed for a comeback victory of their own after breaking a 28-28 tie on Mason Crosby’s 19-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining. But Green Bay immediately gave up a 45-yard kickoff return to Mark Jones and a 54-yard heave from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith to set up first-and-goal on the Green Bay 1.

Williams then went up the gut for his career-high fourth score of the game, helping Carolina (9-3) keep pace in the competitive NFC South.

And the loss could be crushing for the Packers (5-7), who will fall two games out of the NFC North lead with four games left unless division co-leaders Chicago and Minnesota play to a tie Sunday night.

Green Bay’s last-minute special teams and defensive breakdowns ruined what could have been a signature win for first-year Packers starter Aaron Rodgers. He led Green Bay back from a 21-10 halftime deficit despite blustery wind, temperatures in the 30s and snow showers, with the Packers poised to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

And with the game tied at 28, Rodgers drove the Packers deep into Panthers territory, then absorbed a jarring late hit out of bounds by Carolina’s Julius Peppers for a penalty. That set up first-and-goal on the 7.

Green Bay’s Brandon Jackson ran to the 1, but the Panthers stuffed the Packers on two straight running plays. Packers coach Mike McCarthy briefly considered going for it on fourth-and-goal, but instead sent in Crosby to kick the field goal for the lead — only to watch it all fall apart on two big plays.

Jones weaved through the Packers’ kick coverage for 45 yards to Carolina’s 45. Delhomme then heaved a jump ball to Smith, who brought it down as Packers defensive back Charles Woodson appeared to slip.

After a replay review confirmed the spot of the ball, Williams scored to win it.

Rodgers finished 29-of-45 for 298 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Packers’ confounding last-minute mistakes.

Trailing 21-10 at halftime, Rodgers drove the Packers to a field goal to open the half. He then put together an eight-play, 95-yard drive ending with a touchdown pass to Donald Lee and 2-point conversion pass to Greg Jennings to tie the game late in the third quarter.

After a defensive stop by the Packers, Rodgers threw a 21-yard dart to Jennings in the end zone, giving Green Bay a 28-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

But the Panthers tied the game on a 1-yard run by Williams after a 36-yard completion from Delhomme to Smith on third-and-11.

Smith finished the game with 105 yards receiving — all in the second half. Delhomme was 12-of-17 for 177 yards.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Each team looks to bounce back from a disappointing road loss when they meet Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field

Though both teams find themselves in the NFC playoff picture, they certainly didn’t play like teams ready for the postseason last week.

Carolina (8-3) was pushed around in a 45-28 loss at Atlanta last Sunday, allowing the most points in coach John Fox’s seven seasons guiding the Panthers. Despite the outcome, Fox won’t panic knowing his team is tied for the NFC South lead with Tampa Bay, and currently owns the conference’s top wild-card spot.

“I’m sure glad we were more emotionally and technically right in eight of them than the other three (games),” Fox said. “The other team practices, too, and it’s hard to win all of them.”

Green Bay (5-6), meanwhile, lost 51-29 at New Orleans on Monday night one week after beating the Bears 37-3 at home. More importantly, the loss dropped the Packers out of first place in the NFC North, in which it now trails co-leaders Chicago and Minnesota by one game.

It was the most points allowed by Green Bay since a 51-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 21, 1980.

“Five games to play, we’re not out of anything,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s right in front of us. We need to win football games. We know that. That’s our focus.”

This is the second straight season these clubs will meet after Green Bay won 31-17 at Lambeau last November. The Packers rushed for 103 yards in that contest and hope to better that number against a Carolina defense that’s struggled to stop the run recently.

The Panthers opened the season by not allowing high-profile backs LaDainian Tomlinson, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson or Michael Turner to reach 100 yards rushing. In the last three weeks, though, they’ve yielded 142 yards on the ground to Oakland, 130 to Detroit and 133 to the Falcons.

Carolina has also dropped from second in the NFL scoring defense to seventh after giving up 67 points in the last two games.

“I don’t know what you call problems,” said a defensive Fox. “I think overall in our body of work we’ve played pretty good defense and good enough to win eight games. Are the three losses problems? I guess. I don’t really know how else to answer that.”

The Packers’ Ryan Grant, who has run for 837 yards on 216 carries this season, gained 88 yards on 20 attempts in last season’s win over the Panthers.

While Grant has rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games at Lambeau, the Packers hope quarterback Aaron Rodgers bounces back from a subpar performance. Rodgers threw for 248 yards and two TDs, but also threw three interceptions – including two on consecutive possessions – against the Saints.

In order to win their third straight home game, Green Bay’s defense will need to rebound after allowing New Orleans’ Drew Brees to throw for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

The Packers’ pass rush continues to contribute to the team’s defensive inconsistency. They have 18 sacks, tying them for 25th in the league after recording a respectable 36 a season ago.

“It’s always execution,” McCarthy said. “The ability to prepare and perform is something that we strive (for) every week. The disappointment or frustration that I stand here with as a coach is the way we’ve been preparing and the way we’ve been practicing, and coming off a very solid, strong performance against Chicago, and the ability to take another step forward. And we didn’t do that.”

Though not as potent as New Orleans’, Carolina’s offense is by no means devoid of talent. DeAngelo Williams has rushed for more than 100 yards in four straight games, averaging 117 yards during that span.

Steve Smith caught eight passes for a season-high 168 yards against Atlanta, but has just 13 receptions for 188 yards and no TDs in four career games versus Green Bay.

Jake Delhomme was 21-for-35 for a season-high 295 yards with a touchdown last week. He has thrown for 490 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in two contests against the Packers, who have won four of the last five meetings between these teams.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The Packers and Saints each seek to make it two in a row on Monday night as they meet at the Superdome for the first time in over six years.

Green Bay and New Orleans enter with identical 5-5 records, but are in vastly different positions within their divisions.

Last Sunday, the Packers moved into a three-way tie for the NFC North lead with a 37-3 rout at home over rival Chicago, while the Saints – last in the NFC South – posted their first road win of the season, 30-20 over lowly Kansas City.

With the playoffs still several weeks away, the teams put their results in perspective as they shifted focus to this contest.

“There is a sense of urgency that this game is important and it’s certainly important for Green Bay,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “I think that after this game next week there’s going to be that same urgency because not only the division, but the rest of the NFC is playing pretty well.”

Payton’s team, which has alternated wins and losses in its last six contests, closes out the regular season with matchups against all three division rivals among six conference games.

The first of those comes at home, where the Saints are 3-1. Since beating Oakland there on Oct. 12, New Orleans has played three road games, had its bye week, and was designated as the home team in a win over San Diego that was played in London.

Green Bay, meanwhile, is 2-3 away from home this season, and looks to avoid its first three-game road slide since Nov. 27-Dec. 19, 2005.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy returns to New Orleans for the first time since serving as the Saints’ offensive coordinator from 2000-04. McCarthy held the same position with San Francisco the following year before joining Green Bay, but has faced his former team just once since departing as the Packers lost 37-24 at home on Sept. 17, 2006.

Green Bay owns a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series despite losing two of the last three meetings. It’s also won six of 10 in New Orleans, but fell 35-20 there on Sept. 15, 2002 in its only visit to the Superdome this decade.

A victory on Monday would give the Packers back-to-back wins for a third time this season, but that would be a first for the Saints in 2008.

Green Bay is coming off a dominant defensive performance as it held Chicago to 234 total yards and a season low in points while scoring its franchise-record seventh defensive touchdown.

The Packers allow an average of 333.9 yards, but have been particularly stingy against the pass as they’ve yielded 176.3 per contest while totaling 16 interceptions. That unit will face a Saints offense that is among the best in the NFL, averaging 416.9 yards and 29 TDs behind quarterback Drew Brees, who’s thrown for 3,251 yards with 18 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“The Saints possess an excellent challenge for us,” McCarthy said. “They have the ability to attack you a lot of different ways. I think Drew Brees and Sean Payton are a very good match as far as the way Sean attacks a defense and Drew’s ability to run the wide-open offense.”

While going 1-1 in his career versus Green Bay, Brees has passed for 716 yards with four TDs. Against Kansas City last Sunday, he went 25-for-36 with a TD to send the Saints to their first road win in six tries.

Green Bay’s offense, meanwhile, has shown it can excel without Brett Favre. It amassed 427 total yards as Aaron Rodgers went 23-for-30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Chicago.

Rodgers, averaging 235.1 yards, is hoping one of his favorite targets will be available. Donald Driver, second on the team with 572 yards and three receiving touchdowns, was expected to sit out practice on Wednesday and Thursday to rest nagging injuries, but McCarthy said Driver is also dealing with a personal situation.

If Driver can’t play, Green Bay could turn more to Ryan Grant, who had 25 carries for a season-high 145 yards – the seventh 100-yard performance of his career and his second in 2008 – and a TD last weekend.

New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister, meanwhile, has a team-leading 299 yards and tied Dalton Hilliard for the Saints’ all-time lead with his 53rd career touchdown last Sunday.

Off the field, though, McAllister and teammates Will Smith and Charles Grant are among several players identified as facing suspension after testing positive for a banned diuretic. The lawyer for the three Saints players said Wednesday that the NFL’s independent drug administrator acknowledged he didn’t inform NFL players that the supplement StarCaps contained Bumetanide.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Goodbye, “Soldier Field North.”

Grant finally hit his stride — and justified his big contract — for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown in a dominant 37-3 victory over the Chicago Bears.

The win boosts the Packers (5-5) into a three-way tie with the Bears and Minnesota Vikings atop the muddled NFC North. It has been an up-and-down season for the post-Brett Favre Packers, but Sunday’s win puts them in position to win the division again.

“We’re the champions,” Grant said, “until somebody takes it to us.”

Sunday’s win also was the Packers’ first victory over the Bears at Lambeau Field since Lovie Smith took over as Chicago’s head coach in 2004. That’s important, but Packers coach Mike McCarthy was more interested in what happens next.

“Is it going to feel good when you walk through the door? Absolutely,” McCarthy said. “But it was a game that was important for our season. To get to 5-5 and tied with Minnesota and Chicago, that’s where we wanted to be today.”

Chicago, meanwhile, didn’t look much like a playoff contender on either side of the ball Sunday.

Kyle Orton started at quarterback for the Bears after sitting out last Sunday’s game with a sprained right ankle. But Orton was outplayed by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who completed 23 of 30 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

“They ran it, they threw it,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “They did whatever they wanted to do.”

Grant and Rodgers both benefited from much-improved play by the Packers’ offensive line, which pushed around a Bears defense that had been strong against the run but vulnerable to the pass.

A week after taking four sacks and giving up two safeties in a loss at Minnesota, Rodgers wasn’t sacked and barely was touched by the Bears’ pass rush.

“They took some heat, from not only the media but the guys in the locker room, the coaches,” Rodgers said of his line. “I had a lot of confidence in them, every position. But I felt like they had a lot to prove today, and they did.”

Orton was 13-of-26 for 138 yards, completing only two passes to a wide receiver against the Packers’ strong secondary. Orton appeared to take a shot in the leg from Aaron Kampman in the first quarter and was limping at times throughout, but said it didn’t hamper his play.

“We stunk it up,” Orton said. “I stunk it up. I just look at myself, obviously — when you get beat by 30 points, you don’t have to look too far. I just look at myself and say I’ve got to get better.”

Orton fumbled with the Bears trailing 27-3 in the fourth quarter, and defensive end Jason Hunter returned the ball 54 yards for a touchdown. Rex Grossman relieved Orton for the remainder of the game.

Rodgers, meanwhile, started with seven straight completions — including a 3-yard slant to Greg Jennings for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Chicago answered with a field goal.

Rodgers then made his only major mistake all afternoon, throwing an interception to Urlacher to end a potential scoring drive.

But Grant carried the Packers’ offense on their next possession, carrying six times on a seven-play drive. Rodgers joked that he would have liked to throw more on that drive, but recognized the value of an offense being able to run until a defense can stop it.

“It’s fun to watch,” Rodgers said.

Facing second-and-2 at the Chicago 22, Grant broke free for 18 yards, then plunged in for a 4-yard touchdown on the next play to put the Packers ahead 14-3.

Grant, a breakout star during the Packers’ run to the playoffs last season, sat out part of training camp in a contract dispute. He ultimately signed a four-year deal worth up to $30 million, but immediately was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Sunday’s game was only Grant’s second 100-yard rushing performance this season.

“I have felt better and better,” Grant said. “This is the best I’ve felt all season, so I do feel like I’m getting in a groove. We need to keep it going.”

So does the Packers’ defense, which struggled to stop the run all season and suddenly had to account for the absence of middle linebacker Nick Barnett, out for the season with a knee injury.

A.J. Hawk moved to the inside, with Brandon Chillar filling Hawk’s spot on the weak side. The Packers contained Bears rookie running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 64 yards and added 40 yards receiving.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The Bears look to at least keep a share of the division lead, while the Packers try to tighten up the race by avoiding their third straight loss when the teams meet for the 175th time Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Chicago (5-4) is tied atop the North with Minnesota, while Green Bay (4-5) is one game back. The Bears had a one-game lead in the division going into last Sunday, but they lost 21-14 to Tennessee while the Vikings rallied for a 28-27 win over the Packers, who have lost two straight and five of seven.

“It’s all about Chicago for us right now,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “Everybody knows what the standings are and everybody knows everybody else’s record, so there is a lot of football left. We’ve got to keep working to get better.”

Either Green Bay or Chicago has won the NFC North since it was created in 2002 when the NFL switched to eight divisions.

Despite taking the title last season after the Bears won the previous two, Green Bay lost both meetings with Chicago in 2007. The Bears have won six of the last eight games versus the Packers, including four straight at Lambeau Field. This is Chicago’s longest winning streak at Green Bay since winning five in a row there from 1984-88.

“This is what you play for: To play Green Bay, to play your division rivals in November,” Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton said. “We’re in first place, and these are huge games from here on out. This is what I put the effort in for, so I can do everything I can to be out there.”

Orton missed last week’s loss with a sprained ankle suffered in the Bears’ 27-23 win over Detroit on Nov. 2, but could return for this game.

If Orton remains sidelined, backup Rex Grossman will look to improve upon his uneven performance in his first start of the season.

He led Chicago on a 75-yard touchdown drive on its first possession, but got picked off on the next one, and the Bears punted on their following eight drives. Grossman was 11-of-14 for 120 yards with one touchdown passing and one rushing on Chicago’s two scoring drives, but was 9-for-23 for 53 yards and an interception on the other 11 series.

The Bears averaged 27.9 points in their first eight games with Orton, who would have played last week if he had told coach Lovie Smith he was near 100 percent.

“I can’t wait for the day when Kyle says he is ready,” Smith said.

Green Bay’s pass defense could provide trouble for Chicago, as it is third in the league against the pass (179.1 yards per game), and has an NFL-best 16 interceptions. The Packers picked off three passes last Sunday, and Nick Collins returned one 59 yards for a touchdown – Green Bay’s sixth interception return for a score on the season.

While Chicago hopes for better production from its quarterback, it also needs a better performance from its pass defense.

The Bears held the Titans to a franchise-low 20 rushing yards on 29 attempts, but allowed 14-year veteran Kerry Collins to pick apart the secondary for 289 yards.

Chicago’s rush defense is fourth in the league (74.9 ypg), but the pass defense is 30th (251.8 ypg).

“They way we played the run was encouraging,” Smith said. “The way we played the pass was not good enough for our standard of play.

“We have to execute better. It’s kind of as simple as that.”

Considering Collins, Detroit’s Dan Orlovsky and Minnesota’s Gus Frerotte have combined to throw for 879 yards and six touchdowns in the Bears’ last three games, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers should be able to bounce back from a mediocre performance last week.

Rodgers completed 15 of 26 passes for 142 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions against the Vikings. He has completed 55.2 percent of his passes with one TD and one interception in Green Bay’s losses the last two weeks after completing 70.5 percent with six scores and one pick in the previous three games.

“He can definitely play better,” McCarthy said of the first-year starter. “It’s a learning experience for him.”

The Packers suffered another setback last week to their already susceptible front seven, losing middle linebacker Nick Barnett for the season to a torn knee ligament.

“Whoever we put in the middle is going to have to be good enough to get it done,” Packers linebackers coach Winston Moss said.

Barnett’s absence only makes things worse for a Green Bay run defense which ranks 28th in the league (154.6 ypg), and now has to face NFL rookie rushing leader Matt Forte (713 yards).

The Packers have yielded at least 115 yards rushing six times this season and have won just one of those contests.

Hookscenter.com wire report.