Aaron Rodgers will play this week because the Packers can’t afford to be without him

Aaron Rodgers didn’t practice on Wednesday. He’s not going to practice on Thursday either. But he’ll be there for the walk through on Saturday, and he’ll most certainly be in the starting lineup when the Packers take on the Bears in Chicago on Sunday. It’s all part of the plan, says Mike McCarthy.

Rodgers is dealing with a calf injury suffered last week against the Seahawks. That comes on top of a hamstring injury that’s had him hobbling all season. “Pain management” is the key, he said, and expressed full confidence that he’ll be his usual self.

He’ll have to be. Last week’s NFC Player of the Week is making a late-season MVP push. More importantly, the Packers are making a desperate playoff push -- their odds are up slightly. They can’t afford to lose games with the Giants and Bucs, the current wild card teams, having a better record, not to mention the Lions who currently lead the division by two games.

It’s going to be hard enough as it is; playing without Rodgers would almost guarantee that Green Bay doesn’t make it.

JEFF FISHER’S REPLACEMENT: John Fassel is the right man at the right time for the Rams. After firing head coach Jeff Fisher on Monday, the Rams need an interim who can light a spark for the team.

EXPERT PICKS: NFL picks 2016, Week 15: Experts expect Cowboys to bounce back, Steelers to keep rolling. The NFC North race could get a little tighter if the Packers win as predicted.

RAVENS BURN HESTER: Ravens released veteran return man Devin Hester and were kind of mean about it. You don’t need to kick the guy while he’s down, Baltimore.

BRADY IS NOT THE MVP: Tom Brady is having a great season, but he’s not the NFL MVP. If Brady is MVP, Belichick must be Coach of the Year.

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THURSDAY NIGHT POOP: Richard Sherman expands on TNF comments: “(Seahawks) are the last to get the middle finger from the NFL.” Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has gotten a lot of attention this week for taking a strong stance against Thursday Night Football.

PRYOR AGREES WITH PACMAN: Terrelle Pryor agrees with Adam Jones that he was ‘garbage’ against the Bengals. Pryor took the high road when responding to Adam Jones’ comments.

KAP IS READY TO GO: Colin Kaepernick focused on winning in Atlanta after riding bench vs. Falcons last year. Kaepernick was initially benched prior to the 49ers’ matchup against the Falcons in 2015.

VIC BEAST-LY: Vic Beasley is one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, and people thought he was a bust. Not double-teaming Vic Beasley was Jeff Fisher’s last terrible decision as Rams head coach.