keeping an eye on everyone. My engineer said, right, we

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- As reporters encircled Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his locker, linebacker Clay Matthews hurried past and shouted out in jest perhaps the most important question of the week.A-Rod, are you playing? Matthews yelled.Oh yes, Rodgers plans to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears . He just didnt practice Wednesday to focus on rehabbing his leg injuries, a plan coach Mike McCarthy said will likely stay in place for the quarterback through Thursday.McCarthy said Rodgers told him not to hold anything back for the game plan against the Bears as Green Bay seeks a fourth consecutive victory as they chase a spot in the playoffs.Im very optimistic by nature. So we can always take things out. Its harder to add things back in, Rodgers said. So get everything in, and if theres anything weve got to take out on Sunday, well do that.The Packers (7-6) have won three straight heading into a three-game stretch to end the regular season against NFC North foes. Tied with Minnesota for second at two games behind Detroit, Green Bay needs help to return to the playoffs an eighth straight season.Rodgers hurt his left hamstring a few weeks ago against the Eagles. He hurt his right calf while throwing a 66-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams on the third play of the 38-10 victory last weekend over the Seattle Seahawks.Im feeling better. I appreciate the time to rehab. With an injury like this, its really about maximizing rehab time, Rodgers said Wednesday. So I got to get a couple extra hours there with the training staff. It was good.The leg injuries have limited Rodgers mobility. The two-time NFL MVP was still able to dissect the Seattle defense for 246 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-23 passing before leaving early in the fourth quarter with his team up by four scores.Oh yeah, I mean, Aaron Rodgers is as tough as anybody Ive ever known, McCarthy said.He recalled one instance in Rodgers first season as the starter in 2008 when he sprained his right shoulder against Tampa. McCarthy wasnt sure how limited Rodgers arm might be the next week against Atlanta.Then late in the first quarter of the Falcons game, McCarthy called a deep shot to Donald Driver on third-and-1, briefly forgetting about Rodgers injury. Rodgers hit the pass, then finished 25 of 37 for 313 yards and three touchdowns.That was a big moment for him and hes done that so many times now, probably things that may not seem as big, McCarthy said. His focus, its extraordinary.TIE IT UPThe NFLs oldest rivalry will have its 194th meeting, but Sundays game could mark a milestone in the series.The Bears lead the series 94-93-6, including a split of two postseason games. A Packers win on Sunday would tie the series for the first time since 1933.While that would be nice, Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga dont need any extra motivation.I think the motivation is to win the game and keep ourselves in a good place with what we got going on here, Bulaga said. The overall record is what it is ... but its just about winning and playing good football and improving as a team.INJURY REPORTJared Cook was a full participant in practice after the tight end left the Seahawks game late in the second quarter with a chest injury. ... Matthews was a full participant for the first time in a couple weeks, a sign his shoulder injury might be improving. Matthews played mainly in pass-rush situations against Seattle. ... LB Nick Perry (hand) may not practice until Saturday, McCarthy said. The team leader with eight sacks, Perry missed the Seahawks game.TRANSACTIONThe team signed linebacker Jordan Tripp on Wednesday. A fifth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2014, Tripp last played with Seattle, appearing in seven games with one start before being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 3. He reached an injury settlement on Dec. 9. Tripp has 11 career tackles.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAPWholesale Nike NFL Jerseys .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. http://www.clearancenfljerseys.com/ .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Discount NFL Jerseys . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early.SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS -- Daniel Ricciardo refused to be too downbeat about qualifying fifth in Belgium after a strategy gamble narrowly paid off in Q2.Ricciardo set his quickest Q2 time on the soft tyre, which the regulation state must be the race tyre for those who make it through to Q3. However, that decision saw him drop down the timing screens in the last moments of the session as others improved, though he ended up finishing 0.3s clear of the drop zone.The Australian admitted those final moments of the session made for uncomfortable viewing.I was a little bit nervous but I told the team, because we set a target and I knew if I did a 48.0 it should be safe, he said. We calculated what the other cars could do. We believed that was okay. I said to the team, look we had already decided before the session that this would be safe, so lets stay in the box, and they wanted to stay as well.They were keeping an eye on everyone. My engineer said, right, we are not going to go out, just fingers crossed. And it worked. It was close but it was okay.A mistake on his first --- and quickest -- flying lap in Q1 ultimately cost him a place higher than fifth, with the late runs failing to yield any improvements.dddddddddddd Ricciardo does not mind his disappointing final grid position because he will start on the favoured race compound.Generally I am not that disappointed with qualifying. Id be more disappointed if I didnt make the softs work in Q2. Because we just got through with that, that was what I wanted to do. Of course better than fifth would have been nice, but fifth is still...if we are quick we can definitely still do something from there. It is where I started two years ago, so it can work if you are quick enough.Ricciardo will line up fifth, behind both Ferrari drivers, who will also start on the softs. Teammate Max Verstappen will line up alongside polesitter Nico Rosberg but will start on the more delicate super-soft tyre, meaning he will likely have to pit in the early stages of the race. 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