Can Aaron Rodgers deliver for the Pack against the Bears?

By now, just about every hardcore NFL fan's heard that the Green Bay Packers think injured starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone is healed enough for him to start against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with the NFL Central Division title on the line.

And, why not?

The Bears have a crappy defense. A rusty Rodgers will still almost certainly be better than fill-in Matt Flynn for the Pack.

And, it might not stop there.

If the Pack want Rodgers to help in the postseason, they need to get him to knock off some of that rust in advance.

And, speaking of ...

In the Pack's luckiest break, the Cheeseheads could get the New Orleans Saints at home in the wild-card round. The Saints have been pussycats on the road this year. Give Rodgers the game against the Bears to start shaping up, hope Clay Matthews' thumb is good enough to go, and they could just take down Drew Brees and company.

After that, who knows? Add in that the Pack is currently seventh in the league in rushing, paced by Eddie Lacy, and the team could go a ways.

But stranger postseasons have happened.

I present Eli Manning. Twice. And Joe Flacco just a year ago. And Trent Dilfer from the wayback machine.

It will take a few lucky breaks, but, yeah, Rodgers could take them all the way to Met Life Stadium in February.

Brett Favre busted

The Packers are now REALLY playing hardball with Brett Favre, having just filed tampering charges with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell against the Minnesota Vikings, for what is, in reality, probably innocuous, but started by Favre.

The Vikings were informed late last week that the allegation is that Favre has had inappropriate dialogue with Minnesota offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, a close Favre friend and former assistant coach with the Packers. Favre has sought his release from Green Bay and several rumors have swirled that Minnesota is his targeted landing place, largely due to his relationship with Bevell.

In all likelihood, the Vikings didn’t do anything wrong.

The Packers aren’t really going after the Vikes.

This is a shot straight at Favre.

They’re telling him that if he talks to anybody, even a janitor, from another NFL team, they’re going to file a charge.

And, now that he’s on the record as having done that with the Vikings, other teams are going to stay away from him like the plague.

If Favre didn’t get before just how much Packer GM Ted Thompson was pissed at him, he should now.

Packers call Favre bluff — good

The Pack refuses to give the “retired” Brett Favre unconditional release.

Good. Favre can either say, “I’d like to play for the Pack again next year,” or he can say “trade me.”

Hey, Brett, get down off the cross. The Packers need the wood.

Besides, if he hasn’t been engaged in offseason minicamps, conditioning, skills work, etc., in Titletown, would he actually be better than Aaron Rodgers, anyway?

Over at ESPN, Gene Wojciechowski for some reason thinks Favre is better than Rodgers, but he’s deluded by the Favre of 10, or five, years ago, with a pinch of magic dust from the first three-quarters of 2008.

Gene, psst? Remember Favre in 2005? 2006? That air-ball turkey he threw up for interception against the Iggles in the playoffs a few years back? The intercepted turkey against the Giants in last year’s playoffs?

After that, how can you not list Eli Manning, along with Peyton, as being ahead of Favre? And, I would add other QBs as being at least rough equals of Favre of TODAY.

If you also think Wojo is an idiot, e-mail him.

For other teams, if Favre is as good as he still thinks he is, well, why wouldn’t the Pack want the Bucs, the Ravens or whomever else might be interested to pony up players, draft choices or both?

And if, like Wojo, they want to shell out for Favre the myth rather than Favre the reality, why shouldn’t the Pack prosper a bit?

Hey, Brett, this is the NFL, not charity, and you’re sure as hell not the beneficiary.