Saturday 31 December 2016 15:05, UK
Back in November, with the Green Bay Packers at 4-6 and off the back of a loss to the Washington Redskins, quarterback Aaron Rodgers made a bold prediction.
Green Bay were going to run the table. Win their remaining six games, claim the NFC North division title and clinch a spot in the play-offs.
"I feel like we can run the table, I really do," Rodgers said, at the time. "The offence is starting to click a little bit more, we've just got to put together a game where we're more consistent from the first snap to the last. We've been, I think, getting closer to that.
"But it's going to be important that we get going early. You just feel like it just takes one [win]. We get one under our belts, things might start rolling for us."
That win came the following week, against the Philadelphia Eagles and from there, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have won five consecutive games.
They now sit at 9-6, level with the Detroit Lions, who they play on Sunday night as part of a triple header, live on Sky Sports 2 from 5:30pm. A win would see them finish top of the division and into a Wild Card game with the New York Giants.
To be in the running for MVP, a player usually needs to be in play-off contention, have a metamorphic effect on their team, and it usually helps if you're the quarterback. In the last nine years, only one non-QB has been selected selected for the award (Adrian Peterson, 2012).
Aside from Ezekiel Elliott, Rodgers is likely to be up against quarterbacks Tom Brady and Matt Ryan. It is the Packers' passer that has had such a tumultuous effect on his team in the last five weeks that has given Green Bay any chance of punching their ticket to January NFL.
Since week 11's loss to the Redskins, Rodgers has thrown 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Despite being sacked eight times in the last two games Rodgers, who is already a two-time regular season MVP winner, has managed to lead his team downfield in pressure situations.
Against the Chicago Bears, with less than a minute left on the game clock, Rodgers threw a 60-yard, inch-perfect pass to Jordy Nelson, which set up the game-winning field goal.
He is the reason Nelson and Davante Adams are the most profitable wide receiver duo in the NFL, with 24 combined touchdowns.
American football is a team sport, and credit must be given to a team which has improved in several key areas. After a season without Eddie Lacy and James Starks, head coach Mike McCarthy converted Ty Montgomery from wide receiver to running back and, with Christine Michael added to the roster, has the best options in a running game that has been lacking all year.
The offensive line has got stronger as the season has progressed, with Lane Taylor and David Bakhtiari standing out amid a year beset by injuries. However, results still come from the quarterback playing behind his front seven, making things happen in clutch scenarios.
A commanding performance in a win against divisional rival Detroit would complete Rodgers' MVP candidacy, and that outcome wouldn't be a surprise. Rodgers hasn't lost a home game in December since 2008, and will want to ensure his third successive trip to the play-offs this weekend.
His campaign to become MVP is lopsided - the second half far outweighs the first. But, as Sky Sports coach Jeff Reinebold says, this is a 'what have you done for me lately' league, and Rodgers is delivering when it matters.
