arching to see what they will do come May are losing sight o | Forum

GREEN BAY, Wis. Morgan Cox Ravens Jersey . -- Aaron Rodgers isnt out for revenge in Green Bays season opener. Sure, the San Francisco 49ers bounced the Packers from the NFC playoffs with a 45-31 win in January, but the former MVP quarterback -- who grew up a Niners fan in Northern California -- says he and his teammates are simply focused on the task at hand. "It was never about revenge," said Rodgers. "Were way past that, I feel like. "(I) still follow the Niners. Theyre close to home there, still have a lot of friends that are still on the fence at times when the Packers play the Niners. "This is a big game for both teams. First game of the season. Itll be a great matchup." The matchup the last time wasnt so great for the Packers, who allowed Colin Kaepernick to run for 181 yards -- the most by a quarterback in NFL history in a regular season or post-season game -- and gave up 579 yards of total offence. Green Bays defence not only had trouble with Kaepernick running the read-option, but also with him pulling the ball down and scrambling on pass plays. Kaepernick made things even harder on the Packers because hes not just a running quarterback -- he also completed 17 of 31 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown after opening the game with a pick-six interception to cornerback Sam Shields. But the read-option is what got the Packers attention, so much so that coach Mike McCarthy sent his defensive staff to Texas A&M this off-season on a fact-finding mission to learn more about how to defend such plays. Defensive co-ordinator Dom Capers also talked with University of Wisconsin defensive co-ordinator Dave Aranda, an expert in defending the read-option who coached against Kaepernick when Kaepernick played collegiately at Nevada. "Obviously, those guys made plays, but we definitely do our job, particularly on defence," Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji said Wednesday. "Thats a big emphasis going into this game. "I think Coach Dom has done a great job of laying down the game plan and what he feels we have to be ready for. The guys have really taken heed to that and hopefully that shows on Sunday." While the playoff loss hasnt been a major topic of conversation in team meetings this week, McCarthy acknowledged that many of the plays from that game have been in the film cut-ups the coaches have used to prepare the players. "As far as exactly what games are involved in our cut-ups, Im not going to get into total detail. But, yes, that game is one of them," said McCarthy, whose team also lost its regular season opener last year to the 49ers, although that was at Lambeau Field and with Alex Smith at quarterback for San Francisco. "You look at games that obviously you feel have input to your game-plan and how you prepare for the game. Obviously, when you play a team in the past like we did last year, watching both games, your opportunity for the players to see the matchups, you look at all that tape." As much attention as the defences poor performance received, though, Rodgers made it clear that the offence was to blame, too. Rodgers completed 26 of 39 passes for 257 yards with two touchdowns and one interception (91.5 rating), and the Packers scored only three third-quarter points as a 24-21 halftime deficit grew to 38-24 one play into the fourth. "I mean, we had 24 points on offence," Rodgers said. "Thats not bad against that defence, but we need to score enough points to win and we didnt do that. A couple drives there in the third quarter that really were frustrating, (we) didnt get enough points there. We had some opportunities. Playing a great team like this that you know can put up points, you have to maximize opportunities, especially when youre in the red zone and get seven points." NOTES: The only player the Packers figure to be without Sunday is second-year CB Casey Hayward, who reinjured his hamstring against Seattle on Aug. 23 and has been ruled out. Hayward, who led the team in interceptions last season with six, had initially hurt the hamstring before training camp and missed the first three weeks of practice. ... Special teams ace Jarrett Bush (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in practice. Ronnie Stanley Ravens Jersey .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Custom Ravens Jersey . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. http:///...rooks-Ravens-Jersey/ . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.A football education is not complete without a visit to the magnificent Westfalenstadion in the heartland of industrial Germany. Anyone who graduates this test does so with a smile on their face. Borussia Dortmund has that effect on people. The club is to football lovers, what Christmas is to children; leaving you with a warm feeling, full of stories about something that is done right. It happened to me at the World Cup with my wife in 2006 and this past week English journalists, in town for Arsenals visit to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, typed at great lengths about their love for the club. Dortmund is everyones second team wrote John Cross of the Daily Mirror who was clearly enamoured by the surroundings. He wasnt alone. Arsenal, though, were not in town for a sightseeing trip. The great aspect of sport remains its unpredictability. Arsenals performance in Dortmund on Wednesday flipped the script and made them the main characters in a fascinating subplot, known as Group F of this seasons Champions League campaign. No English club had ever won in Dortmund before Aaron Ramsey headed in Arsenals winning goal in front of their travelling fans, who up until then had played the part of non-speaking extras inside a theatre dominated by a chorus of passionate, singing bees. It gave the Gunners a sensational 1-0 victory, their 14th win in their last 15 away games in all competitions dating back to their last win in Germany, when they defeated the soon-to-be European Champions Bayern Munich in March. Yes, in 2013, a club still searching for respect in its homeland has beaten both teams who made the Champions League final, at home. Their last win in Germany ended their Champions League journey for another year; its latest win opened up a whole host of possibilities. Not only did it place Arsene Wengers men in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages for the 14th year in a row it also means they have a great shot at winning the group, something they have accomplished just twice in the last five years. No team has felt the importance of this more than Arsenal in recent years. "Perhaps, we have been very unlucky with our opponents," said Wenger earlier this season on their failures in Europes top competition. It is true the last 16 has often presented them with a tough opponent, including eventual winners Barcelona in 2011 and Bayern Munich last season, but it is equally true that Arsenal have blown crucial opportunities to win their group and avoid such a difficult draw. For those in England struggling to believe in Arsenal, Wednesdays victory showed glimpses of another side to the Gunners, a much more mature display to their game, full of belief in themselves even when they were against the ropes. Dortmund, who had scored in 59 of their last 60 home games headiing in, dominated much of the games best chances but rarely threatened the centre-back core of Laurent Koscielny, again excellent in the Champions League, and Per Mertesacker. Daryl Smith Ravens Jersey. Aside from a torrid fifteen minute spell at the start of the second half, Wengers men, crucially, seemed in control of their emotions, if not the game. They had learned to keep things tight and remain content with the score level, something they struggled with at home to Dortmund last month. Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, creators so used to coming inside to work and combine with Olivier Giroud, stayed wide and tracked their opponents. Their football intelligence shone. Dortmund wanted to stretch the game and Arsenal played them at their own game even if some of their key men struggled at times. Mesut Ozil and Giroud couldnt combine as they like to while Mikel Arteta, desperate for a partner to help him be the guardian of the gates, at times seemed to struggle with the flow of the game but such scenarios, against a team who had won all eight of their home matches this season, will surely have been anticipated. Few teams in the world transition as well as Dortmund, who explode in numbers the moment they turn over the ball, and on another night Arteta, as the principal holder in midfield, could have been exposed but Arsenal withstood the pressure and still found a moment to shine themselves. Rosicky, a poster child for a former Dortmund team of debt and disarray, played a superb one-two with Ramsey before unleashing Ozil on the right. The German, whose presence has done so much to install a new belief in Arsenal, crossed a ball in dangerously that wasnt dealt with by Dortmunds defence, allowing Ramsey to continue a dream season by heading home. Suddenly Arsenal found themselves, much like many before them, smiling inside the iconic Westfalenstadion. On Wednesday night they board a plane back to a land where many still wait for their match at Manchester United on Sunday to see if they are for real. They neednt bother. The facts are clear. Win, lose or draw on Sunday, Arsenal are still a far superior side to the one that played for the majority of last season and are finally a team that is looking like one that is coached properly. Whether or not that makes them title contenders remains unclear and only the future will declare the verdict. What was declared on Wednesday was people need to find a middle ground when analyzing this club. How they match up against Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City over 38 games is irrelevant in November. Right now, Arsenal are playing a level of football their high-paying fans expect and those searching to see what they will do come May are losing sight of special performances and it doesnt get much better than a win at the Westfalenstadion. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '