avoid pain. Now he says he needs to get comfortable again wi

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers ended his postgame news conference after Sunday nights loss at Washington by saying he is very optimistic the Green Bay Packers can still turn their season around.No one asked him why until three days later.When presented with the natural, albeit delayed, follow-up question on Wednesday, Rodgers took it a step -- or six -- further.I feel like we can run the table, I really do, Rodgers said. The offense is starting to click a little bit more; weve just got to put together a game where were more consistent from the first snap to the last. Weve been, I think, getting closer to that. Weve really been clicking, at times, in the last few games.But its going to be important that we get going early. We had three three-and-outs to start the [Redskins] game, but overall on the season, weve done a better job of limiting our three-and-outs; weve been sustaining drives pretty well.At 4-6 with six games remaining, the Packers stand two games out of first place in the NFC North, behind co-leaders Detroit and Minnesota. The Lions and Vikings?match up on Thanksgiving, so even if the Packers end their four-game losing streak with a win on Monday night at Philadelphia, they would still be two games behind the division leader.Rodgers learned Wednesday that he wont get back?Eddie Lacy; the running back?will remain on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season.But Rodgers praised the addition of running back Christine Michael, who was claimed off waivers from Seattle last week, and the return of tight end Jared Cook, who had six catches for 105 and a touchdown against the Redskins after missing six games because of a sprained right ankle.You just feel like it just takes one, Rodgers said. We get one under our belts, things might start rolling for us and we can run the table.Receiver Jordy Nelson likened this season to 2010, when the Packers were 8-6 with two weeks remaining and in danger of missing the playoffs and there was heat on coach Mike McCarthy. That season, they won their last two games and went on to win the Super Bowl.Nelson said Rodgers comments were more than just locker room rah-rah chatter.I think everyone in here probably believes that, to be honest, Nelson said. Thats how we started the year. I dont think Ive ever been part of a team here where we went into a game thinking theres no way were going to win this game -- even if our backs are against the wall. If you look at the year we won the Super Bowl and people were counting us out and, honestly, [people] were wanting to fire Mike back then when we lost at Detroit and went to New England and we lost and had to win out to make the playoffs. Every playoff game weve been in, every regular-season game weve been in, we thought we were going to win.I think thats just how confident we are. I think the things weve done in the past allow us to be that confident. We just have to go out and do it on the field.The problem, however, might not be on Nelson and Rodgers side of the ball. The Green Bay defense has allowed 40-plus points in each of the past two games.Still, Rodgers said its incumbent upon him to make sure he plays at a really high level and do what Ive always done and be a little bit better every time Im out there.I know a lot is going to be on our shoulders, especially the way were starting games out, Rodgers said. We have to start faster, I have to be sharper from the start and I will be. And Im confident that if we can get this thing started out a little better each week that we can get on that roll and be tough to stop.Now we have to go out and do it. Its just idle words right now, but Im confident in our guys and Im confident well respond on Monday. DaShawn Hand Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. C.J. Moore Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. http://www.wholesalelionsjerseys.com/ . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Christian Jones Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Frank Ragnow Jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. NEW YORK -- Top-ranked Serena Williams, who is seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title, will meet two-time major semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in the first round of the US Open, it was announced Friday.Makarova made two straight major semis: at the 2014 US Open, where she lost to Williams, and the 2015 Australian Open. Her ranking has slipped to 36th, and she just missed a seed at Flushing Meadows. The Russian is coming off an Olympic doubles gold medal.Im OK with it, Williams said of the match. I think I try to look at it as we all always have tough matches. I played her I think in the semis before. I know shes a good player. Ive just got to do the best I can.Williams said she hasnt practiced much because of an injury to her right shoulder, which bothered her during her third-round loss at the Olympics and was the reason she pulled out of the hard-court warm-up event in Cincinnati.I have not played a lot, I havent practiced a lot, but Im just now starting to feel a little better, said Williams, who added that shes been doing a lot of physical therapy.Williams could face fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals, which is also when she could potentially meet sister Venus. Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber and French Open winner Garbine Muguruza are in the other half of the draw, which was set Friday.Williams is tied with Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam titles during the Open era.On the mens side, top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who injured his left wrist just before the Rio Olympics,?will open the final Grand Slam event of the season against 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz.Janowicz has been ranked as high as 14th but has struggled in recent years and missed much of this season because of injuries. Hes currently ranked 228th and used a protected ranking to get into the US Open.The right-handed Djokovic, who needs the left wrist for his backhand, said hell be ready too make his title defense at Flushing Meadows.ddddddddddddIm doing everything in my power with the medical team to make sure that Im as close to 100 percent as possible during the course of this tournament, at least for the beginning of it, Djokovic said Friday. After undergoing certain treatments, Ive gotten better. Im just hoping that Monday when the tournament starts Ill be able to, as I said, get as close to the maximum of executing my backhand shot as possible.?The 12-time major champ also said his issues at Wimbledon, where he was upset in the third round, werent physical, but there were other things I was going through.He declined to elaborate on those problems other than to say they had been resolved.Other than that loss in the Olympic Games and Wimbledon, Ive had a phenomenal season -- definitely rank this season one of the best that Ive had in career, Djokovic said. So I dont feel like it has shaken me too much. I just hope to be healthy and to be enabled to play the way I wish to play in US Open. Thats why Im here.Fridays draw set Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as potential semifinal opponents, while Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are in the other half of the bracket.Nadal, who has missed more than two months since withdrawing from the French Open with a left wrist injury, said he still isnt 100 percent but I can start to hit my normal forehand.When Nadal first came back from the injury, he had to adjust his technique to avoid pain. Now he says he needs to get comfortable again with his regular