Cheese Curds, 12/20: Adams among NFL’s elite WRs; young QBs still look up to Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers had two players named to the Pro Bowl this week, and both of them are rightfully considered to be among the very best players at their positions in the entire NFL. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been in that upper echelon for some time now — really, since the team’s 2010 Super Bowl run — but his favorite receiver, Davante Adams, is just now in that conversation.

We at APC saw Adams coming this offseason, however, and the Packers’ front office did as well. When he signed his four-year, $58 million deal, it seemed a bit high for a player who had not quite cracked the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. However, Adams has outperformed even that big deal, which made him the ninth-highest-paid receiver in the NFL this season; he sits in the top five in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, and is legitimately in the conversation about who is the best receiver in the league.

Thus, it was no surprise to see him voted to the Pro Bowl on the first ballot, and he should have a chance at some All-Pro honors after the season concludes as well.

Meanwhile, Rodgers had a down year in 2018, but he still earned a Pro Bowl appearance, due perhaps in part to his reputation among other NFL players. Young quarterbacks especially seem drawn to watching him and learning from him, including the one who will be starting opposite him on Sunday in the Meadowlands. Today’s curds take a close look at both of these players as the Packers prepare for their first truly meaningless game of the season this Sunday..

Davante Adams might be just getting started | Packers.com
I tried to tell people over the summer that Davante Adams was on the verge of being a top-five receiver in the NFL. Few believed it at the time, but his numbers certainly speak for themselves -- and he may just keep on improving in 2019 and beyond.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers plans to keep playing, working on 'details' | Packersnews.com
One thing that Adams would probably benefit from would be more consistency from the other receivers on the team, and that requires those players getting on the same page with their quarterback. Rodgers says that boils down to "details," but Lance Kendricks says timing is the biggest one of those details that the receivers need to nail down.

After studying Aaron Rodgers, Jets' Sam Darnold eager to face him - ESPN
Meanwhile, the starter on the opposite sideline looks up to Rodgers as one of his inspirations, watching his tape frequently and citing his "cool throws" as something to aspire to.

Packers DL Kenny Clark: No IR, but season likely over? | Packers Wire
The Clark situation has taken a bit of a strange turn. After Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday night that the Packers' nose tackle was going on injured reserve, Clark has yet to be officially placed there. However, he said that he could injure his sprained triceps tendon further if he were to play, so why keep him on the active roster if he's only going to be on the sidelines anyway?

NFL MVP race 2018: Will it come down to Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes? - SBNation.com
Although those two quarterbacks appear to be in a two-man race for the award, don't sleep on Philip Rivers crashing the party if he leads the Chargers to a division title.

NFL announces inaugural NFL Big Data Bowl - NFL.com
Obsessed with math, data, and football? You can apply for a chance to give a presentation to NFL and team personnel at the 2019 Combine discussing different ways to analyze information, whether that includes traditional stats or advanced player tracking information.

Liveleak.com - Canadian man painfully falls putting up Christmas lights when his ladder slips
Make sure you lock your ladder properly before climbing it to mount your Christmas lights -- otherwise you may end up like this chap.