to pull out a flip phone in homage to a memorable touchdown celebration of the past. Benjamin Watson used his touchdown catch to let everyone know that he and his wife are expecting — and it’s going to be twins.That was cause enough for celebration itself on a feel-good weekend for the NFL. So Mike Daniels Color Rush Jersey , too, was that bettors in Las Vegas and elsewhere finally turned the tables and took the bookies for millions of dollars.They could have just as easily been popping champagne corks at NFL headquarters in New York. A season that began in turmoil has reached its midpoint and the league is riding a new high, with television ratings up and fans filling stadiums to cheer their favorite teams.Suddenly, the NFL is fun once again.It showed Sunday in a shootout in New Orleans that was widely entertaining even without the touchdown props. Then, if any further evidence was needed, it was provided in prime time when Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers squared off in a showdown of quarterback greats.Brady and the New England Patriots won that one, and once again are treating another visit to the Super Bowl as their birthright. Out west, meanwhile, the Rams are trying to win fans again in Los Angeles with a team that could find its way to Atlanta, too.And a new group of exciting young quarterbacks are letting everyone know the future of the sport is in good hands.What could go wrong? Well https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Jamaal-Williams-Jersey , plenty, especially if President Trump takes an interest in the league once again.But these are good times for a league that has taken blow after blow the last few years only to emerge with its position of America’s favorite sport safely intact.“We’re the best,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at last month’s owner meetings. “And I know that’s ironic since we’ve had some criticism, too. But I think that’s healthy.”What is really healthy are offenses around the league, with scoring at record levels and 27 of 32 teams averaging more than 20 points a game. New rule changes designed to protect the quarterback and free up offenses have worked exactly as planned, despite some grumbling early by players upset they couldn’t hit like they did in the past.Healthy indeed. Things are so good that even Roger Goodell couldn’t mess it up.Actually, maybe he can. Not many were paying attention, but there were still a few protests during the anthem over the weekend and the issue is one presidential tweet away from blowing up once again.Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed, something everyone in the league should be ashamed about.For now Dean Lowry Jersey , though, the attention is on the game itself. And it can be argued that the game has never looked better.There’s no confusion anymore about when a catch is really a catch, and even Clay Matthews of the Packers seems to have figured out how and when to safely take down the opposing quarterback.There are dominant teams on both coasts, and a few high scoring games that are reminiscent of the old American Football League. The concussion issue has subsided, though the disturbing fact remains players are still suffering from them — at great risk to their long term health.Even fans of the hapless Cleveland Browns have something to be happy about with a couple of wins and a couple coaches fired. They also have a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield and a potential upside that’s the envy of better teams.It didn’t happen exactly by design. A lot of the NFL’s good fortune is due to good luck and an unwillingness of fans to let go of their favorite sport despite its many flaws.There still is no real grand plan to end the protest debate, no long term solution to the fact football played at the highest level can shorten lives. The officiating continues to get in the way — often at just the wrong time — and there’s a real chance games aren’t played when the current collective bargaining agreement expires and players finally make a stand for guaranteed contracts.For now, though, those are distant threats. The league remains the most popular in the country by far, and the addition of legalized betting around the country will boost it even more just like fantasy football has done in recent years.What once looked like a season lost is now looking like a season to remember.____Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg It didn’t take Bill Belichick long to recall what Aaron Rodgers did against his defense the previous time that the Packers faced the Patriots.“He killed us,” Belichick said of New England‘s 26-21 loss in Green Bay in 2014. “He does everything well. … He’s one of the great quarterbacks in the National Football League. No question about it.”Four years later Kentrell Brice Color Rush Jersey , not a lot has changed about Belichick’s affinity for Rodgers or his abilities as the Patriots prepare to host Green Bay on Sunday night.It presents the latest challenge for a New England defense that has had issues slowing teams down this season, particularly in the secondary.Following the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Lions, the Patriots have struggled with consistency in 2018.They currently rank in the bottom half of the NFL in both total defense (25th, 383 yards per game) and passing yards allowed (22nd, 227 yards per game).Stopping the pass was a major issue in both of New England’s losses.Blake Bortles threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns, including a 61-yarder to Dede Westbrook in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars‘ 31-20 win in Week 2.A week later, Matt Stafford had just nine incompletions and passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Lions to a 26-10 victory.And though the Patriots were able to pull out a 43-40 win against the Chiefs, it came despite Patrick Mahomes lighting up the defense for 352 yards and four TDs through the air.The similarities in all those games were the ability of the three quarterbacks to create time and space with their legs.Rodgers isn’t expected to be as mobile as he continues to be slowed by the knee injury he sustained in Green Bay’s season opener. But he’s still managed to complete 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 13 touchdowns and just one interception.Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty was with the Titans in 2016 when they beat the Packers 47-25 in a game that saw Rodgers throw two interceptions.But he said he isn’t counting on getting anything less than Rodgers’ best this time around.“I really don’t want to compare anybody to Aaron Rodgers, so I won’t go that route,” McCourty said. “At the end of the day https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Geronimo-Allison-Jersey , however many football games you can play in preparation to help you get ready for this guy. … He’ll probably be the best quarterback we play against this year for sure.”Likewise, Rodgers is expecting to see various defensive looks from Belichick to get him off his game.“Bill is a phenomenal coach and he’s always going to have his guys ready to play,” he said. “They do a number of different things 鈥?they don’t just always major in one specific thing. They’re going to try to combat what you do best and take it away and get you off schedule and lock down the guys they want to take away and make you beat them with your third and fourth options.”New England’s secondary has shown improvement during its five-game win streak. Part of the reason is the support it has gotten up front from the defensive line.A week after giving up 31 points to Chicago, the Patriots responded by limiting Buffalo’s offense to just six points on a day in which Tom Brady and his offense struggled.The defense had three sacks, including two from linebacker Kyle Van Noy. But the play of the game came from safety Devin McCourty, who picked off Buffalo quarterback Derek Anderson late in the fourth quarter and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.New England’s 11 interceptions are tied for the second-most in the league through eight weeks.Defensive end Trey Flowers said helping the secondary find similar success against Rodgers will hinge on their ability to speed up Rodgers in the pocket.“We definitely will need to try to contain him as much as we can,” Flowers said. “You flush him out the pocket and he’s still good. Keep him in the pocket and he’s still great. We just gotta continue to push and get him rattled up a little bit and do the best we can.”