Cal in NFL Playoffs: Aaron Rodgers, Cameron Jordan, Jared Goff

Five of the eight teams in this weekend’s NFL playoff games feature a former Cal player who could play a prominent role. However, it remains uncertain whether two of those players will be a factor.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, Ravens center Patrick Mekari, Rams quarterback Jared Goff and Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz are the ex-Golden Bears stars on the remaining playoff teams.

Rodgers will be the focal point of the Packers’ Saturday game against the Rams. He is the likely MVP, and he is considered the most efficient quarterback of alltime, as noted in this ESPN.com story.

Rodgers would like nothing better than to play this season’s NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, something he has never experienced.

"It's a different animal coming to Green Bay in the wintertime," he said, according to an NFL.com report.

Even when Rodgers won a Super Bowl in the 2010 season, the NFC title game was played in Chicago. And the Packers’ subsequent appearances in the NFC Championship game were elsewhere (2014 Seattle, 2016 Atlanta; 2019 San Francisco).

The NFC title game would be in Green Bay this season if the Packers can get by the Rams, who still are playing a guessing game about whether their starting quarterback against the Packers will be Jared Goff or John Wolford.

***Update: Jared Goff was named the Rams' starting quarterback on Thursday afternoon for Saturday's game against the Packers.

We detailed the Wolford-Goff situation on Wednesday, noting that Goff has been a full participant in practice both Tuesday and Wednesday while Wolford did not participate in either.

LeRoy Butler, the former Packers standout safety, said in a Milwaukee Journal video posted Wednesday that he expects Goff to be the Rams’ quarterback Saturday.

“Wolford is not beating Green Bay in Green Bay,” said Butler, who later added, “I think your better chance is going to be with Goff.”

Having Goff start that game would create a matchup of former Cal quarterbacks in a high-stakes game. The two ex-Golden Bears have faced off only once – a 29-27 Rams victory on Oct. 28, 2018 when Goff outplayed Rodgers.

The quarterback that concerns the Saints’ Jordan is Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady, who will challenge New Orleans in the Superdome on Sunday.

The Saints have played the Buccaneers twice this season, and New Orleans won both games – 34-23 in the season opener in New Orleans and 38-3 in a Nov. 8 road game.

Jordan did not have a sack in either game, but he had a quarterback hit in each and the Saints sacked Brady six times in the two games combined.

He figures putting pressure on Brady will be one of the major keys.

“I always think the defensive line is the most impactful component of the game,” Jordan said Wednesday in the video below.

Asked what he plans to give Saints quarterback Drew Brees for his 42nd birthday, which is Friday, Jordan said, “Is Metamucil a proper answer. No, a heated blanket.”

Jordan is one the best interviews in the NFL, as you can tell from this tweet following the win over Chicago last week.

Also... “omelette du fromage!!!” https://t.co/yTXLLCsbOo
— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) January 11, 2021

The Saints will be playing indoors this weekend, while Mekari and his Ravens have to travel to Buffalo for a Sunday night game. Temperatures Sunday night in Buffalo are expected to get down to 26 degrees with snow likely.

Mekari had to leave the Ravens’ Dec. 27 game against the Giants because of a back injury, and he did not play in Baltimore’s final regular-season game the following week. However, he was back in the starting lineup for last week’s 20-13 road win over the Tennessee Titans.

Mekari is not listed on the Ravens’ injury report this week, so he is ready to go, hoping to clear some ground for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The one ex-Cal player who reportedly won’t play is Schwartz, a 2018 All-Pro selection who missed the final nine games this season with a back injury. There was hope Schwartz might be ready for the postseason, but it does not appear he will play this Sunday against the Browns.

“Backs are fickle, so he’s not going to be back this week,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday, according to Chiefs Wire USA Today. “And then we’re literally taking that day by day. I mean, these things are crazy. There’s nobody that wants to play more than this guy. You know how he’s wired—you don’t play all the games he played in a row and not enjoy the game. But he physically can’t do that right now and we’ll just see how it goes down the road. I don’t think anybody’s lost hope in that, just sometimes time is an important thing here.”

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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