Rodgers Leads Cal Trio To Conference Championship Games

BERKELEY – Aaron Rodgers leads a trio of Cal players affiliated with teams that have reached the NFL's conference championship games next Sunday, Jan. 24. Rodgers is the only one of the three to have played in the playoffs with the others – Mitchell Schwartz (Kansas City) and Davis Webb (Buffalo) – on the respective injured reserve and practice squad of their teams playing in the AFC Championship Game.

Rodgers punched his ticket to his sixth career NFC Championship Game, fifth as a starter and second in as many seasons by leading Green Bay to a 32-18 home win over the Los Angeles Rams and fellow former Golden Bear quarterback Jared Goff on Saturday at Lambeau Field. Rodgers completed 23-of-36 passes for 296 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while running for another score, while Goff was 21-of-27 for 174 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Rodgers will be looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the second time in his career and first since he earned MVP honors at Super Bowl XLV and led the Packers to a 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh to conclude the 2010 season when Green Bay hosts Tampa Bay next Sunday (12:05 pm PT, FOX) with the winner moving on to Super Bowl LV in Tampa on Sunday, Feb. 7 (3:30 pm PT, CBS). Buffalo travels to Kansas City (3:40 pm PT) for the AFC Championship Game with the winner to be the opponent of Green Bay or Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV.

Cal began the NFL Playoffs with 14 affiliates on postseason squads with Goff, Cameron Jordan (New Orleans) and Patrick Mekari (Baltimore) the most recent three to be eliminated in Divisional Round action this past Saturday and Sunday. Jordan had four tackles and a quarterback hit in a 30-20 home loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, while Mekari started and played in all 78 offensive snaps during a 17-3 loss at Buffalo on Saturday.

The first eight of Cal's 14 affiliates in the NFL Playoffs were eliminated during the Wild Card Round last Saturday and Sunday including seven in a single loss when Washington was defeated by Tampa Bay, 31-23. Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Kunaszyk and Nick Sundberg were on Washington's active 53-player roster, while Trevor Davis was a member of the team's practice squad with Ron Rivera (head coach), Vincent Rivera (defensive quality control) and Richard Rodgers Sr. (assistant defensive backs coach) on the coaching staff. Tyson Alualu's Pittsburgh squad was also eliminated in a 48-37 home loss to Cleveland in the last of the weekend's six Wild Card Round games.

See below for a full listing of the NFL Playoffs schedule, results and Cal affiliates.
 
NFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE/RESULTS
 
WILD CARD ROUND – SATURDAY, JANUARY 9
Seed, Team (Record) … Cal Affiliates
at AFC No. 2 Buffalo 27, AFC No. 7 Indianapolis 24 … Davis Webb is on Buffalo's practice squad
NFC No. 6 Los Angeles 30, at NFC No. 3 Seattle 20 … Jared Goff is on Los Angeles Rams' active roster
NFC No. 5 Tampa Bay 31, at NFC No. 4 Washington 23 … Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Kunaszyk and Nick Sundberg are on Washington's active roster … Trevor Davis is on Washington's practice squad … Ron Rivera (head coach), Vincent Rivera (defensive quality control) and Richard Rodgers Sr. (assistant defensive backs coach) are on Washington's coaching staff
 
WILD CARD ROUND – SUNDAY, JANUARY 10
Seed, Team (Record) … Cal Affiliates
AFC No. 5 Baltimore 20, at AFC No. 4 Tennessee 13 … Patrick Mekari is on Baltimore's active roster
at NFC No. 2 New Orleans 21, NFC No. 7 Chicago 9 … Cameron Jordan is on New Orleans' active roster
AFC No. 6 Cleveland 48, at AFC No. 3 Pittsburgh 37 … Tyson Alualu is on Pittsburgh's active roster
 
DIVISIONAL ROUND – SATURDAY, JANUARY 16
Seed, Team (Record) … Cal Affiliates
at NFC No. 1 Green Bay 32, No. 6 Los Angeles Rams 18 … Aaron Rodgers is on Green Bay's active roster … Jared Goff is on Los Angeles Rams' active roster
at AFC No. 2 Buffalo 17, AFC No. 5 Baltimore 3 … Davis Webb is on Buffalo's practice squad … Patrick Mekari is on Baltimore's active roster
 
DIVISIONAL ROUND – SUNDAY, JANUARY 17
Seed, Team (Record) … Cal Affiliates
at AFC No. 1 Kansas City 22, AFC No. 6 Cleveland 17 … Mitchell Schwartz is on Kansas City's injured reserve
NFC No. 5 Tampa Bay 30, at NFC No. 2 New Orleans 20 … Cameron Jordan is on New Orleans active roster
 
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND – SUNDAY, JANUARY 24
Time (TV) – Seed, Team … Cal Affiliates
12:05 pm PT (FOX) – NFC Championship Game – No. 5 Tampa Bay at No. 1 Green Bay … Aaron Rodgers is on Green Bay's active roster
3:40 pm PT (CBS) – AFC Championship Game – No. 2 Buffalo at No. 1 Kansas City … Davis Webb is on Buffalo's practice squad … Mitchell Schwartz is on Kansas City's injured reserve
 
SUPER BOWL LV – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Time (TV) – Seeds, Teams – Location … Cal Affiliates
3:30 PM PT (CBS) – AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. … TBA
*Seeds, teams and Cal affiliates TBA