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SPORTS Tuesday 21 January 2020
Aaron Rodgers says 'window's open' on another title run

By KEITH JENKINS defense in free agency last
AP Sports Writer March. The second-year
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The general manager acquired
2019 season for the Green pass rushers Za'Darius Smith
Bay Packers marked the and Preston Smith and vet-
dawn of a new era. eran safety Adrian Amos.
Matt LaFleur took over and The Packers also used both
won more games than any of their 2019 first-round
first-year coach in franchise picks on defenders (outside
history. linebacker Rashan Gary at
The final result again fell No. 12 and safety Darnell
short of the Packers' goal of Savage at No. 21).
winning it all, but this time it Both Smiths invigorated
had a different feeling, ac- the defense and revital-
cording to Aaron Rodgers. ized themselves, as each
The two-time MVP was on had a career high in sacks
the losing end of the NFC (Za'Darius, 13 1/2; Preston,
championship game in his 12)
third consecutive appear- But after being a large rea-
ance. son why Green Bay was
There was the overtime loss 13-3 this season, swept its
at Seattle in the title game division and finished as the
in the 2014 season, the No. 2 seed in the NFC, that
23-point rout at Atlanta in same re-tooled unit was
the conference champi- largely to blame for Sun- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaves the field after their loss against the San
Francisco 49ers in the NFL NFC Championship football game Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Santa Clara,
onship in the 2016 season day's loss because of its in- Calif.
and Sunday's 37-20 defeat ability to stop the run. Associated Press
to the Super Bowl-bound The Packers' leaky run de-
49ers. fense, which was in the Jones also had 49 catches, moving pieces will contin- dictions or anything like
But the 36-year-old Rodg- bottom third of the league second on the team be- ue to improve. Like I said, that. I don't know what's
ers said the latest loss isn't for most of the season, al- hind only Davante Adams' the window's open and going to happen. So, we'll
like the others. lowed 220 yards and four 83, and was Green Bay's I think we're going to be see."
"It's a lot different feel," he touchdowns to Raheem first 1,000-yard rusher since on the right side of one of Balaga, 30, and Williams, 36,
said Sunday night. "I re- Mostert, a running back Eddie Lacy in 2014. these real soon." are two of only four players
member in those moments who had been cut seven But outside of Jones and Green Bay has the 30th remaining from Green Bay's
the emotion compared times in his career. Adams, there wasn't pick in this year's draft. Super Bowl-winning team in
to this. I feel really confi- NEW OFFENSE much offensive produc- PLENTY OF QUESTIONS the 2010 season.
dent in (general manager) LaFleur brought with him an tion, which begs the ques- The Packers have a num- Other notable unrestricted
Brian (Gutekunst) and the entirely new offense that tion: After reshaping the ber of unrestricted free free agents include outside
job that he's done and his showed flashes of brilliance defense last offseason, will agents they will have to linebacker Kyler Fackrell (10
staff. They did go all-in — but struggled to find consis- Gutekunst have to spend make difficult decisions re- 1/2 sacks in 2018), inside
as much as they could — tency all season. However, this offseason finding a dy- garding, including defen- linebacker Blake Martinez
this year and the pieces it did uncover a gem in namic playmaker or two to sive back Tramon Williams (team-high 155 tackles in
that they brought in. I'm Aaron Jones, who had the add to LaFleur's offense? and veteran right tackle 2019, second in the NFL be-
confident that he's going most productive season of "The scheme is there. The Bryan Bulaga, who has pro- hind Bobby Wagner's 159),
to continue to add to this his young career. scheme and what Matt tected Rodgers' right side wide receiver Geronimo
squad. So, that part is very The third-year running back and his staff put together since 2010. Allison, 35-year-old tight
exciting. It is a lot different had career highs in carries every week was fantastic," "This is my last year and we'll end Marcedes Lewis and
feel than three years ago." (236), rushing yards (1,084) Rodgers said. see what happens," Bulaga 35-year-old kicker Mason
Gutekunst spent big on the and total touchdowns (19). "The execution and the said. "I don't have any pre- Crosby.q

Super Bowl a tossup at legal sports books

By TIM DAHLBERG tive matchup, close odds The over/under total start- with limits of $500,000 a side as they multiplied in recent
AP Sports Writer and the spread of legalized ed at 51 1/2 and was at 53 beginning Tuesday morn- years.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Even the sports betting means hun- after a bettor put $110,000 ing. Books will begin releasing
bookies are having a prob- dreds of millions of dollars on the over. Most books limit bets early hundreds of different prop
lem figuring out a favorite will exchange hands over Odds and point spreads to see if the point spread bets during the week, from
in the Super Bowl. the next two weeks. can fluctuate up until the moves while being tested who will win the opening
Odds opened at pick 'em Bettors at the Westgate kickoff Feb. 2 in Miami, by so-called sharps. coin flip to how many pen-
Sunday at many Las Vegas Las Vegas Superbook got largely because of heavy Legal betting in Nevada's alties each team will have.
sports books, though the an early start after they bets on one side or the 200 sports books was down Kornegay said he expects
Kansas City Chiefs quickly were offered the pick 'em other. last year at $145.9 million a new record to be set
moved to 1-point favor- odds at halftime of the NFC At the new Circa sports after setting a record the in Nevada on the game,
ites over the San Francisco championship game. Odd- books, the game was pick year before with $158.6 mil- largely driven by a good
49ers. Early bettors favored smaker Jay Kornegay said 'em with a 52 total to open. lion in bets. economy. Bets are now le-
the Chiefs in a game that about 80 percent of the Sports book director Mat- A big percentage of Super gal in 13 other states, too,
will almost surely set new early money was on the thew Metcalf tweeted that Bowl betting is in so-called though not in the home
legal betting records.The Chiefs and the line moved bettors could bet up to prop bets, which have be- states of either team or in
combination of an attrac- to Chiefs minus-1. $100,000 a side on Sunday come increasingly popular Florida.q