As two of the best players at their position in their generation

Jordan Matthews Jersey , San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers have formed a relationship built on deep respect.They have nothing but praise for each other's games and will exchange texts after one of them does something special. With all that they have accomplished that can happen often."Just checking if he has a great game or I see something on tape where he's in his bag and doing something crazy like some of the Hail Mary's that he's thrown," Sherman said. "I text him like, 'Man, that's crazy. I don't know what you were thinking right there.' He's a good dude."Sherman hopes Rodgers doesn't pull off any of those crazy plays he's known for on Monday night when the 49ers (1-4) visit the Packers (2-2-1) in the seventh meeting between the two megastars, including one in the postseason.The two split the previous six meetings when Sherman was in Seattle, although the Seahawks won the most important in the NFC title game in January 2015. But any success Rodgers had didn't come because he found some weakness in Sherman's game. Instead, he approached it like most quarterbacks do, throwing as few passes to his right as possible, knowing Sherman will shut down that side of the field.Rodgers has completed only nine passes for 90 yards against Sherman in those six games, according to SportRadar, targeting him just 13 times and throwing one interception. Almost half of that production came in the first meeting in 2012 when Rodgers went 4-for-5 for 44 yards. He has avoided him almost completely since then as Sherman has allowed just five catches for 46 yards in the past five games."When he's on the field, you have to be smart throwing the ball his way," Rodgers said. "That's just the type of player he is. I mean Jonathan Jones Jersey Salute to Service , he's a super-intelligent guy, he's got incredible football instincts and he can still impact the game in a number of different ways."Sherman is still striking fear in quarterbacks at age 30 despite coming off major surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon and nursing a calf injury that sidelined him for one game this season.Sherman has been targeted just 10 times on 145 pass plays this season, the second-lowest rate in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just two of those passes for 28 yards as Sherman has been a rare bright spot for a struggling San Francisco team."People aren't targeting him. That always tells you a lot there about Richard," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "Especially where he is in his career, he diagnosis routes extremely well. I've always felt he was so strong at the breaking points of routes and really does a great job of playing toward his length. He's an excellent player, always has been. I think he looks good."Rodgers has also been slowed by an injury at age 34, as he hurt his knee in the first half of the opener against Chicago before returning to lead a memorable comeback.He has shown more mobility each week and is coming off a 442-yard, three TD performance in a loss at Detroit last week. Rodgers has 10 touchdown passes and just one interception all season and has the highest passer rating (103.5) of any quarterback with at least 1,000 attempts."He's still the best or is tied for the best on the planet," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "He always has been. He's the man. I know he's not 100 percent, everyone knows that, but he seems to be a little bit better each week. He's still the best. Good player."One aspect that makes Rodgers even tougher to defend than other top quarterbacks such as Tom Brady or Peyton Manning during his heyday is the ability to scramble. Rodgers is an elite athlete and can extend plays with his feet and then expose defenses downfield with his laser-like arm when the cornerbacks can't stick with the receivers for that extra time.Sherman knows that's one of the hardest things to prepare for against Rodgers and the Packers."You're going to have to run, you're going to have to cover for a long period of time Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey ," he said. "You'll have to be ready for the backyard football. He's a great passer, he can throw the ball anywhere. He can be on his back foot and throw the ball 75 yards." FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — For nine straight years, the final few weeks of the regular season for the Patriots have included the celebration of an AFC East title and typically an accompanying first-round bye in the playoffs.New England can lock up a 10th consecutive division crown Sunday with a win or tie against Buffalo, or a Miami loss or tie when it hosts Jacksonville. The Patriots would also become the first franchise in NFL history to earn a playoff berth in 10 straight seasons.But they enter the final two weeks of the regular season needing help to avoid playing in the wild-card round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009.Following back-to-back losses at Miami and Pittsburgh , New England (9-5) began Week 16 on track to be the No. 3 seed in the AFC behind Kansas City (11-3) and Houston (10-4).The Patriots have not been a wild-card team since 2009, when they were blown out by Baltimore. They also failed to make it to the Super Bowl the other two times under coach Bill Belichick (2005 and 2006) that they played during the opening weekend of the postseason. New England has never started the postseason on the road with Belichick the coach and Tom Brady the quarterback.The first step to New England avoiding those fates is by continuing its dominance against the Bills (5-9), a team it has beaten four straight times — including a 25-6 win at Buffalo in October. It was one of the few successes the Patriots had on the road this season, where they’ve gone just 3-5.While they will be at home Sunday and for their regular-season finale on Dec. 30 against the Jets, coach Bill Belichick is not counting it as an advantage.“I think playing well creates an advantage,” he said.New England is as healthy as it’s been all season, but will have to adapt after receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Thursday for violating an agreement that allowed him to play after multiple drug suspensions.Gordon was thriving in New England, where he landed in September in a trade after the Browns felt it was time to cut ties. In 11 starts with the Patriots Authentic Isaiah Wynn Jersey , he had 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns, five years removed from an All-Pro season in 2013 with 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns.Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said Buffalo, which is coming off a close win over Detroit last week, is embracing the role of spoiler.“It’s huge,” Alexander said. “Obviously, they’ve been the standard of our division for the last 15 years, and they’re in the division chase. So for us to go up there and be able to beat them would be huge obviously for this city, for our team and organization. Because they’re a team that’s really had our number since I’ve been here.”Here are some things to watch for in Sunday’s game:WHO STEPS UP?With Gordon out, Brady will be looking for someone to fill his production for the remainder of the season. That will likely mean a lot more will be put on veteran receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski, though both struggled at times this season. Edelman has 63 catches for 711 yards and four touchdowns, while Gronkowski has 45 catches for 658 yards and three TDs.But Gronk was limited again this week by ankle and back issues. And between them, they have just two touchdowns over the past three games.OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTWith rookie quarterback Josh Allen back on the field for four games since missing four with a sprained right elbow Limited Danny Etling Jersey , the Bills’ offense is improving despite RB LeSean McCoy’s ongoing struggles.Allen is 57 for 114 for 801 yards, four TDs and four INTs in in his last four starts. Meanwhile, the Bills have topped 100 yards rushing in five straight games, matching last season’s high.McCoy has topped 100 yards just once — 113 yards and two touchdowns — in a 41-10 win at the New York Jets on Nov. 11. Otherwise, with 479 yards rushing, he’s in jeopardy of finishing with the lowest production of his career. He had 637 yards as a rookie in 2009, when he had four starts in 16 games.CHARTING BRADYBrady owns a 29-3 record against Bills. His 29 wins against Buffalo are the most victories by a quarterback against a single opponent. Next is Brady’s 26 wins against Jets.Brady passed for 324 yards in the last meeting with Buffalo and needs 21 to join Peyton Manning (14) and Drew Brees (12) as quarterbacks with 10 seasons of 4,000-plus yards passing.