It’s week 17, and the NFL regular season is in the books save for the NFC East title game happening in Washington right now. Rather than wait for that game to be decided, let’s take a look at the unexpected (and expected) for week 17.

Everyone is worried about how much the Green Bay Packers will be able to run the ball this season, except those people in charge of the offense.

Asked about improving the Packers run game on “NFL Total Access” earlier this month, Aaron Rodgers responded, “Do we need to?”

Chargers coach Norv Turner says he expects Ryan Mathews to have a breakout season. Super, well then give him the ball in the red zone.

While Packers general manager Ted Thompson spoke under a veil of secrecy about Matt Flynn on Friday, his coach, Mike McCarthy, sounded like the QB’s biggest advocate when discussing the soon-to-be free agent at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Eagles RB LeSean McCoy was wired for sound during Saturday’s practice and he took his job seriously.

Few players in the history of football are as universally beloved as the late Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton. Enjoy the legendary skills and grace of the man called “Sweetness” in the premiere of “A Football Life: Walter Payton” Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

The neck injury that Packers safety Nick Collins suffered Sunday against the Panthers will end his 2011 season.

The dreaded RBBC now looks likely to be heading to Green Bay, where Ryan Grant and James Starks will battle for carries.

Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl put a little back into it yesterday while shoveling the walkway of the childhood parish of Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

Jordy Nelson seemed like an improbable candidate to have a monster game in the Super Bowl. But the opportunities were there for the third-year receiver against the Steelers, and he took advantage of nearly all of them to the tune of nine receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown. A career game in every way.

Here are a few of my initial observations on the Packers and Steelers after getting a second look at the game during some initial film work on Monday.

The last item of the day before signing off from Super Bowl Sunday is to take a closer look at some of the most notable statistics sent over by the NFL Network research crew.

I was able to stop Joe Montana just long enough to find out if he will be rooting for his hometown Steelers Sunday.

A one-liner look at the latest injury updates from around the league in Week 15.

Aaron Rodgers, Gerald McCoy and Chris Ivory are among the players on the Week 14 injury list.