PROFILES » It didn’t take Bill Belichick long to recall what

FOXBOROUGH Dexter Williams Jersey , Mass. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers did against his defense the previous time that the Packers faced the Patriots.“He killed us,” Belichick said of New England’s 26-21 loss in Green Bay in 2014. “He does everything well. … He’s one of the great quarterbacks in the National Football League. No question about it.”Four years later, not a lot has changed about Belichick’s affinity for Rodgers or his abilities as the Patriots prepare to host Green Bay on Sunday night.It presents the latest challenge for a New England defense that has had issues slowing teams down this season, particularly in the secondary.Following the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Lions, the Patriots have struggled with consistency in 2018.They currently rank in the bottom half of the NFL in both total defense (25th, 383 yards per game) and passing yards allowed (22nd, 227 yards per game).Stopping the pass was a major issue in both of New England’s losses.Blake Bortles threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns, including a 61-yarder to Dede Westbrook in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars‘ 31-20 win in Week 2.A week later, Matt Stafford had just nine incompletions and passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Lions to a 26-10 victory.And though the Patriots were able to pull out a 43-40 win against the Chiefs, it came despite Patrick Mahomes lighting up the defense for 352 yards and four TDs through the air.The similarities in all those games were the ability of the three quarterbacks to create time and space with their legs.Rodgers isn’t expected to be as mobile as he continues to be slowed by the knee injury he sustained in Green Bay’s season opener. But he’s still managed to complete 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 13 touchdowns and just one interception.Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty was with the Titans in 2016 when they beat the Packers 47-25 in a game that saw Rodgers throw two interceptions.But he said he isn’t counting on getting anything less than Rodgers’ best this time around.“I really don’t want to compare anybody to Aaron Rodgers, so I won’t go that route,” McCourty said. “At the end of the day, however many football games you can play in preparation to help you get ready for this guy. … He’ll probably be the best quarterback we play against this year for sure.”Likewise Nick Bosa Jersey , Rodgers is expecting to see various defensive looks from Belichick to get him off his game.“Bill is a phenomenal coach and he’s always going to have his guys ready to play,” he said. “They do a number of different things — they don’t just always major in one specific thing. They’re going to try to combat what you do best and take it away and get you off schedule and lock down the guys they want to take away and make you beat them with your third and fourth options.”New England’s secondary has shown improvement during its five-game win streak. Part of the reason is the support it has gotten up front from the defensive line.A week after giving up 31 points to Chicago, the Patriots responded by limiting Buffalo’s offense to just six points on a day in which Tom Brady and his offense struggled.The defense had three sacks, including two from linebacker Kyle Van Noy. But the play of the game came from safety Devin McCourty, who picked off Buffalo quarterback Derek Anderson late in the fourth quarter and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.New England’s 11 interceptions are tied for the second-most in the league through eight weeks.Defensive end Trey Flowers said helping the secondary find similar success against Rodgers will hinge on their ability to speed up Rodgers in the pocket.“We definitely will need to try to contain him as much as we can,” Flowers said. “You flush him out the pocket and he’s still good. Keep him in the pocket and he’s still great. We just gotta continue to push and get him rattled up a little bit and do the best we can.” MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw the ball right over the Arizona linebacker trailing Adam Thielen on third-and-1, a neatly executed seam route by Minnesota’s star receiver after a stutter step sprung him open for a 13-yard touchdown catch .Then Thielen circled the offense together in the end zone for a choreographed dead-arm dance he recalled from college, his teammates clumsily swinging to an imaginary beat as the crowd celebrated a 10-point lead over the Cardinals early in the third quarter.There was nothing awkward about this 27-17 victory on Sunday for the Vikings , though. They played a back-to-the-basics game, leaning on some powerful running by Latavius Murray and a smothering defense.“We know the offense is very capable of going out there and making big plays and scoring points, especially with the teams we’ve played with the past few weeks,” linebacker Anthony Barr said. “If we do our job on defense, we’re going to keep giving ourselves the chance to win.”After Thielen scored L.J. Collier Jersey , the Vikings forced a three-and-out when Harrison Smith had one of Minnesota’s four sacks of Josh Rosen to take the rookie down at the 2-yard line. The Vikings took over in Cardinals territory at the 43, and three plays later Cousins sprinted across the goal line on an option-style keeper from the 7. The dead-arm dance broke out again, and the Vikings (3-2-1) were in control.“I like to embrace my limitations as a dancer,” Cousins said. “I guess I’m honest about it. That’s a dance I can get behind.”Cousins has clearly embraced his role as a team leader, even though he’s only been a member of the Vikings for seven months. He was nominated last week by defensive tackle Linval Joseph to lead the breakdown prior to pregame warmups on the field in Philadelphia with a message about finishing strong. On the flight home after the Vikings beat the Eagles, Joseph told him to be ready for a repeat. This time, Cousins screamed at his teammates to encourage a similar effort and urge the defense to harass the rookie Rosen.After drafting Teddy Bridgewater, trading for Sam Bradford and signing Case Keenum over coach Mike Zimmer’s first four drama-filled seasons, the Vikings let all three of them leave as free agents and signed Cousins instead.“The thing I love about this guy is his passion for the game, his intensity that he has,” Zimmer said. “He’s come in here and taken charge as a leader.”Here are some other key developments from the game:ROSEN’S THORNSComing off his first career NFL win against the San Francisco 49ers, Rosen faced a much stiffer test on the road against a Vikings defense that was in sync at all three levels after several displays of uncharacteristic vulnerability over the last few games. Rosen threw one interception while completing 21 of 31 passes for 240 yards, and the Cardinals were 0 for 10 on third down conversions. They were also stopped twice on fourth down tries.“The opportunities are there http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-marquise-blair-jersey ,” said Rosen, who took over for Bradford last month. “We find ways to miss them.”The Cardinals had 269 total yards, which happens to be their season high.“Am I concerned? Majorly,” coach Steve Wilks said.DOUBLE DIPCousins and the Vikings recovered from that sack-fumble-touchdown trifecta in time for a 48-yard field goal by Dan Bailey on the last play from scrimmage of the first half that gave them a 13-10 lead. Then they took the second-half kickoff and went on the 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that included four catches for 47 yards by Thielen. The Vikings have actually been focusing on the importance of scoring on the last possession of the first half and the first one of the second half since Zimmer brought it up in a team meeting during organized practices in May.“He calls it a ‘double dip,'” Cousins said.KEEPING UP WITH JONESIn three career games against the Vikings, Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones now has 18 tackles, five tackles for loss, 4½ sacks, four quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and a touchdown return of a blocked field goal.Jones chopped the ball out during a second quarter sack of Cousins, and Budda Baker scooped it up for a 38-yard touchdown return . The Cardinals also sacked Cousins four times D.K. Metcalf Jersey , hit him seven times and deflected seven passes, but those became background highlights on an afternoon when the Vikings revived a dormant rushing attack with 195 yards on 32 attempts.“Me being one of the captains and one of the leaders of this team, it’s my job to stay on top of the guys and get this thing turned around,” Jones said.ANOTHER LOSS FOR FITZGERALDThe Cardinals have lost 10 straight games at Minnesota, with the last win coming in 1977 when the franchise was in St. Louis. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been a part of six of those , and the 15-year veteran’s latest visit to his hometown might have been his last as a player.“You hope you can change quickly, but all you can do is just keep working at it,” Fitzgerald said.