|
(Continued from page 29)
• In recent years, some pipeline companies have voluntarily buried their lines deeper than federal rules require. Using a technique called horizontal directional drilling, pipelines can be installed dozens of feet beneath riverbeds, minimizing the chances they could be exposed to damaging floodwaters and debris.
• The technique can cost millions of dollars for a single water crossing. That can save money in the long run: Exxon's 2011 spill into the Yellowstone cost the company an estimated $135 million.
•
Packers excited for rare gathering of 4 top WRs
NANCY ARMOUR,AP National Writer
• GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers is putting up MVP-worthy numbers again, throwing for more touchdowns than anyone in the NFL and ranking near the top in completions and yards passing.
• Imagine if he'd had all of his favorite toys for the whole year.
• With Randall Cobb back from a sprained ankle and Jordy Nelson planning to play in Saturday night's NFC wild-card game against Minnesota, the Green Bay Packers finally will have all four top receivers for the first time in, essentially, three months.
• "It makes us very dangerous," Greg Jennings said Thursday. "It's pretty obvious when we have all four guys healthy, the amount of big plays that we can accumulate goes up. Aaron has a lot more options."
• There's no question Rodgers is a special quarterback, one of the league's finest, and he'd put up impressive numbers if he had only one or two guys to throw to. But he has four -- count 'em, four -- receivers who could be No. 1s on many other teams.
• "I don't think so," Nelson said when asked if any other team is as loaded at receiver as the Packers. "I don't think you can go four and five deep like we can."
• Jennings had 1,000-yard seasons from 2008-10, and came up just short (949) last year despite missing three games. Nelson has a career average of 15.1 yards per catch, and joined Jennings in the 1,000-yard club last year. James Jones led the NFL with 14 TD catches this year, and matched a Packers record with two scores in three straight games. Cobb is the newest of the bunch, and all the second-year receiver has done is lead the team in catches (80) and yards receiving (954).
• Add in big tight end Jermichael Finley and you can see why defensive coordinators have nightmares about facing the Packers.
• "You can go to any one of them and get a big play, so it makes it more difficult for defenses to defend," Green Bay offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "If (Continued on page 31)
|
|
