Q: If the Packers can’t protect Aaron Rodgers any better than this, is he going to make it through the season? That would be almost too much with Favre doing so well in Minnesota.
— Keva, Eau Claire, Wisc.

A: Rodgers has been sacked a league-high 31 times, and if he continues to be hit so much it is likely to take a toll.

Some of those sacks, by the way, are on him. Amazingly, Rodgers has shown few ill effects of the beatings he has taken up until this point. He still has the highest passer rating in the NFL. That’s a great testament to his toughness and calm under pressure.

But there is only so much anyone made of flesh and blood can take. If Rodgers does not get hurt, the hits likely will impact his performances.

Q: Could the AFC North get three teams into the playoffs?
— Chuck Clay, Toledo, Ohio

A: It certainly is conceivable that three AFC North teams will make the playoffs.

If the Bengals keep playing the way they have been, the AFC North has three legitimate playoff caliber teams. The only problem is they are likely to beat up on one another as the season progresses. There are four games still to be played between the top three in the division, including both Ravens-Steelers games.

Q: Dan, I don't think there is any question that the Redskins will fire Jim Zorn at the end of the season. After the disgusting manner in which Snyder has treated Zorn as well as the fans, who do you think would expose himself to guaranteed failure, embarrassment, and loss of reputation by agreeing to coach the Skins, no matter how much money is thrown in front of them?
— Mike Epstein, Emmittsburg, Md.

Fan ranker Who’s on NFL’s ‘hot seat’? The Bears are out of the playoff chase. What does that mean for Lovie Smith? How hot is his seat? Here’s your chance to rank all the NFL coaches. NBCSports.com

A: There are always interested candidates in NFL head coaching jobs because there are so few of them. And part of the coaching mentality is to believe that “my” coaching can make a difference.

Don’t downplay the significance of a market setting deal, either. Money appeals to the long term interests of anyone, as well as the ego. But you make good points, Mike. If anyone is thinking clearly, they will steer clear of the Redskins and wait for the next opportunity.

Q: What will happen if both teams from New York, Jets and Giants will have to host their league finals if they share the same stadium?
— Carlos Marquez, El Paso, Texas

A: This is a hypothetical, so the answer is somewhat speculative.

But my friends in the league office tell me they probably would stage one conference championship game on Sunday and the next on Monday. Why wouldn’t they play one game Saturday and the next Sunday? Because one of the teams that would have to play Saturday would be put at a competitive disadvantage from playing on only five days of rest.

Playing a game on Monday would not impact rest time for the Super Bowl because there are two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.