GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Charles Woodson has been cleared to play again, and the Green Bay Packers are counting on the defensive back to provide a lift in Saturday nights playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. Woodson deferred to team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie and gave his broken collarbone as much time to heal as possible, sitting out Sundays regular-season finale at Minnesota. He was injured on Oct. 21 and has missed nine consecutive games. But now that the Packers are in win-or-go-home mode, Woodson is back. "Charles has been a stud in this league for 15 years, so whenever hes on the field with us, hes always a huge threat," inside linebacker A.J. Hawk said after practice Tuesday evening. "Not only is he a threat to make huge plays throughout the game, but quarterbacks, I think they know where hes at every single play. He seems to know what receivers are running before they do. And I think he has an intimidation factor as well. "Every team we play has to respect him." Playing without Woodson each time, Green Bay split its two regular-season games against Minnesota. But Vikings star Adrian Peterson had two strong performances against the Packers, rushing for 210 yards in Green Bays 23-14 victory on Dec. 2 and gaining 199 yards on the ground in Minnesotas 37-34 win on Sunday at the Metrodome. "I just think having Charles Woodson back on the field helps our football team," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said in announcing that Woodson had been cleared. "I mean, just what hes meant to our defence, his playmaking ability, his ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage. Hes extremely productive, so Im just glad to have him back on the field." The 36-year-old Woodson was not in the Packers locker room during the media access period on Tuesday night. But when he last spoke at length with reporters on Dec. 21, he acknowledged that he hasnt always agreed with McKenzie or McCarthys recommendations. But if waiting allows him to make it through an entire playoff run - right through Super Bowl XLVII - without reinjuring his collarbone, he will be grateful, he said. Before his injury at St. Louis, Woodson was playing strong safety in the Packers base defence, then playing the nickel and dime slot positions in sub packages. After he went down, M.D. Jennings was his primary replacement at safety in the base defence, while rookies Casey Hayward (nickel) and Jerron McMillian (dime) covered opposing slot receivers. Its unclear where Woodson will line up this weekend, but his defensive teammates believe hell help against Peterson and Christian Ponder, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. "(Woodson) helps us in every aspect of the game, just his experience," cornerback Tramon Williams said. "No doubt about it, obviously hes a great player from the start, but with that experience, we know hes going to be in the position hes supposed to be in, we know hes going to be looking to make a play. You can be aggressive yourself because you know you have a guy back there you can trust." Williams said Woodson also makes a difference because, while some of the teams young players have done well in his absence, his knowledge of the game allows him to do things that younger players arent able to do, arent comfortable doing or cant do as well as he does them. "This defence is based off disguising and things like that, so Charles has been so experienced so he knows how long to hold a disguise, and hes not scared to do it," Williams said. "Its definitely going to help us in the long run." cheap jerseys from china . So Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles cleared the bench and watched his reserves tear off a 31-4 run, leading the Bucks to a stunning 93-92 comeback win over the Bulls on Monday night that snapped a three-game losing streak. Ersan Ilyasova scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half to lead the comeback, including 12 in the fourth quarter when Milwaukee outscored Chicago 30-12 to prevent the Bulls from taking over first place in the Central Division. NBA Jerseys China . His streak of 20-point games goes on. In their first meeting since a verbal clash led to Anthonys one-game suspension, New Yorks All-Star forward scored 28 points and the Knicks ended an 11-game losing streak in Boston with an 89-86 victory over the Celtics on Thursday night. http://www.xingfantrade.com/ . Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo gave Juve the lead with an expertly placed free kick in the 11th minute at Juventus Stadium, Arturo Vidal converted a penalty in the 16th and Alessandro Matri added another in the 19th for his first goal since February. Cheap Jerseys . -- The first call that Andy Reid received came from Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt. Wholesale Jerseys . -- There was nobody White Sox manager Robin Ventura would rather have had at the plate with runners on the corners in the 14th inning than his gritty new third baseman.TORONTO -- Tens of thousands of loud and proud Canadian football fans packed the Rogers Centre on Sunday to watch the Toronto Argonauts host the Calgary Stampeders in the historic 100th Grey Cup. Rowdy fans dressed in the colours of their favourite CFL teams began gathering outside the downtown arena hours ahead of the 6 p.m. ET kickoff. Although the chilly temperatures made tailgating difficult, those cheering on the Stamps and the Argos came bundled up in their red and blue colours. Many had their faces painted, waved flags and blew into plastic vuvuzelas. The Argos trademark chant -- "Arrrrgoooooooos!" -- along with "Go Stamps Go!" could be heard as people began filing into the sold-out stadium, which has a capacity of more than 52,000. As the game got underway, fans clapped their ThunderStix and cheers rumbled across the field. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi are among the dignitaries at the game, which will feature an anticipated halftime show with Canadian rock legend Gordon Lightfoot, teen idol Justin Bieber, pop star Carly Rae Jepsen and pop-punk band Marianas Trench. Harper, who is originally from Toronto but whose political riding is in Calgary, has already announced that hell be cheering for a Stampeders win. And even before it started, he sent out a tweet to Bieber. "In fairness to (at)justinbieber, I told him I would be wearing my overalls too," according to Harpers official Twitter account, referencing a meeting the two had earlier this week where the young pop star wore overalls to receive an award. Earlier in the day, CFL fans marched from Varsity Stadium on the University of Toronto campus down busy Yonge Street for a chance to carry the coveted Grey Cup trophy to the sounds of a live marching band. League commissioner Mark Cohon had said he hopes the march becomes a new Grey Cup tradition. Both the city mayors have also made a public bet about the historic game, with the loser promising to donate his weight in food to a food bank and wear the winning teams jersey to a council meeting. Calgary hasnt won a Grey Cup since 2008 and Toronto, struggling to increase its fan base, hasnt hoisted the trophy since 2004. Argos fan Jamie Wolodarskym says the city is ready for a double-blue win. "It means everyything," said the 40-year-old from Toronto.dddddddddddd "Were at home. This is our game. This is our year. Were going to take it all." In anticipation, Wolodarskym says his face will stay painted blue until the Argos takes home the trophy. Mark Wlodarski, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., says Toronto is a big sports city but a win has the potential to make fans love the Argos again. "The Grey Cup is all about bringing everyone, all of Canada together, and have some fun," said 29-year-old Wlodarski. "There have always been the true fans.. and yes, we dont really show up that much but the city can see it now -- that the Argos fans are here, and... (we) bleed blue." Lori Bursey, who runs the official Argos fan club, says CFL fans deserve credit for sticking it out in a city with a myriad of professional sports clubs including hockey, baseball, basketball and soccer teams. "This town needs this shot in the arm," said Bursey, who started the club in 1991 and now boasts more than 350 registered members. "Its no secret that this city yearns for a winner and I would think it would be so important not just for the league but for the city, for it to be part of this great historical Grey Cup." But if this week leading up to the big game was any indication, the Calgary Stampeders have luck on their side. On Thursday, Stamps fans rode their horse Marty into the upscale Royal York Hotel to recreate a tradition that was started in 1948. The lucky superstition almost didnt happen until the hotel called the group back after seeing the 15-year-old stallion trotted all over town. On the same day the CFL also made a compromise with the team, agreeing to allow their horse mascot Quick Six to stand in the sidelines of the big game but didnt go as far as letting the animal charge up and down the field -- as is done during regular season Calgary matches. At the start of the week, the Calgary Grey Cup Committee had vowed to "paint this town Calgary!" and bring the Cup back west. Calgary fan Dennis Schwartz says whether youre rooting for the West or for the East, the Grey Cup faceoff will no doubt unite Canada. "Its 100 years and its totally Canadian," said Schwartz, who drove in from Harrow, Ont., near Windsor. "A Canadian team is going to win no matter what." ' ' '