Packers 24, Vikings 19

The Aaron Rodgers era starts with a victory, as GB holds on to beat Minnesota tonight. As they did so many times last year, the Packer defense secures the win, as Atari Bigby intercepts a pass to end the final Viking threat.

Things were getting a little sloppy for GB toward the end of the game, as the team allowed a touchdown drive and hurt themselves with some silly penalties. GB finished the game with 12 penalties for 112 yards - definitely an area that needs to be improved.

In the 2nd half there were two other main highlights other than Bigby's interception. In the 3rd quarter, Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown which gave the Pack a 17-6 lead. A lot of people were talking during the preseason about how Blackmon could be a difference maker returning kicks, and he proved that already in the first game.

The other main highlight was Ryan Grant's 57-yard run which set up a touchdown run by Aaron Rodgers, giving GB a 24-12 lead with about 6 minutes left in the game. Grant finished the game with 92 yards on just 12 rushes.

I was also impressed by the job done by the defensive line, which kept Tarvaris Jackson busy all night having to evade the GB defense. Jackson finished the game 16-32 with 178 yards, but many of those completions came on the run.

Finally, I have to comment on the Lambeau crowd vigorously booing Ryan Longwell every time he came out on the field. It seems like such a waste. You're booing Ryan Longwell. The dumb kicker. I think it would be more insulting to just be indifferent toward him, to stay absolutely quiet, as if to say "Ryan who?" Why waste your time and energy on such a lame player?

Overall, I thought it was a pretty decent win. GB didn't overwhelm the Vikings (in fact, Minnesota had more yards on offense than GB), but the Packers did enough to win, and with the game on the line at the end, the defense came through with a big play. Rodgers played well enough (18-22, 178 yards, 1 TD, 35 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD), but the Vikings didn't give him much of a test. The rest of the season's opponents surely will. And even though I'm a Packer fan and accept Aaron Rodgers as the team's quarterback, I would be lying if I said a regular season win with Rodgers feels the same as a win with old #4 behind center. It feels a little less special, a little more hollow. Perhaps this will change over time, as the season progresses. Then again, maybe it won't ever be the same again.