The 2008 NFL season is off and running and a wild day it was in the NFL. From Atlanta’s dismantling of Detroit, to Carolina’s last second win at San Diego, it was quite a day. Oh yeah, New England quarterback Tom Brady was lost for the year with a torn ACL. What a day. Two games remain on the schedule. The Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay and Denver at Oakland. It will hard to match the excitement of today, however.
Somehow, I think the Packers-Vikings game will find a way to do just that. When these two teams meet, anything can happen and usually does. Obviously the biggest story line is Aaron Rodgers making his first NFL start, but the game will come down to much more than that. Can the Packers stop Adrian Peterson? Can the Vikings stop the Packers’ passing game. Can Ryan Grant just show up and be successful after missing all of the preseason? Will Tarvaris Jackson be able to productive wearing a knee-brace after hurting himself on a bonehead play in the preaseason? What effect will the expected rain have on the game?
To be honest I have no idea what to expect. The Packers shouldn’t have any trouble passing on the Vikings unless Rodgers really stinks it up and I just can’t see that happening. I doubt the Packers can, or for that matter, will even try to run the ball against the Vikings vaunted run defense. The running game could be effective if the Packers are able to get out to an early lead via a few big passing plays. The Vikings will be trying to run the ball at a defense that has several question marks on the defensive line. Peterson will get a heavy workload, that is for sure. Jackson will look for mismatches in the Packers’ secondary and take his shots deep.
What it comes to I think is if the Packers’ passing game can outscore Peterson. In the end, I think they can and will. I look for Donald Driver and Greg Jennings to have big games and the Packers’ running attack of Grant and Brandon Jackson to do just enough. The Packers start out the Rodgers era with a 27-20 win.