Week 1, first time as a starter, first game without hall of famer QB Brett Favre on the team, prime time game, division rival, enormous expectations. The only way Aaron Rodgers could have more pressure tonight would be if he had been the one telling Favre to take a hike over the Summer. The entire football world was focusing on this kid tonight, seeing how he would handle things. It was expected that he would stumble here and there. Maybe some bad throws, even an interception or two. People expected the Vikings to win. The Packers had a different game plan.
Rodgers certainly understood the importance of this game, not only for the team, but himself personally. He wasn’t going to let that bother him though. This was no typical first time starter at quarterback. Having Favre on the team has given Aaron Rodgers the luxury of being groomed for this job. You hate to make the comparison, but it’s extremely similar to the situation with Montana/Young. You really have to go back to that as there really aren’t many other examples. Philip Rivers is the next best example of a QB who has had time to learn before being thrown in. The time learning the offense and getting comfortable with the job and the team certainly looked to have paid off tonight. Aaron Rodgers looked as if he had been starting for years. He had command in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. He avoided the blitz, carefully selected his receivers, knew when to run and when to throw it away. It was as close to a flawless performance as you could get out of ANY quarterback and an absolutely over the top showing given the circumstance.
Rodgers ended up 18/22 passing, 178 yards, 1 TD throwing and 1 running. In classic west coast fashion, he completed passes to seven different receivers. Most importantly, it’s easy to argue he outperformed Brett Favre. Yes, Favre had a good day for the Jets, but Rodgers was more efficient passing and did it against a much better team. All and all, a great start for Aaron’s career as the man in Green Bay.