TimesFour

Archive for September 8th, 2008

Packers hold off Vikings – AP Game Summary

by on Sep.08, 2008, under Game Recaps

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw a 1-yard touchdown pass in his first NFL start and the Green Bay Packers began life without Brett Favre by taking a 17-6 lead over the Minnesota Vikings after three quarters Monday night.

Rodgers, who was 14-for-18 for 150 yards after three, capped a five-play drive in the second quarter with an off-balance throw to fullback Korey Hall by avoiding both linebacker E.J. Henderson and defensive end Jared Allen.

Will Blackmon’s weaving 76-yard punt return gave the Packers a 17-6 lead midway through the third.

The return halted the momentum the Vikings had built behind Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson, who led Minnesota on a commanding drive to start the second half with completions of 19, 24 and 23 yards.

But the prettiest catch by Bernard Berrian was ruled just out of bounds in the back of the end zone.

Jackson’s pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe deflected to Berrian, who couldn’t get both feet in, forcing Minnesota to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell that made it 10-6.

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J-Barn’s Keys To The Game- Week 1

by on Sep.08, 2008, under Game Previews

The obvious way to break it down is this game will come down to Peterson and Rodgers. Peterson slowed down a great deal at the end of last year. Peterson got up to 1036 yards in the first eight games. The second half of his season included two games out with injury and only two games over 50 yards rushing. Peterson’s carries have gone down greatly since his bursting on the scene in the first half as well. Peterson has only had 20 carries for 51 yards in the preseason (2.55 yards per carry). It seems a little like the Vikings might be worried about him breaking again. This will be a game of the hottest running back of the first half of last year and the hottest running back of the second half.

If there were any team to start off against to get a QB’s confidence up it would be the Vikings. The Vikings were the worst passing defense in the NFL. It is not a stretch to say that the rush defense ranking is helped by the fact that teams are just more inclined to pass because it is so easy. The defensive line will get a good push, but the Packers O-line has good depth and is working in their third year of the zone blocking set. The Packers are also the first team to break the 100 yard rushing mark against the Vikings. The Vikings added a pass rusher and left their secondary alone. In McCarthy’s short pass game with the receiving corps he has a pass rusher may not get enough time to cause a huge difference. They have built a team to tackle and not as much to cover. Sharper is supposed to be the play-maker back there to shore it all up, but he has become more and more of a gambler than ever. For every big play he makes he spends two plays in zone, “covering grass” (as my old high school coach Bob Raczek would put it.). The 20th ranked defense in the NFL got one player better.

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