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Originally Published: September 4, 2008

Rodgers, Packers have plenty to prove against Minnesota

John Clayton previews the best Week 1 games, including a Packers-Vikings Monday night game with plenty on the line for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay.

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By John Clayton
ESPN.com
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Getty ImagesPackers starting QB Aaron Rodgers, left, had a solid preseason, but it may be impossible for him to make Green Bay fans forget Brett Favre, who was traded to the Jets last month.

The Packers won't honor Favre at a retirement ceremony Monday night when the rival Minnesota Vikings come to town. Instead, Packers fans will hold their collective breath and hope Aaron Rodgers can maintain the standards set by the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Favre is now doing his best to bring back the magic of Joe Namath as he retreats behind center for the New York Jets. The Packers, of course, wanted to move on from Favre, who drove management crazy with four years of off-and-on retirement talk.

Fans might turn on Rodgers if he struggles. Some booed him during a summer scrimmage when he threw several bad passes. Rodgers has a strong arm, a good feel for the huddle and the support of teammates. But he also must win.

NFC North blog
The Packers-Vikings rivalry is usually pretty intense. After the offseason saga with Brett Favre, it's now on full boil. Kevin Seifert

So much happened this summer during the Favre retirement saga. Vikings coach Brad Childress was accused of tampering because he and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked to Favre during his waffling days. Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled the Vikings did not tamper, but feelings were hurt, intensifying the rivalry.

The pressure is more on the Packers than the Vikings. It's expected to be a two-way race between the Vikings and Packers for the NFC North crown. That being the case, the Packers can't afford to lose a home game to their challengers after a 13-win season with Favre. Plus, they must establish home-field advantage in Lambeau with Rodgers.

Although Rodgers has looked good in the preseason, he has some concerns heading into the opener. Center Scott Wells has back problems and is probably going to sit. Packers coach Mike McCarthy had to shuffle the interior of an offensive line that has been inconsistent all summer. Starting running back Ryan Grant fought a tight hamstring since ending his training camp holdout. He's healthy now, but he may be rusty.

Rodgers must stay healthy because general manager Ted Thompson elected not to have an experienced backup quarterback. Seventh-rounder Matt Flynn beat out second-rounder Brian Brohm for the backup job as the Packers head into the season with the NFL's least experienced quarterbacks.

The Vikings have problems, too. Tarvaris Jackson won't be as mobile as usual because he will play with a knee brace as he rushes back from an injury. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie was suspended four games by the NFL for off-field issues, forcing Childress to patch the left tackle spot with guard Artis Hicks.

So expect this game to be a brawl. New Vikings defensive end Jared Allen will try to pressure Rodgers from the right side. Can the interior of the Packers' line hold up against Pat Williams and Kevin Williams in the middle of the Vikings' defense? How will the Vikings' offensive line hold up against the Packers' defensive line?

But the biggest question is: Why isn't Favre still a Packer?

1. Jacksonville at Tennessee: Titans coach Jeff Fisher prides himself on having his team ready for a fast start, so he plays his starters into the second half of the final preseason game. He did that a year ago before the opener in hot, steamy Jacksonville. The result? Tennessee looked to be in better shape than the Jaguars. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Titans sprinted down the field and the Jaguars looked gassed. As a result, the Titans came away with a 13-10 upset, forcing the Jaguars to scramble the rest of the season to stay a game ahead of them in the standings.

The Jaguars spent the week practicing, but their minds were in a hospital, where teammate Richard Collier, a backup tackle, recovers from gunshot wounds. Jacksonville starting receivers Jerry Porter and Reggie Williams missed most of the preseason because of injuries, and the offensive line is banged up. It's a troubling game for the Jaguars.

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Frank Victores/US PresswireSaints wideout Robert Meachem was sidelined by injuries all last season.

The Saints are a popular pick to return to the playoffs. On paper, the Saints are so much better than they were a year ago. On defense, they added Sedrick Ellis at tackle and Jonathan Vilma at middle linebacker. On offense, they added tight end Jeremy Shockey. Second-year receiver Robert Meachem, a first-round pick who struggled last season, is coming on.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden continues to patch with veterans. Ike Hilliard is hurt, so Antonio Bryant has emerged as the starter at wide receiver. Earnest Graham is the starting running back because Cadillac Williams is parked on the physically unable to perform list. Donald Penn and rookie Jeremy Zuttah will start on the offensive line because of injuries to others. QB Jeff Garcia isn't happy the Bucs didn't give him a contract extension, but he's still the starter.

3. New York Jets at Miami: What once looked to be a meaningless game between two AFC afterthoughts has great significance.

The acquisition of Brett Favre gives the Jets a legitimate chance of making a wild-card run. Favre is one of five former Pro Bowl players added to the offense. The others are guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, fullback Tony Richardson and tight end Bubba Franks.

If Favre can add a touchdown a game for the Jets, they should make the playoffs. But things could turn embarrassing if New York has a tough start against the Dolphins. Favre tried to talk the Packers into cutting him so he could sign with division rival Minnesota. The Jets thought nothing of letting Chad Pennington go, and now they face him in the opener.

In some ways, Pennington knows his offense better than Favre knows his. Pennington has worked with Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning before. Favre is learning the Jets' offense on the fly with young coaches with whom he is unfamiliar.

Bill Parcells now runs the Dolphins' front office. He'd love nothing better than to get a win over the Jets.

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Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesDallas' backup receivers are hurting, but quarterback Tony Romo has plenty of offensive weapons.

The Browns, expected by many to build on a 10-win season, apparently spent too much time looking at their press clippings during the preseason. They looked awful. Running against them will be tough because of the trades for defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, but Cleveland is the league's thinnest team in the secondary, so expect a shootout.

5. Denver at Oakland: Raiders coach Lane Kiffin knows he won't go into the season with a full passing game. Javon Walker hasn't established himself yet, and the Raiders' other receivers don't have a lot of speed. Kiffin plans to win this game on the ground with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden.

Kiffin needs a fast start. Eleven of the Raiders' first 12 games are against teams that had losing records in 2007. Beating the Broncos at home is vital or Al Davis is going to be more furious than normal. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been talking playoffs with his team. He has a promising young quarterback in Jay Cutler. Shanahan believes he can get by for a game without wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who is serving an NFL suspension.

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Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesSuspended by the team, Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith will sit Sunday against San Diego.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are trying to heal internal wounds. Wide receiver Steve Smith is out the first two games, suspended by the team for punching out cornerback Ken Lucas in training camp. Quarterback Jake Delhomme bears the pressure of coming back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and trying to pull off an upset against a potential Super Bowl team without Smith.

7. Seattle at Buffalo: Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren loves to win games with his West Coast passing scheme, but he's going to need the running game for this one. Bobby Engram is out and fellow receiver Deion Branch is unlikely to play as he tries to come back from a knee reconstruction. New offensive line coach Mike Solari has impressed Seattle's staff with his blocking schemes and his ability to put young players in position to succeed. Right tackle Sean Locklear is out and center Chris Spencer is playing hurt. To win, the Seahawks must put together a rushing attack with Maurice Morris and Julius Jones.

The Bills, meanwhile, can't convince Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, who wants a new contract, to end his holdout. That won't make life easy for quarterback Trent Edwards.

8. Chicago at Indianapolis: Peyton Manning gets the chance to add to his lore by running the Colts' offense with only one week of prep. Manning missed the preseason while recovering from a knee infection. He also must break in a rookie center, Jamey Richard. Manning gets a little break because Bears Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris is playing with a sore knee. Plus, the Bears aren't supposed to be too potent on offense. Expect a low-scoring game.

9. Houston at Pittsburgh: The Texans are a potential playoff team, but believe it or not, this is one of the Steelers' easiest games. The Steelers play a daunting .598 schedule, featuring games against the NFC East and AFC South. The Texans finished fourth in the AFC South last season, but Matt Schaub continues to look sharp at quarterback, and the defense looks better.

10. Arizona at San Francisco: Mike Martz made QB Kurt Warner a household name in St. Louis. Now the Cardinals' starter, Warner comes to San Francisco with a chance to extinguish the flame of Martz's newest find, 49ers QB J.T. O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan was the surprise winner of the 49ers' quarterback battle. Jobs are on the line in San Francisco. A lot of people will exhale if O'Sullivan can pull off the victory.