Packers Win -- AGAIN!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Do the Packers think they're as good as they were in 2007?

"I do. Seriously, I really do," defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said after the 48-25 triumph. "He (Brett Favre) was a great player and all that stuff, but I just think as a team we're a year older, a little more experienced and a little better than we were.

"On defense, we are. Offensively, I think we are. And (Aaron) Rodgers . . . I mean, dude, he's calm under pressure and he's right on the money. He's definitely impressed me."

Already the Packers are alone atop the NFC North, just as they were last year after two weeks before running away with the division.

Since divisional play originated in 1967, this season and 1998 are the only times the Packers have opened 2-0 against divisional foes.

But what bodes so well for the Packers is they're winning with exhilarating feats made by players who are so fresh and so talented.

"I feel 2-0," said coach Mike McCarthy, who is 5-0 against Detroit's Rod Marinelli, 11-3 against the NFC North, 12-5 on the road and 20-4 in his last 24 games.

"It's an excellent win. We won by over three touchdowns but we made some big mistakes."

On Sunday, the Lions probably played as hard as they will all season after being pilloried all week after a humiliating defeat in Atlanta. They bowed their necks and stymied Ryan Grant eight times for 1 yard or less, they pressured Rodgers with minimal blitzing and they got a gutsy game for 3½ quarters from their mediocre old quarterback, Jon Kitna.

But in the end, after the Packers had overcome a 25-24 deficit by amassing 24 points in the span of 3 minutes 10 seconds, what remained was the sense that Green Bay is just immensely superior to Detroit.

Not only is Rodgers far better than the other quarterbacks in the NFC North, his performance in two games is commensurate with quarterbacks who make the Pro Bowl. From the pocket or on the dead run, he just keeps putting tight spirals right on his receivers. For two games he hasn't even come close to throwing an interception.

Time will tell if the 2008 Packers are as good as the 2007 Packers.

I do think that the Packers' success so far is testament to the fact that the 2007 team's success wasn't just due to Brett Favre's great season. One man didn't carry the Packers to the NFC Championship game. A team did.

I'm beginning to believe that there is life after Favre, and life is good.

I think it's time to buy an Aaron Rodgers jersey.



PACKERS 48

LIONS 25