Packers fall in opener, 30-22

Through one game, the Packers have matched their loss total from all of last season. Green Bay opened the season as super bowl favorires, over half of the ESPN panel of experts picked them to win it all, but there was no doubt who the bettter team was on Sunday. The 49ers are the new NFC favorites, and the Packers new goal will be to spend the next four months trying to get to their level.

The game opened with a lot of the usual fanfare that comes with a season opener. Ive attended the last two season openers and I actually think the the buzz and pregame electricity was higher this year than last, probably because everyone was excited to get back to work after last years dissapointing finish. Donald Driver got by the far the loudest ovation when the team was introduced, and the 1962 team was honred in a pregame ceremony.

After all the fanfare the game finally got underway. The Packers defense looked awesome on the first drive forcing a three and out, highlighted by a sack from Clay matthews. Unfortunately that would be the only defensive bright point of the first half. the 49ers scored on each of their next five possessions, en route to taking a 23-7 lead, a lead that would hold up through three quarters. The Packers finally got a spark on a punt return for a touchdown for Randall Cobb, turning what had become a silent Lambeau Field for the whole second half into a frenzy. Then the defense came out and made a huge stop, and  Lambeau was going crazy, it really felt like the tides had turned and the Packers were going to come back and win this, despite being completely outclassed most of the game. As the offense took the field down by eight, a Go Pack Go chant erupted from the crowd, queting once the offense huddled so they could hear the playcall. Then Rodgers threw an interception, a bad one, one that happens to every QB, but whenever its Rodgers were all stunned. The 49ers took but one play to score and go up 30-15, Lambeau was dead again. The offense however, marched right down the field and scored again, 30-22, and the defense held strong. The Packers bid for a tie game however, stalled when Rodgers was sacked, and then threw an incompletion on fourth down to Nelson. final: 30-22

I kept a mental note, of turning points that stuck out to me in this game, and in the end there were four plays that in my opinion, determined the outcome of this game.

1. Roughing the Passer on Clay Matthews in the second quarter. This penalty occurred on a third down, and gave the 49ers a first. The drive ended in the first touchdown of the game.

2. Mccarthy calls a timeout before third and eight, thirty nine seconds left in the half. I am flabbergasted that mccarthy called that timeout. After first down resulted in nothing they should have just ran the ball and went to the locker room down by six. The 63 yard field goal never would have happened if Mccarthy didnt call that last timeout.

3. First drive of the second half, third and one, Rodgers throws seventy yards down field to Nelson. This play had no chance right from the throw. Nelson was in double coverage, and the play action fooled absolutely no one on the 49ers. Calling this on a third and one is ok early in a game, or when your winning, but when your down by two scores in the second half, just get the first down.

4. Rodgers interception. Theres really no way of knowing how this game would have turned out without this pick. This felt like a dagger at the time, and the Packers still had a chance at the end despite the seven free points.

Theres no doubt the Packers got outplayed, and the 49ers were a better team. But the Packers giftwrapped twenty points to the 49ers on dumb mistakes, that if they dont happen, the packers almost certainly win. Two third down penatlies that led to ten points, a dumb timeout call that led to three, and a bad interception that led to seven.

The good

Randall Cobb: Cobb led the team with nine reception, and he was also targeted nine times. when I saw that he caught the ball every single time he was targeted, I smiled. I think this is the Cobb we will see all year. Another big time weapon for Rodgers. Oh yea, and a 75 yard punt return for a touchdown.

Clay Matthews: Almost got half his sack total from all of last season in the first game. I dont think theres any doubt in anyones mind he returns to the double digit sack numbers he had two years ago.

Offensive line: I put this in the good category, because I thought this offensive line, which was a big question mark, held up pretty well against undoubtedly the best pass rush in the league. Rodgers did get sacked three times, but I dont think the 49ers got the consistent pass rush they were hoping for, especially considering the entire second half they knew the Packers would be throwing the ball.

The Bad

Defensive line: Four sacks, but none from the line. Of the top seven leading tacklers on the team, not one came from the line, against a team that ran the ball 32 times! Thats embarrassing. Raji, Francois, Pickett, Hayward, you all get a big F on this game.

Running game: This one is obvious, though it doesnt bother me. The 49ers have the best run defense in the league, and since the Packers were trailing nearly the entire game there was no chance or reason to even attempt to try and get a running game going.

Jermichael Finley: "officially" credited with only one drop, but I counted three that I felt he should have had. Maybe this is going to be all he ever is sadly.

I found it interesting how good the defense looked in the fourth quarter when the Packers absolutely needed a stop. Maybe they have been too dependant on the offense the past two years, and have gotten complacent because they think the offense will bail them out anyway. I saw some things to be positive about and some to be negative about from the defense. They held the 49ers to only two third down conversions on nine attempts. It should have been 2 for 11, but penalties bailed them out twice.

The 49ers are the best team the Packers will face this season, and the Packers played like crap and still almost won. I think worst case for the team is 11-5, and thats if they lose to the Bears Thursday, which I do think is a possibilily. The replacement officials were crap, but both teams benefitted from their awfulness, so Im not sure the result would have been much different with better refs. The Packers didnt force a turnover, the first time thats happened in a home game in six years.

MVP: Regardless of who wins, the MVP of the game will always go to a Packer, because I really dont give a crap who did or didnt play well on the other team. theres no doubt it was Cobb in this one. even without the punt return it would have been him, with the punt return it was Cobb in a blowout.

Up Next: Bears, thursday Night football. This can be classified as a must win or the Packers will have built a big hole in the divisional race early on. History says teams that lose divisional home games against teams they are behind in the standings, basically never win the division.