Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers entered their Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings looking to prove a point. The entire offseason was filled with criticism and low expectations. Despite all of the outside noise, the Packers came in with a laser focus and took care of business by a final score of 43-34.
Not only did the Packers beat the Vikings, they made things look relatively easy. The offense continually moved the ball down the field without many issues. In fact, J.K. Scott only had the punt the football away one time all game long.
While the final score indicates a hard-fought game, the Packers won this game by a much larger margin. They were in control from early on and never looked back. Minnesota did score a lot of points in the second half, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Green Bay received a vintage performance from Rodgers this week. He completed 32 of his 44 pass attempts for 364 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. That kind of game has brought on even more confidence from the Packers and their fans.
It was very clear that Rodgers was on a mission this week. He heard a lot of negative comments about himself from the media and the Packers traded up in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Rodgers very well might not end up finishing his career with the Packers, but he is bound and determined to make the most of the time he has left.
One of the main question marks about the Packers entering the season was at the wide receiver position. Davante Adams is one of the top wide receivers in the game, but behind him there were no known playmakers. Green Bay decided to bank on development from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard as their No. 2 and No. 3 receivers.
Thankfully, that gamble paid off for the Packers. Valdes-Scantling put together a nice game with four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Lazard, on the other hand, caught four passes for 63 yards and a score.
If the two young receivers continue to play the way they did last week, the Packers' offense will be very tough to stop. Adams notched a monstrous performance with 14 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
At the tight end position, the Packers didn't receive much production. Josiah Deguara, a third-round pick this year, was the only tight end to make a catch. He only caught one pass for 12 yards in the game.
All of that being said, there are quite a few reasons to be confident that Aaron Rodgers can continue playing at the level that he did against the Vikings. Throughout his entire career, he has risen to the occasion when his team needs him the most and has always silenced the critics. With both of those factors being in play this year, Rodgers is not going to slow down.
Expect to see the Packers and Aaron Rodgers come out firing once again in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions. Starting 2-0 would be exactly what the doctor ordered to shut up the media and reduce various criticisms about the way last season ended in Green Bay. The superstar quarterback will do everything in his power to make sure that happens.
Aaron Rodgers' Grade For Week 1 Against The Vikings: A+
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