2011 NFL Predictions Week 2: Picking up right where they left off last February at Cowboys Stadium, the (1-0-0) Green Bay Packers began their title defense with an impressive, 42-34 victory over the (0-1-0) New Orleans Saints last Thursday night at Lambeau Field. In a contest of “Anything you can do, I can do better,” Aaron Rodgers got the best of Drew Brees and the 2009 Super Bowl champs.
If there’s ever been a Super Bowl hangover the Packers wouldn’t know it, as they looked unbeatable
against a formidable opponent. The reigning Super Bowl MVP led the way for the Cheese Heads, connecting on 27 of his 35 passes for a total of 312 yards, 3 touchdowns and no turnovers. Rodgers performance eclipsed Brees’ superior efforts as he finished with a whopping 419 yards on 32-for-49, matching Rodgers with 3 TDs.
But despite all the offensive fireworks, the game came down to a defensive play by the Packers. With an eight-point lead, the ball sitting at the Packers’ 1-yard line and three seconds remaining in the game, the Saints elected to run the ball. In a play that has been highly criticized by all, rookie running back, Mark Ingram was stuffed short of the goal line as time expired.
“It's not what you envision,” said Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews. “Obviously, you'd love to have a blowout, but I think it represents everything that we preach, which is finishing games. And it comes down to the very last play — we win, or they have an opportunity to tie it up. I think it's fantastic to overcome that adversity, get the stop that we needed and get off the field with the victory.”
This week, Green Bay will travel to Bank of America Stadium to get its first, close-up look at rookie sensation, quarterback Cam Newton. It comes as no surprise that NFL Odds makers have listed the (1-0-0) Carolina Panthers [+10½] as the sports betting odds underdogs versus the defending champion (1-0-0) Green Bay Packers [-10½]. This game has a scheduled opening kickoff slated for 1 PM ET on FOX.
Newton made an impressive NFL debut last Sunday against Arizona. Despite the loss, the No.1 overall pick, set a record for most passing yards by a rookie making an NFL debut (422 yards). The reigning Heisman Trophy winner completed 24 of his 37 passes for a total of three touchdowns and an interception. Two of Newton’s scored came in the air, both to Steve Smith, while he ran it in for one as well.
“He was everything everybody didn't expect him to be,” Smith said. “He was on point, he made some great runs, he made some great reads, made some fantastic throws. He made some throws out there that honestly, as a receiver, it made it easy to catch them.”
