walleye
16 years ago
For only the second time in franchise history, the Packers will open up their season at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football. That the first game of '08 comes against a chief division rival only adds to the excitement level.

Green Bay's only other season-opener at home on MNF came on Sept. 1, 1997, against the Chicago Bears when the Packers were the defending Super Bowl champions.

Now the Packers are the reigning NFC North Division champions, and host a Minnesota Vikings team that many believe will provide the biggest challenge in the division this year, on a prime-time stage no less.

"It's big for us," wide receiver Donald Driver said. "This is a rival game that we know that everyone is watching, especially on Monday Night Football. No one else is playing football but us, so we've got to show the world."

Last year the Packers won both games against the Vikings for the first time since '04, including the first shutout in the history of the series with a 34-0 win at Lambeau in November.

Since Mike McCarthy took over as head coach in 2006, the Packers have won all four games against Minnesota, and the four-game winning streak is their first since sweeping Minnesota in 1987 and '88. With a win on Monday, Green Bay would post its first five-game streak against the Vikings since 1983-85.

A storyline was added this offseason when the Packers filed tampering charges against the Vikings regarding their contact with then-retired quarterback Brett Favre. The NFL dismissed the allegations in an early August ruling.

"It's about the players that are on the football field playing the game," Vikings head coach Brad Childress said. "The rivalry is the rivalry. I don't think people live in a vacuum, however. It's a North Division rivalry and we're playing the champions of the North.

"Obviously it means a little bit more because anytime you can beat a division opponent you get another game up in the NFC but you also do on a divisional opponent."

The two teams have clearly been the class of the division in recent years, with either the Packers or the Vikings capturing the Central/North Division title 10 of the last 14 years.

"This is a very, very good way for us to start the season," defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "It's a great challenge and they've continued to improve, as we have, so it should be a great, great battle on Monday night."

The Vikings, who finished second in the division behind Green Bay last season with an 8-8 record, made perhaps the most notable offseason acquisition in the league, adding NFL-sack leader Jared Allen in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to an already formidable defense. The offense features last year's NFC-leading rusher, Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson.

"We're been waiting for this for a long time," defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said. "This whole offseason we have been talking about this game, so we're very excited to showcase we can do. We want to be the No. 1 defense in the NFL this year, so it starts off if we can make a statement this week."

The teams also have a great deal of familiarity from facing each other twice a season, including players and coaches that have been on both sides of the rivalry. Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell spent six seasons (2000-05) on Green Bay's staff before joining Minnesota, and safety Darren Sharper (1997-2004), kicker Ryan Longwell (1997-2005) and wide receiver Robert Ferguson (2001-06) all began their careers in Green Bay.

"We know them well and they know us well," cornerback Charles Woodson said. "We know their personnel. It will be a fun game, a tough game, and it's a Monday night game. This will show how people act under the lights.

"This is the biggest and brightest during the season, the Monday night game, so we'll definitely see where we are at as a football team going into a tough season."

Green Bay benefited from a fast start in 2007, winning the first four games on their way to a 13-3 record and the division crown. With a schedule that includes six playoff teams from last season, the Packers know the importance of getting out of the gates this year with some success.

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"I stay away from saying it is a tone-setter, but I would say that we always want to start fast," Kampman said. "Every season we want to start fast. We're at home, against a rival, a divisional opponent, so those are all things you want to do well against obviously."

While admitting that he couldn't think of a better way to open up the season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who will be making his first career start, was one of several players who said it is a little too early to gauge how the pecking order in the division will stack up based on just one game.

"It's the first game and a lot can happen during the season," Rodgers said. "There are injuries, momentum swings. You can get on a hot streak as a team, like the Giants did last year.

"The first game is good to see where you are at individually, but it takes really six, seven, eight weeks to see how a division is going to shape up."

Even though it is only the first game of a long season, the Vikings' Allen, who will be one of a handful of players on the field experiencing the rivalry for the first time Monday night, echoed the same feelings that many Packers players expressed this week as they looked ahead to the border battle.

"I think the more emotion you can put into a game, especially from the fans' standpoint, it just makes the game that much more fun," Allen said.

"Monday Night Football is always a fun game, and when you've got these kinds of rivalries, the atmosphere always gets cranked up another level. This is why we play football as football players."
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Mucky Tundra (16m) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (17m) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (1h) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (2h) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (2h) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (2h) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (2h) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (4h) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (4h) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (4h) : umm... what?
wpr (4h) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (4h) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (4h) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (4h) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (4h) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (11h) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : If you hear rumors about Packers sign or trade, won't happen. Not how they work
dfosterf (27-Aug) : 19 players in a contract year. Jones called loss to us worst loss in Cowboy history. Forget Parsons trade. Not happenin' Cap'n
packerfanoutwest (27-Aug) : The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : That it was darkest before the dawn in Bengals and Commanders before they got deals done
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : what is Schefter saying?
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He was getting Dorito infusion therapy
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He's outta shape. Why, just the other day I saw him splayed out on the trainers table
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Parsons has followed Rasheed Walker on Twitter. Quite the choice
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Kuhn is a former player who works for the team, if somethings going down, he would be close to it
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : @kuhnj30 Micah Freaking Parsons
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : A LOT of buzz on the Bird App regarding Parsons; even Schefter is saying it's serious
dfosterf (26-Aug) : *Orzech*
dfosterf (26-Aug) : Orzich long snapper 3 yr extension
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