It's a jolly Rodgers in first start

GREEN BAY, WIS. - The Vikings had been licking their chops for weeks. They spent much of their summer eagerly awaiting the debut of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, knowing they had seen Brett Favre in green and gold for the last time.

Vikings tackle Pat Williams said that Favre made all of the Packers better than they actually were, but Rodgers captured a little of Favre's magic Monday night.

Rodgers certainly didn't make anyone forget Favre during his first NFL start. But he was efficient and accurate, and he managed the game well as the Packers won 24-19 at Lambeau Field in the season opener for both teams.

"He did what he had to do," Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin said of Rodgers. "Nothing special. Nothing great. But he executed real well and they won the game. Congratulations to him."

Rodgers finished the night 18-for-22 for 178 yards, threw for a TD, ran for another and posted a passer rating of 115.5. He also rushed for 35 yards and wasn't sacked once.

"It feels great," Rodgers said. "You've got to remind yourself it's just one win, but it was a big one. I think the talk this week was a lot about the Vikings and I don't think enough about the kind of team that we had. So we definitely wanted to play well tonight, and I think we did."

While Rodgers' first start was memorable, he also had plenty of help.

Ryan Grant gashed the Vikings for 92 yards on only 12 carries, an average of 7.7 yards per attempt. Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a huge second-half touchdown. And Green Bay's defense was solid overall, saving the day with an interception from safety Atari Bigby in the final minute.

"It was a great team win," said wide receiver Ruvell Martin, one of Rodgers' best friends on the team. "We had a lot of guys step up and contribute to this win."

Undoubtedly, though, the most pressure fell on Rodgers, who will be under the microscope of Packer Nation all season. Through one week, anyhow, he appears up for the challenge.

Rodgers became the first quarterback other than Favre to start a game for Green Bay since Sept. 20, 1992. In the process, Rodgers was replacing the NFL's all-time passing leader and all-time victories leader.

But Rodgers had his share of signature moments. He lifted a struggling offense in the second quarter with a 56-yard bomb to wideout Greg Jennings. A few plays later, Rodgers threw a 1-yard TD pass to fullback Korey Hall, giving the Packers a 7-3 lead.

Rodgers also made several plays with his feet, including a 21-yard scramble. And his 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter made it 24-12 and provided enough points to secure a Green Bay victory.

"It was a pretty special night," Rodgers said.