Before we start looking ahead to 2009, it might help to look back at how the 2008 season went.
| vs. Minnesota | at Detroit | vs. Dallas | at Tampa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing Yards Gained | 139 | 123 | 84 | 28 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed | 187 | 49 | 217 | 178 |
| Passing Yards Gained | 178 | 324 | 250 | 153 |
| Passing Yards Allowed | 168 | 266 | 236 | 149 |
| Penalty Yards on Packers | 118 | 62 | 68 | 74 |
| Turnovers by Opponent | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Turnovers by Packers | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Green Bay | 24 | 48 | 16 | 21 |
| Opponent | 19 | 25 | 27 | 30 |
Coming out of the gate, the Minnesota game looked very sloppy. A lot of penalties, but no turnovers. It might have been the worst game of the season for Minnesota DE Jared Allen, who was held without a sack or tackle. Although RB Adrian Peterson had a great game, the first of many great games running backs had against the Packers in 2008, Minnesota had lousy field position the entire game. Their best start was from their own 31 yard line. It was great to start with a win, but it wasn't very convincing.
The win at Detroit felt better then it should have. It felt like the Packers were hitting their stride, but in hindsight, they were just crushing an eventual 0-16 team. The Packers scoreboard got puffed up at the end when QB Jon Kitna threw 3 INTs. RB Brandon Jackson scored the first TD shortly after the first INT, then Woodson and Collins returned the next two INTs for TDs.
Dallas. It could have been a big win. I was optimistic that they had put it all together after the first two games. Instead, the problems shown in the first two weeks were magnified. This game was before QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber, and RB Felix Jones were injured, and they all had a great game. RB Ryan Grant was still limited by his bad hamstring and none of the receivers were getting open for QB Aaron Rodgers.
The loss at Tampa Bay was one of the lowest points of the season. DE Cullen Jenkins was lost for the season. Rodgers injured his shoulder, but later proved he could play through it. The score was much closer than the actual game. Two big TD passes to WR Greg Jennings, and three INTs thrown in the 3rd quarter by Tampa QB Brian Griese, kept the Packers in it. In the end, Tampa's defense was in it's early season dominant form and took over. A late game collapse by the Packers' run defense ended any hope of a come back.
What do you remember from these games?