Favre isn't forgotten, but new quarterback Rodgers excels
By Jason Wilde, Capital Newspapers
GREEN BAY — Brett Favre seemed to be everywhere Aug. 11.
No. 4 jerseys — mostly Green Bay Packers' outfits but a few New York Jets jobs — dotted the Lambeau Field concourse. (It was unclear whether the green-and-gold ones were worn in protest or because of limited clothing options, but they definitely outnumbered the No. 12s.)
Tony Kornheiser wouldn't shut up about him. (Clad in a Favre Jets jersey during the third quarter, Tony still was flabbergasted the Packers traded the 38-year-old three-time MVP.)
Highlights of Favre practicing ran at halftime on ESPN, and his commercials for Wrangler jeans and Madden '09 aired throughout the broadcast. (So much for those two-hand touch pick-up games in the backyard and that Packers jersey he's wearing on the video game's cover.)
Even those supporting the new guy had to reference the departed. (Amid many pro-Favre signs was one that read: "Rodgers is #1 QB — If you don't like it, go far, Favre away.")
So there was no getting away from the specter of the departed icon.
But for one night, at least, Aaron Rodgers sure came close.
The Packers' new starting quarterback gave the crowd of 69,675 reason to cheer — rather than boo, as he feared — with a solid performance in the Packers' 20-17 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
"For a guy who went through what he went through the last couple of months," wide receiver Donald Driver, "he did well."
Leading the Packers to a field goal and a touchdown in his four series, Rodgers completed nine of 15 passes for 117 yards with a touchdown, an interception and two sacks for a passer rating of 79.0.
His 30-yard touchdown pass to James Jones, on which Jones caught the ball at the 15 and absorbed a wicked, helmet-dislodging hit before running the rest of the way to the end zone sans headgear, gave Green Bay at 10-0 lead.
"I've always felt like we have the best fans in the NFL and that they would support our team, regardless of how they feel about myself or Brett or management," said Rodgers, aware of what still lies ahead in following a future Hall of Famer. "It definitely had a different atmosphere. (I) couldn't get the camera out of my face in pregame. I mean, it was all over me. It definitely had a different feel."
Rodgers' interception, on the Packers' second possession, came on a perfectly thrown ball that hit receiver Chris Francies in the numbers and caromed off Francies' chest to safety Dexter Jackson for the pick.
"I'd hope he'd make that catch," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said of Francies. "(But) I thought Aaron handled the offense well, managed the game well. I think overall it's a pretty good start."
It did not start well, however.
After Rodgers and the offense received a polite and semi-standing ovation as they took the field, Rodgers' first play was blown dead before it began on a false start penalty by Josh Sitton.
After completing his first pass to Jones for a 6-yard gain, Rodgers was sacked by blitzing safety Dexter Jackson, who wasn't picked up by halfback Brandon Jackson.
Rodgers' next pass across the middle to Driver should have been caught for a first down but Driver juggled it and absorbed a hard hit, forcing the Packers to punt.
On Rodgers' next series, he converted a third down with a 10-yard pass to Driver and made a nice play on a naked bootleg pass to Driver, but the drive ended with the interception off Francies' chest.
"I thought it was great that the crowd gave Aaron and the offense a standing ovation," coach Mike McCarthy said. "I didn't like the start of the whole offense as a unit. The first series we had a false start, we had a mental error that resulted in a sack and then we had the dropped ball for the interception. But I thought other than that, I liked the tempo. I thought the productivity was there."
Rodgers and the offense got rolling after that. His 30-yard hook-up with Ruvell Martin set up a 37-yard field goal by Mason Crosby, and Jackson's 22-yard run helped set up Rodgers' TD pass to Jones.
"I thought he put together a good performance for us to build off of," McCarthy said.
Rodgers also got help. The No. 1 defense, playing without veteran cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson and shallow depth on the interior defensive line, forced the Bengals' first-string offense to three straight three-and-outs.
Cincinnati didn't get its first first down until the 14:35 mark of the second quarter and its first touchdown until Ben Utecht's 15-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Carson Palmer against a hodgepodge of first- and second-stringers.
Chris Perry's 6-yard touchdown run — set up by Brian Brohm throwing an interception on his first pass — gave the Bengals a 14-10 lead, and a 43-yard field goal by Shayne Graham just before halftime pushed the lead to 17-10.
Another Graham field goal made it 20-10 before third-string quarterback Matt Flynn led a late touchdown drive to pull the Packers within 20-17, but they got no closer.
"I think we're off to a solid start," McCarthy said. "I'm not jumping up and down. ... But there was a lot of productivity on all three phases."