For season openers, Packers hope to avoid another debacle
By JERRY TAPP
The Green Bay Packers will open their 2022 NFL campaign by traveling to Minnesota on Sunday September 11 for a 3:25pm kickoff with the Vikings.
The Pack will look to avenge their 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints in last year’s season opener. It was the Packers worst season opener defeat since they lost 40-0 to the Detroit Lions in their 1970 season opener.
Here are a few other stats you may find interesting about the Packers season opener contests:
1. Green Bay has won six of their last seven season openers. The six straight season openers they won from 2015-2020 was the longest streak of season opener victories in the team’s history.
2. The Pack is 5-3 in season openers versus the Vikings. The last season opener against Minnesota in Minnesota was in 2020 when the Packers won 43-34, the most points they ever scored in a season opening game.
3. Since 2000, Green Bay is 14-8 in their first game of the year.
4. Since 2000, the Packers are 6-4 in season openers where they were the away team.
5. Green Bay has played seven of their last season openers on the road (they have a record of 6-3).
6. The three points they scored in last year’s season-opening loss to the Saints were the fewest points they scored in Game One of a season since they were shutout 26-0 by the Bears in the 2006 season opener.
7. Since 2000, the Pack has played 17 of their 22 season openers on a Sunday (their record is 10-7). They were 4-1 in season openers played on a non-Sunday since the start of the century.
8. Sixteen of the Packers’ 22 season openers since 2000 were decided by one score (eight points or less).
9. Since the 2007 season, Green Bay is 11-4 in season openers.
10. The last time the Packers lost the first two games of a season was all the way back in 2006.
Rodgers has excelled in openers
The performance of Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers will be a key in this year’s season opener versus the Vikes. Since taking over as the starter in 2008, the Packers are 10-4 in season openers. In those 14 season-opening games,
*Had a Passer Rating of 90.0 or higher in 10 of those 14 games. His 36.8 Passer Rating in last year’s season opener against the Saints was his worst season-opening Passer Rating of his career.
* Had 27 TD passes and eight interceptions.
* Had five 300-yard passing games.
* Completed 60% or higher of his passes in 11 of the 14 games.
* Was sacked 30 times.
* Had a record of 5-3 in season opening away games.
* Did not throw a TD pass in last year’s loss to Saints, the only time in his career that he did not have a TD pass in a season opener.
What will Romeo Doubs Packers debut look like?
Rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs made a big name for himself in the preseason. Will that translate to success during the regular season? If you are looking for a previous Packers receiver who made a great debut in his first game with the Packers, you probably have to go all the way back to Javon Walker in 2002.
In his first game with the Packers Walker had four receptions for 56 yards and one TD reception. Only four Packers rookies have made a TD reception in their debut: Walker in 2002, Lavale Thomas, a running back in 1987, Randall Cobb in 2011 and Geronimo Allison in 2016. Walker is one of three rookies to have four receptions in their debut; running back Brandon Jackson did it in 2007 as did James Jones that same season
