Niners vs. Packers: San Francisco Stifles Late Green Bay Drive for 30-22 Win

The Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers battled back and forth for 60 minutes, but the 49ers had just enough to claim a 30-22 victory over the home squad in their Week 1 battle.

Aaron Rodgers tried to lead his team to a late-game win, but his heave on 4th-and-long to Jordy Nelson was broken up.

Almost everything played in the visiting team's favor for most of this tilt. David Akers even used the cross bar to his advantage on his NFL record-tying, 63-yard field goal to end the first half:

Vernon Davis, on the other hand, won't be thanking the crossbar for anything:

These two squads entered the game as the obvious favorites in the NFC. Green Bay's electric offense lands them firmly in any Super Bowl conversation, and San Francisco's tenacious defense puts them right beside them.

Sunday's contest gave the 49ers the upper hand, and it sets the tone for the rest of the 2012 slate.

The scoring started off slow, with Akers' 40-yard field goal being the only points in the opening quarter. That was followed by a Randy Moss touchdown grab early in the second.

Aaron Rodgers didn't find his comfort zone until the end of the first half. He cut the Packers' deficit to 10-7 with a one-yard toss to Jermichael Finley, but the optimism stemming from that score was short lived.

Akers pounded home two more field goals, including the previously shown record-tying blast to end the half.

San Francisco's offense didn't dazzle anyone, and their defense nearly let this one slip in the fourth quarter. Rodgers finished with 303 yards and two touchdowns on 30-of-43 passing, including a strike to James Jones late in the fourth frame.

Taking away Green Bay's big-play ability allowed the 49ers to control the game's tempo. Frank Gore paced their ball-control offense with 112 yards on 16 carries, and his fourth-quarter score was a critical point in the 49ers' victory.

Rodgers' counterpart, Alex Smith, did exactly what he was tasked with entering the game. He managed the offense and finished with 211 yards on 20-of-26 passing. He also had two touchdowns.

Pace and style played a major role in this game's outcome. San Francisco managed to keep Green Bay's offense under wraps for three quarters, but Rodgers didn't go away quietly. He did everything he could to bring his squad back.

Green Bay's final drive had hope as they passed midfield, but the 49ers defense stood up to the challenge.

One stop in Green Bay's favor could have changed this game entirely, but the 49ers shot the first salvo in the battle for NFC supremacy. These are the NFC's most complete squads, regardless of the outcome. Don't expect either team to go away this season.