Green Bay Packers: 5 Things We Learned Against The Saints

The NFL must be feeling like they had a dream come true tonight.  You cannot ask for anything more from your opening football game than what the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints treated fans with tonight.

Green Bay held on to win the game 42-34 in a game that saw just about everything; impeccable quarterback play, special teams touchdowns, 876 combined offensive yards and the last play coming on the one yard line in which the Saints fell three feet short of perhaps tying the game.

Though it's just one week into the season, we were able to see how the 2011 Packers will be different from the Super Bowl winning team of a season ago.  Here are five things we learned from tonight's contest. 

1) Jordy Nelson Is The New No. 2 Receiver

Jordy Nelson, your table is ready good sir.

Six receptions, 77 yards and a touchdown.  Those are the impressive stats Nelson had in tonight's game, continuing the growing chemistry with Aaron Rodgers that was developed in last season's playoffs.

Nelson was a second round pick in the 2008 draft and was a receiver used intermittently, averaging 33 receptions per year his first three seasons.  It appeared that Nelson was fourth on the depth chart.

That all seemed to change though in the playoffs last year, as Rodgers began to target Nelson more and more every game.  It culminated in Nelson being the leading receiver in Super Bowl XLV with nine receptions for 149 yards including a 29 yard touchdown.

If tonight's game is any indication, Nelson is ready to breakout and become the second wide receiver option on this offense.  For all those fantasy owners that have James Jones, you may want to look for a new receiver.

The Packers still have the seemingly ageless Donald Driver and JerMichael Finley looks like his old self.  But Nelson is a guy who could certainly have over 50 receptions and around eight or nine touchdowns by seasons end. 

2) Pass Defense Could Be A Concern

If there is one thing to be concerned about after watching the game tonight, it's the fact the Packers pass defense has some work to do, especially if Tramon Williams is seriously injured.

Let's be very clear; the New Orleans Saints could be the best offense the Packers face all year. Drew Brees is a likely hall-of-famer and there is no shame in giving up a lot of points to the high powered Saints.

However it is concerning that Brees was able to throw for 419 yards and control much of the second half, considering it was well publicized that defensive coordinator Dom Capers had planned new wrinkles in his game plan for this contest.

While Clay Matthews and others were able to get to Brees in the first half, the Saints neutralized the pass rush for much of the second half, allowing the Saints to run roughshod all over the Packers. 

Green Bay may indeed have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, but at times the defensive secondary is going to have to shine, and tonight they were unable to.  The team needs to improve this area or it could be the teams undoing.

If there is one thing to be happy about though, its the fact their run defense was absolutely stellar, giving up less than four yards per rush, and coming through in the clutch, stopping the Saints on the one yard line to end the game. 

3) The Defensive Special Teams Need Work

The great news is Randall Cobb looks like a stud catching a touchdown pass, and having an incredible kickoff return for a touchdown as well.

Seeing Cobb run through the Saints was great, the problem is the Packers saw Saints running back Darren Sproles running all over them whether it was a punt or kickoff return.

Sproles returned two kickoffs for 76 yards and returned two punts for 92 yards, including a 72 yard touchdown run.  When you are giving up 164 return yards, that's cause for concern, considering the Packers have to play against teams with some return specialists, especially the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings.

Specials teams can often times determine the outcome of a game. Just ask the New York Giants who gave up a punt return for a touchdown against the Eagles that effectively knocked the G-Men out of the postseason and helped the Packers secure the six seed.

If Darren Sproles can run all over the Packers, you have to be scared that others like Devin Hester and Percy Harvin will be able to do the same.   

4) The Packers Have Incredible Depth at Running Back

One thing that the Packers have to be excited about is that teams will have to fear the Green Bay running game.

For much of the 2010 season, the Packers had the worst rushing offense in football until James Starks came out of nowhere and helped the running game gain some respectability in the playoffs.

Starks tonight looked just as dominant, running through tacklers, gaining clutch first downs and rushing for touchdowns.  He ran the ball 12 times for 57 yards, a 4.8 yard per carry average.

Then you have Ryan Grant, a very strong running back that saw his season come to an abrupt end in the very first week of last season.  He looked like his old self as he ran the ball nine times for 40 yards, a 4.4 yard per carry average.  Overall the team ran the ball 27 times for 103 yards. 

Then you have folk hero John Kuhn who can line up at full back or running back.  While he only rant he ball two times, they happened to be for a first down and a touchdown in the third quarter.  He even helped Randall Cobb stay upright on his amazing kickoff return touchdown. 

There is no doubt the Packers have a prolific passing offense.  The encouraging news for the team though is if they can force opponents to respect the run, it's going to make the job for Aaron Rodgers even easier. 

5) Aaron Rodgers May Be The Best Quarterback In The NFL

Since Drew Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006, it seems that the Mount Rushmore of current NFL quarterbacks has been Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. 

With the injury issues for Manning, it looks like Aaron Rodgers is ready to knock Peyton off that mountain. 

Aaron Rodger was incredible throughout the night going 27 of 35 for 312 yards and three touchdowns.  His performance in the first half was especially impressive as the Saints defense simply had no answer for him.

Whether it was sideline patterns, slants, screens or out patterns, Rodgers did it all against the Saints.  He also distributed the ball effectively with nine players having at least one reception.  The accuracy of some of his passes was so perfect, you have to wonder if any other quarterback could do it better.

Many Packer fans had a hard time believing they could embrace Rodgers and say goodbye to Brett Favre.  No. 4 was a legend in Green Bay, and many fans were incredibly bitter when he was traded off the team.

However, you're not going to find many people today angry that Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback.  You would have once thought it impossible that the Packers could ever find another quarterback as talented as Favre. 

Amazingly though, it seems Rodgers has all the tools in place to become an NFL legend.  It's something very few teams in NFL history have been able to enjoy, and it hasn't been seen since Steve Young replaced Joe Montana in San Francisco.

With a running game that seems to be improving, and new receivers such as Randall Cobb being inserted into the lineup, the sky is the limit for Rodgers.