Rodgers: under pressure

You can't replace a legend. And you certainly don't want to be the first person to try. In any sport, any position, you do not want to be the one following in those footsteps. Everything Aaron Rodgers does from here on in is going to be critiqued.

Kevin Cadle
Quotes of the week

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Vikings @ Packers
12.00am (Tues), Sky Sports 2 & HD2
Broncos @ Raiders
3.00am (Tues), Sky Sports 2 & HD2

Sky Sports will be showing Monday Night Football all season, again in the company of Kevin Cadle. Week One throws up a double-header, and here our man outlines the plan...

Vikings @ Packers

And so begins life after Brett.

It's gonna be different whatever the situation surrounding it and whatever side you're looking at it from. Especially if you are Aaron Rodgers.

I remember a few years ago how Marcellus Wiley said he was looking forward to replacing Bruce Smith, who was a legend in Buffalo, but you know what? You can't replace a legend.

And you certainly don't want to be the first person to try. In any sport, any position, you do not want to be the one following in those footsteps.

Everything Aaron Rodgers does from here on in is going to be critiqued. Everything. Rodgers has to hit the ground running and you don't know how Green Bay are gonna handle that.

Do they ask him to toss it up there early or just let him find his way into the game.

Everyone will have an opinion on how the Packers should play that, but the one person who knows is coach McCarthy

He knows what he needs to do for Aaron to be successful. Maybe that means letting him come into the game by just handing the ball off to get the jitters out of him, maybe Aaron leeds to let it out, to get it out of hyis styemt in order for him to be succesful.

Only McCarthy will know what Rodgers psyche is - and will be interesting to see come Monday night.

So that is already a massive amount of pressure on him, but what a game to try and fill the void in.

Even without the Favre equation, this is just one of those good old fashioned NFC battles. These two have been doing it for years in the Central Division and they might have moved to the North, but the rivalry is still the same.

These two organisations just don't care a whole lot for each other. They never have and they never will.

Minnesota might feel they are in better shape heading into this because they have improved their lot over the summer. They picked up Jared Allen for a start, who was probably the top free agent choice around and I like what they have done.

But, whichever way you look at it, this is all about the two quarterbacks. Tavaris Jackson went 8-4 in 2007 starts but still hasn't really established himself as a major presence in the NFL.

If you're talking about experience though, whatever you want to say about him, Jackson has a whole lot more than Rodgers at Green Bay - and that might just count. And of course, he has his own situation to deal with, but he ain't the one replacing Brett Favre.

And has the luxury of that Minnesota running game to back him up. If it comes down to who can carry the football the best, this game is only going one way - to the Vikings and Adrian Peterson.

You've only got to look at that defensive live in front of him with the Williams brothers, Pat and Kevin leading it. These guys are pro bowlers and now they've added Allen to the mix and they've got three instead of two.

That running attack is only gonna get better for Minnesota and it's gonna be a tough ask for the Packers to keep them under wraps.

CADLE'S CALL:I like Minnesota here. The first game without Favre was always going to be tough on Green Bay, but with that running game to cope with on top of all that, I can't see them winning it.

Broncos @ Raiders

This is part two of rivals Monday.

As if Green Bay and Minnesota beating up on each other weren't enough, we've got another grudge match-up from the NFC West where Oakland and Denver don't have a whole lot of love going on either.

This is going to be hard and there is no question that it is going to come down to a battle of the running games.

The Broncos might have had another option but are still missing Brandon Marshall, their leading receiver through suspension. He had his three-match ban knocked down to just one, but he is still missing this particular game.

That is a big blow because he is their go-to guy and Jay Cutler will miss his presence for sure, should that running game not fire on all cylinders.

But the Broncos usually move the football well. They'll be looking for Sevlin Young to build on last season and make sure the two rookies they've got in there don't have to take on too much early on.

And don't forget who gave up the most rushing yards in the NFL last season. People ran on the Raiders with no problem all year long.

That Oakland line doesn't look any stronger although behind that they do possess real quality in cornerbacks, DeAngelo Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha and the two safeties, Michael Huff and Gibril Wilson do possess genuine quality and are as good as any four in the NFL.

And they can run the ball well themselves. They have Jamarcus Russell in at quarterback and have added Darren McFadden and maybe that is why a lot of people are looking at them thinking maybe they can get it done.

CADLE'S CALL: I am not convinced about their defensive line one bit, but I am gonna stretch this one out for the Raiders. I don't know why, but I can see them sneaking home.