Rodgers is coming off an outstanding second full season as the starter in Green Bay after replacing Brett Favre. He ranked fourth in the NFL last year with 4,434 passing yards to go along with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Those numbers are even more impressive if you consider Rodgers was sacked a league-high 50 times. He was even better in the preseason, completing a remarkable 77.4 percent of his passes for 406 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
Running back Ryan Grant has put together consecutive 1,200-yard seasons and will again be a key component of the Packers offensive attack. Grant has scored 16 touchdowns during that stretch, helping Rodgers grow into an effective QB who can rely on a balanced offense.
Meanwhile, Kolb is hoping to duplicate Rodgers’ rise in trying to replace another legend – Donovan McNabb – who was traded to Washington in the offseason. Kolb started for an injured McNabb twice last season and became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in his first two starts. Top receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin should give Kolb plenty of opportunities to stretch the field due to their speed and sure hands.
The Eagles will also be going through a transition at the running back position, as former leading rusher Brian Westbrook has moved on to San Francisco. Second-year player LeSean McCoy figures to take on a bigger workload while also Philly brought in former Saint Mike Bell to complement him as a bruiser in short-yardage situations. However, McCoy and Bell could find it difficult to run against the Packers, who led the NFL in run defense last year, giving up just 83.3 yards per game.
Both teams will need to do a better job of keeping their opponents in check defensively coming off disastrous playoff performances. Green Bay dropped a tough 51-45 decision at Arizona last year while the Eagles gave up 34 points in losing to Dallas for a third straight time.
Philadelphia has surrendered an average of 27.2 points in its last five games, including two losses to the Cowboys. The Eagles had ranked in the Top 5 in the NFL in both yards and points allowed in 2008 but fell to 12th and 19th respectively in those categories last year. The UNDER has cashed in five of the last six regular-season meeting between these teams.
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