The Green Bay Packers are focusing on the Minnesota Vikings this week and even though this will be Aaron Rodgers first start the scene has been quiet the last week or so. Maybe that is because previously the Packers’ training camp was the center of controversy. Now that the focus is solely on the Vikings, a confident calm has come over the team.

Finally we are talking football. The Packers will be underdogs in their home stadium when you factor in home-field advantage and a check of Yahoo’s pick’em contest shows that 65 percent of the responders pick the Vikings. It seems like the Packers have pretty much no chance to win Monday night. Yes, the Packers have question marks, but so do the Vikings. For the Packers one has to be concerned about Ryan Grant and the defenses’ ability to stop the run. If you are the Vikings you don’t have to worry about stopping the run but you better be able to pressure the quarterback because if you don’t it will be a field day for Aaron Rodgers.

While both teams have questions at quarterback, I would much rather be facing the Vikings secondary with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback than facing the Packers secondary with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback against Charles Woodson and Al Harris. If Jackson shows any ill affects from his banged up knee he could be a turnover waiting to happen. This game has so many “what-ifs” and means so much for both teams. The winner is the clear favorite in the NFC North this year. Pure and simple. Not that the loser is out of it, but from a confidence point of view, and in the Packers case a trip to Metrodome looming, it will tough to overcome a loss.

Confidence remains high. I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Grant back in action. Ryan Pickett back in action. The way to beat the Vikings is not a secret. Shut down Adrian Peterson and if you don’t turn the ball over yourselves, you win. Jackson is not going to beat you alone. Of course, shutting down Peterson is easier said than done. Peterson did struggle after coming back from injury last year and didn’t impress in the preseason, but the later was probably by design.

Plenty of questions to be answered Monday. Probably more to be raised.

To close tonight, the New York Giants are destroying the Washington Redskins. I think the Giants are underrated and have a decent chance to repeat. If they win their division, they would have to be the favorites to win it all. What I wouldn’t give for a Packers-Giants rematch this year. How cool would that be?

There were a few surprises in the final cuts and today’s moves, but all-in-all it is time to get ready for the almighty Minnesota Vikings. Keeping running back Kregg Lumpkin over Noah Herron and Vernand Morency was a mild surprise, but it just goes to show the Packers will keep talent over experience if the battle is close. I guess the same can be said in a way for punter Jon Ryan. Of all people, other than kicker Mason Crosby, Ryan never appeared in danger of losing his job. Today, however, he did lose his job. The Packers cut Ryan and signed Derrick Frost, who was cut by Washington. Wow.

Lumpkin certainly earned his spot, but Frost? Well, I guess he earned his spot on the Packers by punting for Washington the last four years. Still, it was somewhat surprising to see Ryan go. Just goes to show no position is safe.

Now we focus on the Vikings. The Minnesota Vikings, the Packers’ biggest rival right now, are the national media’s pick to win the division if not the Super Bowl this year. Apparently Adrian Peterson is the next coming of Barry Sanders. At least I compare him to Barry Sanders right now. A great back on a losing team. A great back that doesn’t have a quarterback. Can Peterson be a work horse and carry the load while a young quarterback like Tarvaris Jackson grows up? I don’t see it

Do the Packers have trouble stopping the run? Yes they do, so at this point it looks like advantage Minnesota. Can the Packers run the ball on the Vikings? They did last year, at least in Green Bay when Ryan Grant ripped them for 119 yards, including a 30-yard TD. Do the Packers even need to run the ball? The Vikings may be the number one against the run but only because nobody bothers to run against them. Why run when you can pass for free?

This is going to be a huge a game for both teams. Talk about jumping in full steam ahead. As far as must win games on opening day goes, this is one for both teams. If the Vikings win, the Packers should have kept Brett Favre, if the Packers win, the Vikings should have gotten a quarterback in the offseason. It’s going to be a fun week.

By the way, I doubt new punter Frost gets the number he had in Washington in Green Bay. Even with Favre taking more pot-shots at general manager Ted Thompson over the weekend, I doubt Thompson would sink to the level of Favre. Even if he could.

Are the Vikings for real do you think? Let me know.

More to come…