The Packers kick off the 2010 season Sunday in Philadelphia. Many think the 3:15 p.m. contest is the first step of a march towards Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.
There's a long way to go and if the Packers have Super Bowl aspirations, they'll need to start by beating the Eagles, who went 11-5 in 2009.
After parting ways with Donovan McNabb during the off-season, Philadelphia will be led by quarterback Kevin Kolb who will be making his first start after serving three years as McNabb's understudy.
Packers (0-0) vs. Eagles (0-0)
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Kickoff: 3:15 p.m.
Broadcast: TV -- FOX (6) with Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color commentary); Radio -- WTMJ-AM (620) with Wayne Larivee (play-by-play) and Larry McCarren (color commentary).
Line: Packers by 2 1/2.
All-time series: 37th meeting; Packers lead, 23-15-0 (7-11 in Philadelphia, 16-4 in Green Bay).
Last meeting: Green Bay 16, Philadelphia 13 (at Lambeau Field).
Head coaches: Green Bay -- Mike McCarthy (Fifth season, 39-28); Philadelphia -- Andy Reid (12th season, 118-75-1).
Notes: Packers open their 92nd season in team history and 90th as member of the NFL ... Opening against the Eagles for the sixth time (1934, '40, '68, '91, '07) ... Since 1986, 21 of the Packers' season-openers have been played at Lambeau ... Today's game is the first road opener in Mike McCarthy's tenure as head coach ... The Packers have won their last three openers ... The Packers and Eagles are two of the more success teams of the last decade. Green Bay is 95-65-0 (.594), which is fifth in the NFL since 2000 while the Eagles (103-56-1, .647) are third.
What to watch:
The Secondary -- Cornerback Al Harris isn't ready to return from a torn ACL, leaving a big hole in the secondary. Safety Charles Woodson is among the best in the game and a team leader, but his presence only makes the Packers' secondary slightly above average. They'll need to step things up Sunday.
Running game -- Is Ryan Grant the real deal, or is he just a good back in a good-fitting system? His numbers over the past few years have been very good, though a bit misleading. He's struggled for yardage early in games, ripped off a big run and then helped eat clock in the second half to put games away. The Packers' offense will be even more lethal if Grant can establish a dangerous ground game and force defenses to play more honest. Offensive line -- It's no secret that the Packers' offense is explosive and capable of putting up some mind-numbing numbers. Still, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be able to play at full strength if he's spending most of his time on his back. Sacked 50 times last year, the offensive line did improve as the season went on. Rodgers can't spent most of the game out of shotgun; for the offense to really click, the Packers need Rodgers to have enough protection to drop back and unload.
