Packers hold on in opener
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years, 3 months AGO
<p>Green Bay Packers' Jordy Nelson celebrates with fans after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)</p>
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - A Super Bowl hangover and the NFL lockout weren't about to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The New Orleans Saints just couldn't keep up.
Rodgers came out on top in a memorable opening-night duel with Drew Brees, and the Packers made a goal-line stand on the final play of the game to beat the Saints 42-34 on Thursday night.
With the Saints on the 1-yard line, Clay Matthews and safety Morgan Burnett led a swarm of Packers defenders who stopped Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram short of the goal line.
"It's not what you envision," Matthews said. "Obviously, you'd love to have a blowout, but I think it represents everything that we preach, which is finishing games. And it comes down to the very last play - we win, or they have an opportunity to tie it up. I think it's fantastic to overcome that adversity, get the stop that we needed and get off the field with the victory."
Rodgers and Brees had big games, but Packers rookie Randall Cobb stole the show.
Cobb, a second-round draft pick out of Kentucky, caught a touchdown from Rodgers and ran a kickoff back 108 yards for a score in the third quarter - tying an NFL record for the longest kickoff return in history.
"It was amazing," Cobb said. "The feeling of being in Lambeau Field and just having all of the guys around me coming off of the Super Bowl and just trying to do anything I can to contribute, and I tried to make the most of my opportunities."