Rodgers sinks Vikes, raises hopes

Comments | USA TODAY, September, 2008 | by Skip Wood

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- This game had more subplots than a soap opera. It no doubt held more than a passing interest for the Monday Night Football audience, not to mention the fans gathered on a relatively chilly evening at storied Lambeau Field.

For this, of course, was the first time since Sept. 20, 1992, that Brett Favre had not started at quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

So as Titletown Nation watched, the guy who wears No.12 and who replaced the guy who famously wore No.4 offered considerable room for optimism after this 24-19 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, one of the Packers' more bitter rivals.

Aaron Rodgers, the man on the spot, completed 18 of his 22 passes for 178 yards but also showed nifty footwork when deciding to bail out and...