Nobody said it was easy to be the defending Super Bowl Champions and the Green Bay Packers are certainly finding that out early in the 2012 National Football League season.
For the second straight week, the Packers' defense struggled to control the game.
The Packers defense was gouged for 475 yards Sunday in a 30-23 victory at Carolina. The secondary, especially, was porous, allowing rookie quarterback Cam Newton to throw for 432 yards on 28-of-46 passing and gain another 53 on the ground.
Fortunately, the Packers were again able to capitalize on turnovers, four of them, to improve to 2-0 on the young season.
"Not a clean game at all," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. "We have a lot of room for improvement and we're excited about that, because any time you have a chance to grow and you're 2-0 and been able to accomplish what we've accomplished so far. I'm not saying it's a whole lot, but we're off to a good start."
In the first two games, defensive coordinator Dom Capers' unit has allowed 952 yards and 57 points to the Saints and Panthers. Their averages of 476 yards and 28.5 points per game are well off their marks from a year ago when they ranked fifth in yardage (309.1) and second in points (15.0) allowed.
On the offensive side, the Packers showed their explosiveness from Week 1 was no fluke but had trouble closing out drives, settling for short field goals three times in four trips to the red zone.
"We've got to get seven points on the road," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "When you're playing a team that's maybe a little bit more veteran-laden, you have opportunities like that, you can't let (them) get back in the game."
Still, the game plan was effective and balanced, with 124 of the Packers' 419 yards coming on the ground and Rodgers completing 19 of 30 passes for 308 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Again, Rodgers spread the ball around, completing passes to nine different players. Jermichael Finley led the way with 5 catches for 68 yard while James Starks and Ryan Grant hauled in three apiece and Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb each catching a pair.
"We can sit here and pick apart all the things that didn't go right, but the most important thing is we finished it," Mike McCarthy said.
Record setting day: Donald Driver caught just one pass Sunday but it was a big one in terms of Packers history.
The 10-yard reception came with just under three minutes left in the third quarter and moved Driver out of a tie with James Lofton atop the team's all-time receiving yardage list. He now has 9,666 career receiving yards over his 13-year career.
"It feels good," Driver said. "It's something you dream of for a while. I didn't expect this to happen ... It means everything to me. From where I came from to where I'm at today, it's truly a blessing."
Whoops: Randall Cobb turned heads with his 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the opener last week against New Orleans. His first return attempt Sunday wasn't quite as memorable, fumbling the ball away and giving the ball back to the Panthers, who would go up 10-0 on a 20-yard field goal from Olindo Mare.
Player of the game: Give a game ball to Charles Woodson. The veteran defensive back was matched up against Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith and though Smith finished with six receptions for 156 yards, Woodson recorded five tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Turning point: Aaron Rodgers' 49-yard touchdown throw to Jennings tied the game (the Packers went ahead on Mason Crosby's extra point) and all but eliminated any momentum the Panthers generated by jumping out to a 13-0 lead.
Injury report: Safety Nick Collins remained in a Charlotte hospital overnight, undergoing tests and further observation following a collision with Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart in the fourth quarter.
The team issued a statement at 5:12 p.m. saying Collins "has normal feeling and complete movement in his extremities. As is standard protocol, he will be kept in the hospital overnight for observation. When he returns to Green Bay, he will undergo further testing and evaluation."
Other injuries included Ryan Pickett, who left the game in the second half with a sprained foot.
Next week: Let Bear Week begin. The Packers meet their arch-rival for the first time this season (and the third time in the calendar year) at 3:15 p.m. Sunday in Chicago.
