49ers upset Packers to start 2012 season

Last year going into our first game, I was literally just hoping that Harbaugh, in his first season, without an offseason to instill his plan, would find a way to win 7 or so games.  I thought that would be a solid starting point.  The fact that he won twice that number, including the legendary playoff win over the Saints, shocked the sporting world.  This year, with just about every expert except Bill Simmons (Seattle in the SB, really?) predicting an easy divisional title, we were no longer the underdog.  We would be favored to win pretty much every game, except for maybe a couple.

One was the opening match vs the Packers at Lambeau.  The Packers were 15-1 last season, and simply got run over by the Giants' destiny train.  I'd like the think that had GB won, this season's Week 1 30-22 win would simply have occurred 7 and a half months earlier in that NFC Championship.

Anyway, few would have predicted that we'd go into Lambeau and find a way to win against a Rodgers-led Packer team who has been stewing about their 1 and done playoff exit for the past 8 months.  Few would also have predicted that Alex Smith would outplay reigning MVP Rodgers.  Smith threw for 2 TDs on 20-26 passing, spreading the ball out to 6 different receivers.

Gore, whom many experts believe would have a down year with the emergence of 2nd year Hunter and the addition of Brandon Jacobs, destroyed the Pack for 112 yards and the game-winning TD.  In fact, the 49ers finished with 186 rushing yards while GB only had 45, of which, pathetically, Rodgers was responsible for 27.

But the most impressive stat was David Akers' 63 yard field goal, which tied for the longest kick in NFL history.  It actually bounced off the crossbar and fell over for the score as the 1st half expired.

I wouldn't say that the Packers are overrated.  I think the 49ers of last season were no fluke.  We're a contender and it feels so good to say that, though we've played just 1 game.