Preseason points: Rodgers has Packers' O rolling

Point 1: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense are going to be very tough to stop this season.




If you missed the Packers' first-half spanking of the defending NFC Champions at Arizona, you missed an impressive showing by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Co. With the team's 44-37 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers are 3-0 heading into the final week of the NFL preseason.

The fifth-year veteran quarterback, who is beginning only his second season as a full-time starter, confounded and frustrated the Cardinals' defense during the first 30 minutes of the game. In addition to completing 14 of 19 pass attempts for 258 yards and three touchdowns, Rodgers added insult to injury with a 34-yard scamper during a rare occasion when his pocket began to collapse around him. And the Packers' offense showed just how formidable they can be on a play when Rodgers avoided a potential sack by Chike Okeafor — who even had the benefit of jumping offsides — and then completed a terrific in-stride long ball to Donald Driver, who pulled in the catch despite pass interference by Antrel Rolle.

Rodgers also threaded a pass into double-coverage on a short throw, showed great patience on a 2nd-and-goal at the Cardinals' 3-yard line, looking right, left and then right again before delivering a strike to Jermichael Finley for a score. And his play-action work was smooth and deceptive, which helped him connect on a long pass up the middle that resulted in a 76-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson.

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Quite simply, the Packers were unstoppable in the first half while the starters were on the field. They scored on five out of six possessions, and their only missed opportunity was due to missing a 29-yard field goal after stalling at the Cardinals' 11-yard line. Green Bay held a commanding 38-10 lead by halftime, despite a mere 27 seconds difference in time of possession between the two clubs.

While Rodgers was the star of the show, the offense as a whole rolled for 357 yards, the defense forced three turnovers and the team drew just two penalties during the first half.

Green Bay is obviously poised for a strong start. It's a shame they have to interrupt their momentum with a fourth preseason game that the starters will mostly watch from the sidelines. They were really fun to watch.

Point 2: If he can stay healthy, Beanie Wells could be the most exciting Cardinals rookie to watch since Ottis Anderson.