The Green Bay Packers travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers in their season opener.
Here’s a quick look at the projected starters and other key players, with some interesting facts and ways to interact with your favorite players.
Offense
Aaron Rodgers, QB
Did you know?: Has been sacked 211 times in 85 games.
Stat: Career passer rating of 104.9 is No. 1 in NFL history.
Twitter: @AaronRodgers12
Eddie Lacy, RB
Did you know?: Packers haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2009.
Stat: Ran for 1,322 yards and 17 TD at Alabama last year.
Twitter: @Lil_Eazy_Ana_42
Jermichael Finley, TE
Did you know?: Has fumbled twice in his career.
Stat: Set single-season franchise record for catches by a tight end with 61 in 2012.
Twitter: @JermichaelF88
James Jones, WR
Did you know?: Averages 38.8 yards per game receiving for his career.
Stat: Led NFL with 14 TD catches in 2012.
Twitter: @LoveJones4Kids
Jordy Nelson, WR
Did you know?: Has caught over 50 passes once in five seasons.
Stat: Ranks No. 2 in the NFL with 22 TD catches since 2011
Twitter: @JordyRNelson
Randall Cobb, WR
Did you know?: Has a 39.6 quarterback rating off of one career pass attempt.
Stat: Set franchise single-season record with league-high 2,342 combined net yards in 2012.
Twitter: @rcobb18
David Bakhtiari, OL
Did you know?: Played lacrosse in high school and tennis recreationally.
Stat: Allowed 2½ sacks and one pressure at Colorado in 2012.
Twitter: @DBak69
Josh Sitton, OL
Did you know? First Green Bay guard to be selected to Pro Bowl since Marco Rivera in 2004.
Stat: According to STATS LLC, has allowed 8½ sacks in four seasons as a starter.
Twitter: @jsitton71
Evan Dietrich-Smith, OL
Did you know?: Was stomped on by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on Thanksgiving Day, 2011.
Stat: Took over as the starting center for the final two regular-season games and both postseason contests in 2012.
T.J. Lang, OL
Did you know?: Will start at right guard in 2012, making it the fourth on the line he has started at (27 at LG, five at RT, two at LT).
Stat: 31 starts over the past two seasons are the most by a Packers offensive lineman.
Twitter: @TJLang70
Don Barclay, OL
Did you know?: Made NFL debut on special teams as a member of the kickoff return unit.
Twitter: Started the final four regular-season games and both playoff games at right tackle last year.
Twitter: @Barclay_64
B.J. Raji, DL Datone Jones, DL Ryan Pickett, DL Brad Jones, LB Nick Perry, LB A.J. Hawk, LB Clay Matthews, LB Tramon Williams, DB Sam Shields, DB Morgan Burnett, DB M.D. Jennings, DB Mason Crosby, K Tim Masthay, P Brett Goode, long snapper Jeremy Ross, KR Andrew Quarless, TE James Starks, RB Casey Hayward, DB Jerron McMillian, DB Johnny Jolly, DL Davon House, DBDefense
Did you know?: First Green Bay defensive tackle since Bob Brown in 1972 to make the Pro Bowl.
Stat: Has eight passes defensed and 10.5 sacks in his career.
Twitter: @rajifreezer90
Did you know?: Missed entire 2010 season with fractured his right foot.
Stat: Finished career at UCLA with 36½ tackles for loss.
Twitter: @IAM_Dat_One
Did you know?: Member of 2001 Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams.
Stat: Led Packers defensive line with 75 tackles last year.
Twitter: @RyanPickett79
Did you know?: Earned degree in economics at Colorado and is just four classes shy of another degree in astrophysics.
Stat: Started career-high 10 games as an injury replacement at inside linebacker in 2012.
Did you know?: Russell Wilson was his first NFL sack.
Stat: Had 29 tackles and two sacks last year.
Twitter: @nickthegreat8
Did you know?: Grew his hair out in 2005 in tribute of Pat Tillman.
Stat: Led team or finished second in tackles in six of seven seasons.
Twitter: @OfficialAJHawk
Did you know?: A total of five family members have played in the NFL.
Stat: Has 42.5 sacks in four seasons.
Twitter: @ClayMatthews52
Did you know?: Only Packers cornerback to start every game in 2012.
Stat: Tied for second in NFL with 15 interceptions since 2010 (including playoffs).
Twitter: @HighRizer38
Did you know?: Was the country’s No. 17 rated wide receiver coming out of high school.
Stat: Career total of four INTs tied for the most in franchise playoff history.
Twitter: @stickyshields37
Did you know?: According to NFL participation statistics, one of four non-offensive linemen in the NFL to appear on 100 percent of his team’s snaps.
Stat: Has started 35 consecutive games between the two safety positions.
Twitter: @MoBetta_42
Did you know?: Was the main defensive player involved in the "Fail Mary" play in Seattle last season.
Stat: Appeared in all 16 games with 10 starts, making 52 tackles.
Twitter: @MD_Jennings
Special teams
Did you know?: Set NFL record with 762 points in his first six seasons.
Stat: 63.6 field-goal percentage was the lowest for any active kicker in NFL in 2012.
Twitter: @Crosbykicks2
Did you know?: Has a "perfect" passer rating of 158.3 on one career attempt.
Stat: Placed a career-high 30 punts inside the 20 in 2012.
Twitter: @TimMasthay
Did you know?: Has 11 total tackles in his career.
Stat: One of only three Packers to appear in all 80 regular-season games from 2008-12
Twitter: @BGoode61
Did you know?: Entered the league with New England as a non-drafted free agent in 2011.
Stat: Had a 25.8-yard average on four punt returns and a 28.7-yard average on three kickoff returns last year.
Twitter: @J_Ross_10
Others to know
Did you know?: Holds Penn State records for receptions by a tight end in a career (87) and single season (41 in 2009).
Stat: Coming back after missing all of 2012.
Twitter: @Quarless81
Did you know?: 315 rush yards in 2010 postseason third all-time in the NFL.
Stat: Led the team with 833 rushing yards over the past two seasons.
Twitter: @James44Starks
Did you know?: Was ProFootballFocus.com’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Stat: Led NFL rookies with team-high 6 INT.
Twitter: @show_case29
Did you know?: First player drafted by the Packers out of the University of Maine.
Stat: Tied for fourth on team with 13 passes defensed.
Twitter: @rOnDoo_da1
Did you know?: Has not played in the NFL since 2009.
Stat: Led all NFL defensive linemen with 11 passes defensed that year.
Twitter: @JJolly97
Did you know?: Blocked punt last year was Packers first since 2003.
Stat: Had 13 passes defensed in nine games.
Twitter: @DavonHouse
Jim Owczarski is an award-winning sports journalist and comes to Milwaukee by way of the Chicago Sun-Times Media Network.
A three-year Wisconsin resident who has considered Milwaukee a second home for the better part of seven years, he brings to the market experience covering nearly all major and college sports.
To this point in his career, he has been awarded six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, breaking news and projects. He is also a four-time nominee for the prestigious Peter J. Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, presented by the Chicago Headline Club, and is a two-time winner for Best Sports Story. He has also won numerous other Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press and Northern Illinois Newspaper Association awards.
Jim's career started in earnest as a North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) senior in 2002 when he received a Richter Fellowship to cover the Chicago White Sox in spring training. He was hired by the Naperville Sun in 2003 and moved on to the Aurora Beacon News in 2007 before joining OnMilwaukee.com.
In that time, he has covered the events, news and personalities that make up the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, NCAA football, baseball and men's and women's basketball as well as boxing, mixed martial arts and various U.S. Olympic teams.
Golf aficionados who venture into Illinois have also read Jim in GOLF Chicago Magazine as well as the Chicago District Golfer and Illinois Golfer magazines.
