Packers, Aaron Rodgers have rough loss in first game after Davante Adams trade

Last season, the Green Bay Packers lost 38-3 in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints. They ended up just fine, winning the NFC North and getting the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Maybe that will repeat this season. But the start is the same. The Packers looked awful in a Week 1 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They held out most of their starters in the preseason, but the Vikings did too so the excuse of being rusty doesn’t hold a lot of weight.

And this time, the Packers have to try to figure things out without Davante Adams.

The Packers' first game since trading Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders didn't go well. No receiver stood out. Not that the Packers knew it during the game, but it didn't help that a couple time zones away Adams was having a fantastic debut with the Raiders. No Packers player had more than 37 yards receiving when Rodgers was in the game. Adams had 141 yards on 10 catches.

Rodgers had a quiet day. He threw for 195 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 67.6. Jordan Love played the final minute with the Packers trailing by 16 points.

The first quarter provided an omen for the Packers. Rookie receiver Christian Watson, who was one of the players Green Bay drafted to help replace Adams, beat his man deep and had an easy touchdown in front of him. He dropped Rodgers' pass.

That's how most of the game went. The Packers trailed 20-0 before finally putting together a scoring drive. Rodgers took a lot of punishment. On one sack he went to his left and wanted to throw back to the right, but was sandwiched by two Vikings defenders. Rodgers stayed on the ground for a while as trainers came out to look at him. He got his neck worked on when he went back to the sideline. The hits Rodgers took were likely a reason Love played the final minute.

The Packers were flat. Maybe it's another Week 1 clunker and they'll be fine, but there should be some concern about the offense.

All the Packers had to do was look to the other team to see what an impact a true No. 1 receiver can make. Justin Jefferson was unstoppable, especially in the first half. He had nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Kirk Cousins isn't the quarterback Rodgers is, but Rodgers doesn't have a Jefferson to throw to.

The Packers aren't in trouble just because of one loss. The Vikings should be a tough out this season, especially at home. But maybe trading Adams won't be easy to overcome.