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Still prime-timers: Packers to open on MNF

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers will begin their NFC North title defense at home on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings.

Green Bay will play in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday, Sept. 8—the start of a new era without three-time MVP Brett Favre.

The Packers have won four straight against the Vikings. But Minnesota has last season’s offensive rookie of the year, running back Adrian Peterson.

The rest of the NFL schedule will be released in April.

Kickoff time for the Viking game is slated for 6 p.m.

The second game of the opening Monday night doubleheader will pit Denver at Oakland, with kickoff at 9:15 p.m.

The season will begin with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants playing host to the Washington Redskins on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m.

The other prime-time game opening weekend will have the Indianapolis Colts opening their new stadium against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 7:15 p.m.

This will mark the fourth time that the Packers will open their season on a Monday night, and the team is 3-0 in its previous Monday openers. The first one was 35 years ago when Green Bay defeated the New York Jets on Sept. 17, 1973, in Milwaukee.

The Packers also began defense of their Super Bowl XXXI title with a 38-24 victory over Chicago on Sept. 1, 1997, at Lambeau Field, and knocked off reigning NFC champion Carolina in a 24-14 decision on Sept. 13, 2004, in Charlotte.

“I think it’s great,” said Head Coach Mike McCarthy, speaking to a group of reporters at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. “I think it’s a reflection of the success of our football team last year.

“It’s a great way to start the season, against the Minnesota Vikings, an arch-rival.”

The game will be McCarthy’s first Monday night home game as coach. During the past two seasons, the Packers have played three Monday night games, all on the road at Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. The Packers’ last Monday night home game came on Nov. 21, 2005, also against Minnesota.

Opening the season at home in prime time could provide an opportunity for the team to retire quarterback Brett Favre’s jersey, No. 4, but no decision will be made until the full schedule is released. The team has told Favre it would present him with a few different options once the full schedule is announced, which is expected to be sometime in April.

—Packers.com contributed to this story.