Green Bay was trailing Dallas, 27-10, last Nov. 29 when Brett Favre injured his right elbow and separated his left shoulder early in the second quarter. In came Aaron Rodgers for his first significant action as a pro, and a little more than a quarter later, the Packers were within three points in a game Dallas finally won 37-27.

With Favre gone to the Jets, Rodgers starts tonight night in Green Bay against the only team that's already had a good look at him. Just as it was last season, it's a marquee matchup -- the teams were 10-1 when they met last season and each are 2-0 now.

It's also a marquee matchup of young quarterbacks: Rodgers and Dallas' Tony Romo, who is in his third season as a starter. Both got their first major playing time by being thrown in on prime time with little warning. Romo did so on a Monday night two years ago against the Giants when Drew Bledsoe was pulled.

After two games this month, Rodgers has completed 70 percent of his passes, hasn't thrown an interception in 42 attempts and has a superior passer rating of 117.8.

"He's making good decisions and he's being accurate with the football," coach Mike McCarthy says. "He hasn't taken many chances, and that's all part of good quarterback play. He needs to continue to do that."

Romo is from Wisconsin, so he is looking forward to performing in a historic venue tonight. "I'm a nostalgic person in a sense that I enjoy traditional things. I enjoy watching great players or great sporting events at a great atmosphere," Romo said. "Lambeau Field obviously has great history and it's going to fun to go up there and be part of that a little bit."

The Patriots' passing game has changed dramatically now that Matt Cassel is the starting quarterback. In last week's 19-10 win over the Jets, Cassel completed 16 of 23 passes. Twelve of those 16 completions were caught no more than 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. Just one was caught more than 11 yards from the line of scrimmage. Of Cassel's 165 passing yards, 123 were yards after the catch.

The Chiefs are the only team to have four quarterbacks complete a pass in their first two games. It makes Tyler Thigpen's surprising start today vs. Atlanta not so much a coronation or a nod to the future, as it is perhaps just his turn.

In case you're wondering: Thigpen played in college at tiny Coastal Carolina, was a seventh-round pick last year by the Minnesota Vikings and grabbed by the Chiefs off waivers last summer. He starts today because Brodie Croyle is hurt and Damon Huard ineffective.

How bad is it in Kansas City, though, when coach Herm Edwards tells the media he's starting the third-team quarterback because he gives the Chiefs the best chance to win vs. Atlanta?

Tom Brady set an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes last season. But since the middle of last season, no quarterback has more TD passes than Arizona's Kurt Warner. During the final eight games of 2007 and the first two of 2008, Warner has 25 TD passes. Brady and Drew Brees are next with 20 apiece.

Penn State alum Kerry Collins has shown resilience in his NFL career, starting 150 games for five teams despite several off-field problems. He's also showing proficiency. Collins, who now starts at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans in place of injured Vince Young, needs 90 passing yards today against Houston to hit 35,000 for his career. He'll become only the 15th quarterback to reach that plateau.

Pride and poise is the Raiders' motto, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that pride may be preventing them from being the best Al Davis believes they can be. Davis has made it clear he wants to fire head coach Lane Kiffin, but he apparently does not want to pay him the remaining $3 million or so he owes him. Davis had no problem doling out approximately $255 million in an offseason spending spree on players, however. If money isn't the issue, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, pride is.

The Cowboys, who play at Green Bay tonight, have never won in Lambeau Field. ... NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson (263 yards) missed practice late this week with a hamstring injury and has been listed as questionable today when the Vikings face Carolina. ... Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards has more drops (6) than catches (5) through two games. ... The Browns were the only team to start with two consecutive home games -- but they are one of 10 teams to start 0-2. "We expected more from the team -- period," coach Romeo Crennel said.