GREEN BAY, Wis. — Sure, Aaron Rodgers enjoyed beating the San Francisco 49ers. It's the team he grew up rooting for, and the team that snubbed him on draft day in 2005.

But Rodgers wasn't gloating after yesterday's 30-24 victory, and neither were the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay (6-4) nearly blew a big lead in the second half, and now might have to hang in the playoff race without two key cogs in the defense: outside linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris, who sustained potentially serious knee injuries.

Kampman and Harris both were carted to the locker room in the second half, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged there is "some concern" about the severity of their injuries.

"Hopefully, these two injuries aren't as serious as we may think," McCarthy said.

McCarthy said the Packers should know more about Kampman and Harris today. For now, they'll try to carry all the things they did right in the first half into Thursday's game at Detroit.

And if Rodgers felt any sense of satisfaction in beating the team that passed him over in the draft, he kept it to himself.

"It's fun to play against a team that you idolized growing up, and watched every Sunday after church," said Rodgers, a native of Chico, Calif. "You've got to give those guys credit. I think in the second half, they fought a little harder."

Rodgers threw touchdown passes to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, and Ryan Grant rushed for 129 yards and a score.

Alex Smith, the player San Francisco drafted No. 1 instead of Rodgers that year, rebounded from a miserable start to throw three touchdown passes after halftime for the 49ers (4-6) — including the first touchdown catch of rookie Michael Crabtree's career.

But the rally fell short, making the 49ers' path to the playoffs much tougher.

"Either we're digging ourselves a hole early in the game and it's too much to overcome or we're getting ahead and we're finding ourselves too comfortable with a lead," San Francisco coach Mike Singletary said.