Last week I began this column with the simple premise that it was time for this Packer team to make a statement by beating a team that has bullied them in recent years.

Well, they must have heard me. Not only did they beat them, but they dominated them. It was a performance far beyond anything I could have reasonably expected or hoped for from week one.

Now, all of the usual caveats about it just being week one apply here–you can’t necessarily extrapolate anything that happens in that first week (or really in the whole month of September) out over the full season; it’s simply too long and there are far too many variables for this to be seriously predictive of what’s to come.

That being said, I cannot recall a time since the earlier portions of my football consciousness that the Packers looked this complete in an opening day performance. Quite honestly, in looking back at opening days over the last several decades, the other truly dominant performance that stands out was the 34-3 whomping that the Packers delivered to the hapless Buccaneers in week one of their magical 1996 season. That Packer team was, of course, one of possibly the five greatest football teams to ever set foot on an NFL field (at least in my opinion) and ended the season with the top offense, defense, AND special teams, with a Super Bowl championship to boot.

It’s far too soon to start making any comparisons, but this Packer team had all the hallmarks of a true contender. They played outstanding complementary football, had a smothering defensive performance, and the stars showed out when needed. There was never a moment in the game where the Lions seriously threatened to make things interesting.

On offense, the Packers’ offensive line did a marvelous job of creating a clean pocket for Jordan Love the entire game. The Lions’ whole game plan was to sell out against the run, which they did pretty well for two and a half quarters or so. But even knowing that the Lions were hoping the Packers would pass, Love was kept clean and was remarkably efficient. He hit seemingly every eligible receiver on the roster and delivered a few very impressive on-the-money throws at different depths and platforms.

On defense, this team was practically unrecognizable from the Joe Barry years, and seems to have made some significant strides forward even from last year. It’s hard to understate the meaning of the Micah Parsons addition; the team just plays differently with him. He affected the quarterback from his first snap and opened up opportunities for other rushers before eventually getting his own first sack in green and gold. With a much stronger pass rush, the pressure was off the secondary, and they could play tough and loose. Then you had the remarkable Edgerrin Cooper, who was all over the field and looks like an All Pro player in the making, and a Quay Walker who looked like a player who has put it together and is ready for a contract extension. The defenders were flying to the football and never let Detroit’s previously high-octane offense get comfortable.

It was a true role reversal. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Packers as the aggressors like this, playing a style of football that can work in just about any kind of matchup. It bodes well for what this team can accomplish moving forward.

Again, it’s just one week. But based on what we saw, it’s hard not to have high expectations for what’s to come for the rest of the year.

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

I apparently forgot to take a photo of this week’s beer, so you’re just going to have to imagine it for yourself. The good news is it *should* be fairly easy to find throughout the state of Wisconsin!

Many of you are likely familiar with Central Waters Brewing Company, which is based in Amherst in central Wisconsin, but also has a location now in Milwaukee. To me, it’s one of Wisconsin’s top-tier breweries; they make a wide range of beers and do them all quite well. Of course, they are best known for their barrel aging. They have their Brewer’s Reserve series, including their popular Bourbon Barrel Stout, Cassian Sunset, Peruvian Morning, Vanilla Bean Stout and many, many more.

Now I love a good scotch ale, especially when there’s a bit of a boozy zing to it. Central Waters has a barrel-aged scotch ale as part of that aforementioned Brewer’s Reserve series, and every time I have it it reminds me of why I enjoy the style so much.

A scotch ale is naturally a maltier beer, but with a more complex flavor profile than what you’d find in your typical amber. The barrel aging process works wonders with this style, and Central Waters is better at barrel aging than any other brewery in the state.

Here’s how they describe the beer:

“This rich, malty ale has been aged to perfection in our barrel house. Subtle and smooth, this is a decadent display of patience and process. Join us in a toast to good health. Slainte!”

At 12 percent ABV, this is definitely a one-and-done sort of beer. Personally I love it to sip on next to a fire or while I’m reading a book (or both). 

Highly recommend!

Some special moments from opening weekend

There was so much that happened during Sunday’s game that had me grinning–it has fueled me throughout this entire week so far. And given how exhausted I typically am during the first few weeks of teaching as my body reacclimates after summer break, I’ll take all the extra fuel I can get!

Here are just a few of my personal favorites:

• Micah Parsons’ first introduction: The deafening roar for Micah Parsons when he was introduced coming out of the tunnel was a great preview for what the whole afternoon would be like. It helped set up a big-game atmosphere, and it was great to see him already getting adoration from the crowd just days after arriving in Green Bay. 
• Matthew Golden’s first catch: The crowd was also VERY excited to see the first-round receiver get in on the action early in the game with a nice first-down grab. Golden wasn’t a big focal point in the passing game this week, but really, nobody was–Jordan Love spread the ball around expertly and found the open man. Seeing Golden get some big cheers right off the bat in his first game also gave the good feelings.
• XLV 15th anniversary: There were a large number of players who were back in the building to be introduced to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Super Bowl XLV. Of course, most special of all was Mike McCarthy, who after seven years was finally back in town as a Packer, not an opponent. While this wasn’t broadcast on television, the videos posted online show McCarthy coming out of the tunnel to a well-deserved tremendous ovation from the fans. It was touching to see how much McCarthy appreciated that. There was certainly a vocal contingent who was pleased to see him go, but to see the basically universal appreciation for him in his return was a reminder of why Lambeau Field and Packer fandom are so special.
• Just… Micah Parsons: Parsons’ first play saw yet another huge ovation from the fans as he walked on to the field and moments later pressured Jared Goff while running through All Pro Penei Sewell. Then, of course, his first sack late in the game, where he burst forth from a cluster of players at the line of scrimmage and chased down Goff like a lion chasing a wildebeest. What a day. Couldn’t ask for a more fun debut.

An unsung hero

Can we just quick give Daniel Whelan some love for an absolutely MASSIVE punt that put the Lions much farther back than they were probably expecting to take over? Dude just showed why the Packers extended his contract. An incredibly valuable member of the team–who hopefully won’t have to see the field all too often this year!

For the most part, the special teams unit looked solid this week. Just as on defense, players were flying to the football and seemed to be moving at a much faster speed than they did a year ago. While it wasn’t perfect, it was a good start and well above recent historical standards for the unit. 

Around the NFC North

As always, it’s time to go around the NFC North. 

• The CHICAGO BEARS had a very Chicago Bears start to the season. This is the second time in recent memory a Bears coach had a two-score lead in the fourth quarter in his debut but his team ended up blowing the game (see: Matt Nagy’s Bears against the painkiller-fueled Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in 2018). For several quarters the Bears were playing good defense despite the inability of their offense to do much of anything. It’s going to be a long season and there’s plenty of opportunity for growth, but you’ve got to be at least minorly concerned about Caleb Williams at the moment if you’re a Bears fan. It looked like a lot of the same issues from a year ago.

• The DETROIT LIONS were out-bullied by a team they’ve bullied quite a bit in recent years in their first week, and now the question becomes whether they have truly been that affected by the losses of their excellent coordinators of the last couple years. The Lions looked like they did not belong on the same field as the Packers. The running game couldn’t get anything going at all, and the only success they had in the passing game was up the middle of the field a few times with the tight end, but even their few scoring drives with field goals took them forever to get down the field. The offensive line is in shambles and there was absolutely no rhythm on that side of the ball. Tough start to the year for the defending division champs.

• The MINNESOTA VIKINGS had a lot of bad and a lot of good on Monday night. Clearly there is some mettle in the team to make a comeback like that in the fourth quarter on the road against a divisional opponent in the season opener. JJ McCarthy had some pretty gruesome moments, but he showed a lot of guts and resilience in powering back from a tough performance to help lead his team to victory. It remains to be seen whether McCarthy has what it takes to be consistent and reliable as a franchise quarterback, but you have to like the intangibles on display. Regardless, it’s yet another one-score escape for this Vikings team, which has to have a permanent horseshoe embedded somewhere.

Mr. Backes’s “This or That”

Every day I put a different “this or that” poll up on my whiteboard and have students leave tallies throughout the day. I then compile this information and post it here for laughs.

Here’s what we’ve seen over the last week:

• Brewers defeated Packers handily (what’s wrong with the youth of today?!)
• Chips defeated pretzels
• Luigi defeated Mario
• Rock narrowly defeated pop
• Sunset defeated sunrise

Week 2 NFL Picks

What a quick turnaround – it’s already gameday for the Packers once again! This is certainly a tough matchup; the top two teams in the NFL by DVOA, and the Packers would be the top if you factored in last year’s numbers for opponent strength. There are certainly some matchups to follow; how will the Packers do already banged up on the offensive line against a tough Washington front? How will the Packers’ defense matchup against the dynamic Jayden Daniels and that Washington passing attack?

It’s certainly going to be another test for GreeN Bay’s passing defense. They may be forced to play a lot outside of base, as Washington is going to be very heavy on spread formations. It’ll be fascinating to see how the team is able to stack up against that sort of offensive strategy.

These are a couple young teams, but the Packers have the advantage in they get to be at home on the short week. That’s enough for me to give them the edge here. We’ll say 30-20.

As for the full slate of games…

Packers def. Commanders

Cowboys def. Giants

Steelers def. Seahawks

Rams def. Titans

Bills def. Jets

Patriots def. Dolphins

Bengals def. Jaguars

49ers def. Saints

Ravens def. Browns

Lions def. Bears

Broncos def. Colts

Cardinals def. Panthers

Eagles def. Chiefs

Vikings def. Falcons

Texans def. Bucs

Chargers def. Raiders

Looking forward to another full weekend of NFL action. Happy football season!