Wisconsin has been home to me for my entire life. I grew up in the Milwaukee area, spent four years attending school in Madison, moved back to the city of Milwaukee and now own a house in my hometown. In that time I’ve been fortunate to travel to a lot of incredible places around the country and the world, but 30-some years as a resident of this state has ingrained in me a deep love and appreciation for all (well, most) things Wisconsin. 

And of course, at the top of that list is the Green Bay Packers.

I’m trying out something new this season with CheeseheadTV, a column I’m calling “Hello Wisconsin.” My hope is that in this space each week I’ll be able to bring some insight into football, while also spreading a little bit of Wisconsin cheer to Packer fans near and far. Consider this something of a love letter to all things Wisconsin, including (mostly) the Packers. The name, taken from the tail end of the “That 70’s Show” theme, seemed appropriate for what I’m looking to do here. 

I’ve been a contributor with CheeseheadTV for several years now, and have been shouting my opinions about the Packers (and pretty much everything else) into the Twitter void for a decade (join my meager following at @timbackes). But as someone who’s always been a fan of longform content, I’m eager to carve out something unique (and maybe even interesting) here each week to help you greet your Thursday mornings.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

A 2020 season prediction

I try not to get too much into the business of predicting what’s going to happen with regard to the Packers beyond picking single games, but it is, after all, opening day of the NFL season, so here’s one that I’ve been preaching since January. The Packers are going to be a better ball club in 2020 than they were in 2019 in just about every phase of the game, except they will finish with a worse record.

Yeah, okay, this isn’t exactly going out on a limb. It’s hard to match a 13-3 record even in the best of circumstances. But I like what the Packers are building on the defensive side of the ball, and have to think that another season of all these weapons gelling together (plus what are hopefully upgrades at ILB, assuming a Kamal Martin midseason return alongside Christian Kirksey) will help the team sneak into the top 10 defenses this year. 

In addition, another year under the new Matt LaFleur offense will do wonders for all involved. I’m eager to see Allen Lazard get a full season’s worth of work, and Equanimeous St. Brown back from injury. I’m eager to see how the Packers exploit the versatility of Tyler Ervin and Josiah Deguara, and how the three-headed monster backfield of Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon carries this team, especially down the stretch. 

And, you know, there’s that Rodgers guy, too.

Give me the Packers finishing 11-5, but both sides of the ball improving their rankings over 2019 and the team at least repeating a visit to the NFC Championship Game.

Matt LaFleur: a real gem

I’m very much looking forward to what the Packers are able to accomplish in their second year under Matt LaFleur. I have to admit that I was one of the people last year who was underwhelmed by the hiring when it was announced, but LaFleur quickly grew on me throughout the season for his even-keeled nature and for how quickly he seemed to rally the players on his team behind him, even the team’s veteran players. Regardless of the way the season ended, 13-3 and a berth in the NFC Championship is nothing to sneeze at.

Time will tell what LaFleur and his team are able to accomplish in 2020, but this strange offseason has firmly cemented my believe that even if the jury is still out on what caliber of coach we can determine LaFleur to be, there is absolutely no doubt that he is an outstanding man and leader.

LaFleur constantly has his players’ backs, and has showcased tremendous empathy throughout the protests against racial injustice this spring and summer. Everything about the way he is leading this team so far is very, well… Lombardi-like. High character, players first, an atmosphere of unity in the locker room and a broader embrace of social justice.

Hopefully his coaching career sees even a fraction of the success Vince’s did on the field.

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

I’m nearly as passionate about my beer as I am about my Packers, so  I feel a responsibility to share the good news about some of my favorite Wisconsin breweries and the excellent work they’re doing. Folks in Wisconsin (and all over, really), always be sure to support local, especially during this pandemic!

I would be remiss if I didn’t begin this series by throwing a shoutout to what is, for my money, the best brewery in MIlwaukee, 1840 Brewing Company. Those folks have been brewing up small batches of outstanding beers for a little over three years now, and they’ve been among the local businesses keeping me sane during the pandemic.

I’ve been stopping there just about every Friday for their beer releases for the last few months, with it being Oktoberfest season, I figured I should give a shoutout to their delicious rendition. 

1840’s version of the Oktoberfest is sweet and malty as you’d expect from the style, but goes down a lot smoother than a lot of other ones you’ll find at your local liquor store. It’s a crisp, drinkable variant that immediately jumps into contendership for my favorite Wisconsin brewery Oktoberfest, right alongside New Glarus’s Staghorn and Central Waters’ Octoberfest. 

If you’re in the Milwaukee area, 1840 is always worth a visit, but they’ve got weird hours during the pandemic--pickup on Fridays and Saturdays only. Always recommend ordering ahead, because they brew in small batches, and their popular stuff tends to sell out quickly. And you can also pick up one of the sweet steins you see pictured above!

This year, appreciate 12 while we’ve got him

The drafting of Jordan Love this spring made it clear that the Packers see an expiration date in the not-so-distant future on Aaron Rodgers’ time with the team. So one of the big priorities for me throughout this season is making sure I appreciate every moment we have with him still quarterbacking this team, because who knows how many more years we have left.

Throughout my entire football consciousness, I’ve known only two franchise quarterbacks for the Packers, and I’m nearing my mid-30s. Maybe Jordan Love will make it three in a row, or maybe the Packers will join the majority of other teams in the league that have had more misses than hits in that same time. 

All I know is, Rodgers is one of the most special players to ever play the quarterback position. While he may no longer be in his prime, he still does stuff every single game that few, if any, other players in the history of the league can pull off. 

Gonna cherish this season as much as possible for that reason, and hopefully we get another year or two of him before his time in green and gold is over.

2020 breakout candidates?

It’s reasonable to expect that just about every year there’ll be at least one or two players who have a noticeable breakout year. Aaron Jones was a clear breakout player for the Packers in 2020, and both Preston and Za’Darius Smith also showcased why they were brought in on big-time contracts to be defensive leaders.

So the question is, who will break out for the Packers in 2020?

Camp reports certainly indicate Rashan Gary has a possibility. Gary will still be a rotational player in 2020, but he’ll have plenty of opportunity to make an impact. Though he didn’t see the field a ton in 2019, he managed to get a pretty solid pressure rate with the pass rushes he got. If he can build on that and carry over his momentum from training camp, he could really be a versatile and valuable weapon for this defense. Just imagine a pass rush that features the Smiths, Kenny Clark and a Gary who has improved confidence and is living up to his first-round billing.

On the offensive side of the ball, most people will be looking for a pass catcher to be a breakout candidate. Allen Lazard is a clear choice, but don’t be surprised if a tight end (probably Jace Sternberger or Robert Tonyan) really takes a big step forward, and provides the Packers with a more reliable option than Jimmy Graham did over the last couple years. “More reliable than Graham” may seem like a low bar, but if the Packers find a tight end on the roster who can equal or eclipse Graham’s production this year, you’ll have to like the trajectory they’re on.

Today I learned

Here’s something I somehow never knew before now: the first ever cheesehead was worn at a Brewers game, not a Packers game.

Kind of strange when you think about it now, seeing as it’s become so synonymous with Packers fandom, and you’d look pretty out of place wearing one at a Brewers game. But it’s true; the first cheesehead was a homemade creation, constructed from a couch cushion painted yellow. The man who created it, Ralph Bruno, went on to found Foamation, which is one of the world leaders for wearable foam cheese products.

This is almost certainly one of those facts that a ton of you will know already that just sort of slipped through the radar for me over the years, but it blew my mind a little bit when I stumbled across it today. 

By the way, Foamation also gives tours, and they make some pretty great stuff. I was in a wedding in Florida earlier this year before, you know, the whole world fell apart, and the groom was a friend of mine from Milwaukee. To bring a bit of Wisconsin into the party, the groomsmen added foam cheese belt buckles, hats, ties, vests and more during the reception. 

Chances are, if you’re looking for a foam cheese accessory, you’ll find it there.

Around the NFC North

Most Packer fans always have one eye on what their divisional rivals are doing, so with the season just about to kick off, interest is ramping up in what sort of prospects the three other NFC North teams have this year.

In Chicago, it’s hard not to laugh about the Bears’ quarterback “competition,” which resulted in Mitch Trubisky getting the starting job over Nick Foles. Seriously, how terrible did Foles have to look not to get the nod over one of the league’s worst starting quarterbacks over the last several years? For now, I’ll set the over/under at 4.5 weeks before Trubisky gets benched and Foles takes over under center.

In Detroit, the Lions brought back to the NFC North a familiar face to Packers fans in Adrian Peterson. Peterson will be a part of a running back by committee approach in Detroit, but he appeared to have some juice left in the tank after a couple years in Washington, and his release was a bit surprising. Peterson isn’t going to be an every down back any more at age 35, but he’s still got a lot of raw power. This could be the best backfield the Lions have had in some time, and Matthew Stafford, entering his 12th year in the league (where did time go?!), desperately needs all the help he can get on that offense.

Finally, in Minnesota, the Vikings added more strength to their defensive line, but still have highly suspect cornerback and offensive line position groups. Their weaknesses are generally the same as last year, and even the most ardent Vikings fan would be hard-pressed to find any reasonable argument that the team actually got better in the offseason. I’d be quite surprised to see them make a return to the postseason this year, but stranger things have happened.

Week one quick forecast

The Packers head into the Bird Killin’ Capital of the NFL, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, to take on the perennial underachievers known as the Minnesota VIkings. 

The last time these two teams met, the Packers’ front seven absolutely dominated the Vikings’ offensive line, and there’s little reason to think things will go significantly better for Minnesota this time around. Offensive line remains a weak spot for Minnesota, while the Packers have one of the most potent pass rushing units in the league, one that’s only going to be better in 2020 with the inevitable emergence of Rashan Gary (bank on it!). 

That massive gap in talent between those two units alone is enough for me to feel comfortable picking the Packers to take an all-important road division win right off the bat. But of course, the Packers just have had a lot less turnover than the Vikings since 2019, and in a pandemic year with very little offseason practice and zero preseason games, that’s a huge difference maker.

Packers by two touchdowns.

See you next Thursday, folks, and as always, Go Pack Go!