Every now and then I enjoy opening up my work to some reader participation. Those who follow my writing know that every training camp I perform a large survey of preseason expectations from Packer fans.

This week I had the idea to survey fans about something a little lighthearted. I posed a simple question on Twitter and ended up getting nearly 300 responses.

If you could have ONE Christmas wish granted for the Packers (that isn't them winning the Super Bowl) what would it be?

Replies will be featured in my @cheeseheadtv column this week.

Go!

— Tim Backes (@timbackes) December 21, 2021

My only rule for the question was that the wish could not be a Super Bowl win, as that is too easy. There were some responses that were far and away the most popular: an Aaron Rodgers extension, better special teams play, Jordan Love becoming a third consecutive Hall of Famer at quarterback for the team.

I encourage you to go through the responses on the tweet and check them all out, there’s some great stuff in there. Below I’ll share some of my favorites/some of the more unique responses I received.

Thanks to all who contributed. (And if you don’t already follow me on Twitter, do so, so you can participate the next time something like this happens!)

Man, I just want @leap36 in the HoF

— Robin Adams (@theotherAdams14) December 21, 2021

Jamaal Williams magically on the Packers again

— Big B (@bigpackers4x) December 21, 2021

I wish for them to get fully healthy at the perfect time for a super bowl run.

— Jiminy Christmas (@DynastyTheorist) December 21, 2021

There's a lot of good ones here but one I didn't see yet: Fans understanding good game etiquette. Meaning being quiet on offense and no one yelling at people to sit down at Lambeau, especially when they're on defense. And just being so much louder on defense.

— erin alyce (@herooine) December 21, 2021

B.J. Raji back and playing like he never left.

— Aaron Hackett (@hackettwva) December 22, 2021

Getting Tom Brady and the Buccaneers at Lambeau in the NFC Title Game again, and finish the job this time and going to the Super Bowl. Then Brady retires after throwing 4 INTS(Jaire,Douglas pick 6,Stokes,Savage)and being sacked 7 times (Gary 2,Smith Bros 2each,Clark 1,)

— justin benz (@jbenzo2650) December 22, 2021

An extension for Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. (That's a huge ask...I know. You won't have to get me anything next year.)

— Cory Jennerjohn (@CoryJennerjohn) December 21, 2021

A straight answer about ZaDarius Smith.

— Jacob Westendorf (@JacobWestendorf) December 21, 2021

This may come as a shock to you, but I just want one more year of Rodgers and Jordy

— 𝐽𝐸𝑁 𝑀𝐴𝐶𝐾 (@BigMack_4) December 21, 2021

That our next 25 years will be like the last 25 years…

— Stephan (@schliemann) December 21, 2021

Packers play the Cowboys in the playoffs and trounce them so I can watch Skip Bayless loose it

— The Beepz 03 (@BeepzBrehm03) December 22, 2021

In a Christmas Miracle, Special Teams becomes a dominating unit for the Packers.

— JoeyGPG (@JoeyGPG) December 21, 2021

Bears retain Naggy

— Joe (@JoeAtWork87) December 21, 2021

AJ Dillion wheel route for @AaronNagler

— Tom Williams (@thw0223) December 21, 2021

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually featured a Milwaukee Brewing Company beer in here before, which is kind of wild–they used to be one of my go-to breweries back in the day. The beer scene has significantly evolved here in Milwaukee since then, and they’ve since moved their brewing operations to a different location downtown, but they still produce some pretty solid stuff.

When I was at Woodman’s liquor store last week I was particularly on the lookout for some good seasonal beers that make for perfect comfort beers during cold weather and Christmas. I usually get Milwaukee Brewing Company’s Plowed In once per winter.

This seasonal winter ale is a nice malty beer that isn’t overly sweet. It features caramel malts and has a nice wheaty base and has hints of orange peel and cinnamon. 

For those who are unfamiliar with the category of beer known as a winter ale or winter warmer, I’d liken it to a slightly maltier/sweeter amber ale. Certainly not fruity or overly sweet, but just a touch more warmth and comfort to it than your standard amber or pub ale.

It’s an easy drinker for a surprisingly high ABV (8%). The perfect beer to have by your side while the snow falls.

When will reinforcements arrive?

Packer fans continue to anxiously await the potential returns of David Bakhtiari, Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith.

Bakthiari did not practice on Wednesday, which raised eyebrows among Packer fans and once again brought forth some skepticism about whether he will actually return. However, at the time of my writing this we did not know the reason for Bakhtiari’s absence from practice, and there can still be reasonable confidence he will return at some point.

Alexander continued to practice, which is also a positive sign for his ability to return. 

Neither will play against the Browns, but beyond that… who knows, really.

With regard to Smith, I remain doubtful he will ever take another snap for the Packers. This entire situation has been incredibly unusual, and it feels like we know no more about the injury or Smith’s state than we did three months ago. But perhaps we’ll receive a pleasant surprise and get him back for the playoff run as well.

It’s understandable to get frustrated by the “wait and see” game, but these are guys putting their bodies on the line and they need to be 100% right before they jump back into it. 

Around the NFC North

Here we go once again around the NFC North leading into week 16.

-The CHICAGO BEARS somehow still have Matt Nagy on their payroll after that disgusting display on Monday Night Football, which means there’s basically no way he’s fired before the season is over. I guess I just figure there’s no point in wasting time, but the Bears have a very traditional (read: outdated) model of operations and they’ll draw this thing out over the course of three more losses before they’re finally able to hand Nagy his pink slip. What an awful, horrendous display of football against Minnesota.

-The DETROIT LIONS did the Packers a solid and knocked off the Arizona Cardinals, making the Packers’ path to the #1 seed a little bit less daunting. The Lions’ victory over the Cardinals was the most lopsided victory by a one-win team over a double-digit win team in NFL history. It may cost them the #1 overall seed in the process, but with this draft not exactly having a crystal clear can’t miss prospect at #1, it probably doesn’t make much of a difference.

-The MINNESOTA VIKINGS continue oscillating between bad and passable, and it may get them into the playoffs at this rate. They’re not exactly a team most actual contenders are going to fear, and it could actually be the best long-term result for the Packers if the Vikings make the playoffs this year as it could potentially convince ownership to let Mike Zimmer stick around a bit longer. At least they’ve got Justin Jefferson?

The definitive Top 10 Christmas movie rankings

Okay folks, here we go. The 10 best Christmas movies, according to me.

1. A Christmas Story. Absolute classic. The dad is one of the most hilarious characters of any comedy ever, let alone Christmas movie. Its brand of dry humor always seems divisive, but it absolutely hits with me and it is far and away my favorite.

2. Muppet Christmas Carol. This is, as far as I’m concerned, the best adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that has ever been made. And it features the Muppets! Michael Caine is a great Scrooge and the music is wonderful.

3. Christmas Vacation. I crack up at this movie every time. Even little throw-away lines just hit perfectly. 

4. Elf. This movie was an instant classic. It’s got so much heart and earnestness. Will Ferrell is so good as Buddy the Elf, and I love Bob Newhart in his part as Papa Elf.

5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Some elements of the claymation classic have become a little outdated, but man is it still charming. My three-year-old is obsessed with the Abominable Snow Monster, but my personal spirit animal is Yukon Cornelius.

6. White Christmas. This is my wife’s personal favorite, and I do adore it as well, though it does drag on a bit. Who doesn’t love Bing Cosby and Danny Kaye?

7. It’s a Wonderful Life. A lot of folks find this movie boring, but James Stewart brings so much warmth and energy to this simple story and I identify with George Bailey so much. This movie is holiday comfort food.

8. Jingle All the Way. Okay, this movie is stupid. And kind of bad. But boy do I love it. Arnold Schwarzenegger is hilariously out of place, Sinbad is a ton of fun, and Phil Hartman is great in everything.

9. Home Alone. I do get annoyed with how mean everyone is to each other in this movie, but there are so many great one liners that prop this one up, and the end is so much fun. “Buzz, your girlfriend, woof!” “Fuller, go easy on the Pepsi!”

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s more of a television special than a movie, but it’s one I still watch every year, despite its cheesiness. The soundtrack is fantastic and is a staple around my house.

You can disagree with these rankings, but you would be wrong! :)

Happy holidays to all

Thank you all for your support of CheeseheadTV and the work we do. Hope you are all able to have some time off of work to spend with family and friends.

The prediction

This just has all the makings of a blowout to me.

A Packers team that is hot on the trail of a second consecutive #1 seed, with a quarterback chasing a fourth MVP and an offense that is heating up. A team playing at home on Christmas Day in a nationally televised game in cold weather.

Then there’s a Browns team that has been inconsistent to bad, missing some key pieces and with a quarterback (pending return from COVID) that has not lived up to preseason expectations. 

The Browns have a few chess pieces capable of doing some damage, but overall the board seems heavily stacked in the Packers’ favor.

Packers 37, Browns 17