The statistics for the most recent game do not look particularly great for Jordan Love. But to anyone watching the game, it was very clear just how much he shouldered the load in the team’s unnecessarily dramatic victory over the struggling New York Giants.

Over and over again, Love’s receivers and offensive line let him down. To his credit, Matt LaFleur generally called a pretty good game, at least in comparison to the previous weeks. The players simply did not execute.

Except, that is, for Love. Depending on how you personally define a drop, Love had anywhere from six to eight passes that were dropped by his receivers, making up the vast majority of his incomplete passes. He completed multiple tight throws under pressure, was fitting passes into some tiny windows, and showed a lot of toughness in coming back from a minor shoulder injury (that, to be fair, he should have avoided).

This season has been frustrating for the Packers’ offense in large part because it has felt like their coach has required their quarterback to play with one arm tied behind his back. But yet again, Love proved that he is the team’s best and most consistent offensive player, and that he deserves to be the centerpiece of the team’s offense.

With Jacobs being a little hurt, LaFleur is going to have no choice other than to open up the passing game a little more. Even if Jacobs does manage to get into the lineup this weekend, which as of Wednesday afternoon was still a possibility, it’s unlikely he will see a large number of snaps. While Emanuel Wilson has been good in relief, he’s also probably not going to be a bellcow for this offense.

Whether he likes it or not, LaFleur is going to have to trust his quarterback, who has shown repeatedly that he is more than worthy of that trust.

It has become clear that the entire game plan for opposing teams is to do as much as possible to limit the number of possessions the Packers can get and keep the clock running so the offense cannot get on the field. The Packers play right into the hands of their opponents with a run-centric offense that also keeps the clock running and that extends the length of the Packers’ drives.

Frequently we have seen this year that the Packers move the ball more efficiently when the passing offense is featured, and especially when they make good use of play action and misdirection. The Packers can counter the opposition’s game plans by not playing directly into their hands. We’ll see how much teams want to keep a running clock when the Packers are scoring faster and more efficiently.

Doing this will keep the opposition passing as well, which plays into the Packers’ defensive strengths. Giving the pass rush more opportunities will result in more playmaking opportunities for the unit’s best players.

The Packers have been a pass-first team since Mike Holmgren arrived in Green Bay and brought his west coast offense, and arguably well longer than that when you consider the bombs away teams of the 1980s. Josh Jacobs is a very good running back and a key component of the offense, but he should not be the centerpiece.

For the Packers to maximize their offensive capabilities, they have to ride the arm of their franchise quarterback.

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

It’s been a while since I had anything from Milwaukee’s Eagle Park Brewing. The brewery sort of abandoned its signature style of milkshake IPAs that got me intrigued in their work, and ever since then I’ve not really sought them out. But I was looking for a local hazy IPA in my most recent trip to Woodman’s to pair with some of the maltier and roastier seasonal dark ales and stouts I was grabbing, and I came across Evil Ways, which was one I’d not yet checked off my list.

I always check Untappd (a great app for checking in/learning about beers) when purchasing beers I haven’t had before to see what to expect, and any time it’s over a 4 out of 5 average, you know it’s going to be good. This one fell into that category, so I figured it was worth a shot.

This is your standard sort of hazy IPA, brewed with Sultana and Citra hops, giving it a cittrusy, flavorful taste and aroma with that hazy appearance. It comes in at an 8 percent ABV. And it’s smooth. I know a lot of people have kind of gotten sick of the hazy IPA style after it sort of overtook the craft beer market int he late 2010s and early 2020s, and it’s often critiqued as being a style of beer people brew to mask issues with quality, but when it’s done well, it really hits. 

This is an example of the style being done quite well, and one that even hesitant IPA drinkers would probably get enjoyment from. This, like other great hazies, are a nice gateway into some of the more bitter pale ales you’d find on the market.

Catch it now anywhere you can find Eagle Park’s beers. Definitely in the Milwaukee area, and probably well beyond at this point.

So far, Micah Parsons worth every penny

When the Packers traded for Micah Parsons right before the 2025 season, there were a lot of folks questioning whether Parsons could actually live up to the value given up by the team in the trade, not to mention his record-shattering contract.

Well, after 10 games, it certainly appears that Parsons has been very much worth the price. His presence has helped to transform the Packers’ defense, and in both traditional and advanced statistics, he has been a clear force.

Parsons has compiled 56 total pressures this year, which ranks second in the NFL. His nine sacks put him in sixth in the league and his 37 hurries rank third. 

Obviously, these are good statistics. But what doesn’t show up in the stat sheet is just how much he affects the game and the other players around him. I’m not sure I can remember a Packers pass rusher who was as relentless as Parsons; the man is constantly in pursuit, and his speed is a thing to behold. Early career Clay Matthews had an unstoppable motor as well, but Parsons is a vastly superior athlete (which is saying something, as Clay was certainly no slouch). 

That sort of effort is something that rubs off on the other players around him. And if you watch that defense closely, it sure does look like guys are playing with even more drive than they did a season ago. Guys like Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper especially seem to have picked up the intensity this year while continuing to grow in their confidence. Before he was hurt, Lukas Van Ness was showing signs of developing a similar motor, and hopefully when he finally returns (which there’s a slight of that happening very soon) we will see that continue to develop.

Parsons also has affected the team with his keen sense of timing. Not only is he racking up key pressures, but he seems to be doing so at critical moments of the game. Multiple times this year he has had key sacks that helped to seal or punctuate victories for the Packers. His very first sack as a Packer against Detroit was a factor in sealing up that victory. He was the most important player on the field against Arizona, when he made successive plays to halt a late Cardinal drive. He ended the game against New York on his terms. So not only is he relentless, but he makes plays in critical moments.

In Parsons, the Packers got exactly what they paid for: a premium pass rusher who elevates the team around him. And he’s still so young; hopefully his acquisition continues to pay dividends for years to come.

Around the NFC North

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

• The CHICAGO BEARS are 7-3 and lead the NFC North. You’re an absolute liar if you say you had that in your season predictions. But it’s also hard to know how seriously to take this team. They’re giving 2022 Vikings vibes by getting many of their wins as one-score victories: five total, as a matter of fact. Of their seven victories, none was against a team that currently has a winning record. And when they’ve lost, they’ve lost by at least two touchdowns each time. Give them credit for winning the games on their schedule, but the only truly good team they’ve played this year absolutely throttled them. It’ll be interesting to see how they stack up against some better competition.

• The DETROIT LIONS fell to 6-4 after a gritty game against Philadelphia, and it’s clear that the Lions are not the juggernaut they’ve been in recent years. Part of that is due to the offensive line play and injuries this team has experienced – making them very similar in some regards to the Packers. Part of it is the loss of their superstar coordinators. But this is still a tough team who played the defending champs tight. They have an opportunity to get right against the struggling Giants before heading into a critical Thanksgiving Day showdown against Green Bay.

• The MINNESOTA VIKINGS need to come to grips with the fact that JJ McCarthy is not ready to be an NFL quarterback, and may never be. His accuracy was all over the place against the Bears this past week, and he is actively hurting his team’s chances of being competitive. The way he looks is starting to give credence to the idea that Kevin O’Connell may have kept him out of the lineup longer than necessary on purpose. But when your better quarterbacking option is the corpse of Carson Wentz, you definitely failed with your first round draft pick and are probably going to have to start looking again. This isn’t without recent precedent either; just look at how quickly the Colts gave up on Anthony Richardson (and it clearly was the right decision). How foolish the Vikings look now for letting both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones leave in the offseason.

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:

• Thanksgiving sides defeated Thanksgiving turkey
• Caramel corn defeated cheesy popcorn
• Too cold defeated too hot
• Iphone defeated android 

Christian Watson finally looks like the receiver he was drafted to be

It’s taken several years, but upon his return from injury, Christian Watson is finally showing a caliber of performance and consistency that has been lacking throughout his career.

Watson was beginning to show signs last season of turning into a much more consistent threat and valuable piece of the offense before he tore his ACL. It was reasonable to expect he’d need some time to get his feet under him as he came back from injury this year, but since his return, he’s been playing the best football of his career.

On Sunday, Watson was the most valuable player on offense not named Jordan Love. While his statistics weren’t eye popping, he was the only guy regularly coming up with critical catches, and his two touchdowns were the difference in the game. 

Watson is making catches at all platforms and has broadened his route tree. He is the best player the team has for taking the top off the opposing defense. And he’s also arguably the team’s best blocking receiver.

The Packers were smart to get a one-year extension in to get more observation time on Watson. If he keeps playing this way throughout the rest of the season, that extension will grow in length.

Week 12 NFL Picks

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty. After this week, we’ll be two thirds of the way through the regular season, and we’ll be getting a pretty good idea of who the true contenders are. The Packers need to start putting it together now. The end of the game against New York was a good start, but they must show an ability to easily dispatch of lesser competition to start being able to be taken seriously. This week is a good opportunity to do so.

Packers 27, Vikings 13

The whole slate:

BILLS over Texans

COLTS over Chiefs

SEAHAWKS over Titans

PACKERS over Vikings
RAVENS over Jets

LIONS over Giants

BEARS over Steelers

PATRIOTS over Bengals

BROWNS over Raiders

JAGUARS over Cardinals

COWBOYS over Eagles

FALCONS over Saints

RAMS over Bucs

49ERS over Panthers