There are plenty more games ahead like the Falcons game for this young Packers team.

At one point during the second half I remarked on Twitter, “This is the most 2008 Packers game I’ve seen in 15 years.” It really did feel like stepping time. Young team showcasing a ton of potential, only to let it slip away due to inexperience and mistakes.

Yes, it was a frustrating loss. But also, it’s the kind of loss you expect out of the league’s youngest and least experienced team. This team has a whole lot to learn, and while there was plenty to like in Atlanta this past week, we also saw a lot about this team’s deficiencies.

But rather than spend a whole lot of time focusing on those deficiencies (I feel like they’ve been pretty well covered this week, and I’d not be adding anything new there), I think it’s also worth noting what a fantastic opportunity this team has in front of them this weekend to showcase some growth.

Coming home for the first time in the season, the Packers will take on the New Orleans Saints, a team that is probably about on par with the Packers in terms of talent, but ahead of the Packers in terms of experience. We get to see how much this team learned from their defeat in Atlanta, and how they’re going to rebound.

One of the things you often see with young, talented teams is that they rebound more readily than more experienced teams that seem to have more to lose. Perhaps it’s because they do not have enough league experience to doubt themselves yet. Who knows. But if the Packers can come out and correct errors they made in week two, there’s no reason to think they won’t win this game.

These corrections must be made by coaches as well as players. Matt LaFleur is now a fifth-year head coach; certainly no greenhorn. However, he does find himself in a very new situation as a head coach. He inherited a very experienced team that immediately found themselves as contenders. Now, he’s got a team without realistic championship aspirations and without a major superstar as the face of the franchise. LaFleur may have some seasons under his belt, but he’s still relatively young, and this is a new situation he’s going to have to learn to navigate. There’s as much to be learned about his capabilities as a head coach as there is about the abilities of this team to grow and thrive.

So what are the biggest things I’m hoping to see out of this team in the coming week?

1. A greater willingness to ride or die with Jordan Love. The Packers essentially put the ball in AJ Dillon’s hands in crunch time this past weekend rather than being willing to let Love sling it. This guy is your franchise quarterback now. DIllon simply hasn’t been effective at moving the chains of late, and you’re missing starters on the offensive line to boot. In this year of player analysis, give Jordan Love as many opportunities as you can to show what he can do, particularly in the face of adversity. Love has exceeded my expectations so far this year, and has earned the opportunity to get those clutch calls.
2. Related: keeping your foot on the gas. It really felt like the Packers let up in the second half on both sides of the ball after building a two-score lead. You can never get comfortable with a lead in the NFL, and especially when you have a team this young. 
3. Better clock management. This is an issue for both Jordan Love AND Matt LaFleur that has persisted from the Rodgers era. You simply can’t be wasting as much time and as many timeouts as this team does. 
4. A faster start. It feels after a couple weeks like it takes this team a bit of time to really get into sync after the game starts. I’d love to see them hit the ground running in their home opener and set the tone early.

Obviously there are a whole lot of other things I’d love to see out of the Packers this weekend, but accomplishing these things to start with would be a clear sign of growth. 

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

It’s Oktoberfest season, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t feature an Oktoberfest beer in the column within this couple week span!

We in Milwaukee are very fortunate to have a large number of excellent breweries, and that means a large selection of excellent Oktoberfests every year. This is the first year I’ve had the Oktoberfest by Component Brewing in Bay View. It’s called Polka Juice, and it is a delicious, light, malty treat perfectly befitting the season.

Coming in at 6.3 percent ABV, Polka Juice is exactly the kind of moderate, delicious, traditional beer you’re looking for to get you in the spirit of the season. With a bit of crispness in the air, I’m starting to shift my beer purchases toward maltier styles, and who doesn’t love traditional German beer?

You can find Polka Juice anywhere Component distributes. But if you’re in the mood for other Oktoberfests, here are a few of my favorites you’re bound to find statewide:

• Staghorn by New Glarus Brewing Company: Probably my personal favorite of the widely available Oktoberfest beers.
• Octoberfest by Central Waters Brewing Company: We had a keg of this on hand for my wedding (which was a mid-September affair) and it was a hit. Not hard to see why; it’s one of the better beers of its style you’ll find in Wisconsin.
• Oktoberfest by 1840 Brewing Company: 1840 makes the best beer in the state, and their Oktoberfest celebration is coming up on September 30. They’ll be blocking off a portion of their street and having brats, pretzels, food trucks, music, Hammerschlagen and so much more. Check it out if you’re in the area!

Happy Oktoberfest!

You know what you’re getting from a Joe Barry defense

There was a whole lot of hemming and hawing about the Packers’ defense during and after the game on Sunday, and rightfully so. The defense’s ineptitude, particularly in the run game, was a big part of the Atlanta comeback and ultimate victory, as was Joe Barry’s seeming inability or unwillingness to make any type of adjustment to home in on the run game while Atlanta was gashing them throughout the fourth quarter.

There were the usual calls to fire Barry after the game. And yeah, I totally get that too.

But here’s the thing: it’s hard for me to be mad at Joe Barry at this point. He is what he is. He’s a completely known commodity and always has been. He was a bad hire to begin with, and the fact that he still has a job is a minor miracle in its own right. He’s failed miserably in two previous stops and has trotted out bad Packers defenses despite an incredible collection of talent. 

Are there aspects of the poor Packers defense that are his fault? Yes, absolutely. But it’s not his fault that he’s still employed. Simply put, the man is in over his head. He has shown no ability to change or improve. The liability here lies entirely with Matt LaFleur and the Packers organization for continuing to allow him anywhere near this defense. 

Don’t expect any staff changes midyear unless things REALLY go south, but even then, it’d be a pretty significant surprise. The unfortunate reality is the Packers are keeping a very low ceiling on their defensive capabilities so long as Joe Barry is around, and there’s not really anything we as fans, or even Barry himself, can do about it. 

You can certainly have hope that players will execute better, but any hope of better scheme, adjustments, or general coaching is a fool’s errand. You know what you’re getting.

Around the NFC North

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

• The CHICAGO BEARS are, in fact, bad. And now, fans are starting to turn on the staff and the team yet again. Fans seem to be coming around to the idea that Justin Fields is actually not good, just as we who know better spent months telling them. Fans have already turned against Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles, and seem to have given up any hope of this team being good in their lifetimes. It’s a far cry from all the smack talk this offseason.

• The DETROIT LIONS came way back down to earth against Seattle after their opening night stunner in Kansas CIty. If the Lions are truly going to take the next step forward and start being taken seriously as a contender, those are the kinds of games they have to win. Instead, they had a mini-bye and simply came out not looking as prepared or focused as they did in Arrowhead. Things get no easier this week with a tough matchup against the 2-0 Falcons, who have an early contender for Rookie of the Year in Bijan Robinson.

• The MINNESOTA VIKINGS have a really tough schedule this year, and this week are facing a team with a sense of desperation in the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert should have no difficulty carving up this Vikings defense. It’s just going to be a matter of whether the rest of the team is actually able to live up to their talent. If the Vikings manage to come out of here with a win, expect a lot of talk about firing Brandon Staley in LA. Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson seems to be seething internally more and more each week. It’ll be very interesting to see what sort of career decisions he makes if this year continues to go south for Minnesota.

THIS or THAT in Mr. Backes’s room

If you follow me on Twitter/X (@timbackes) you’ve probably seen my THIS or THAT series that I”ve started in my classroom. Basically, every morning I put up a new poll on my whiteboard and have students participate throughout the day. Some polls generate more interest, but there’s been a consistent increase in participation over the course of the last week or so.

The idea is simple: I put up two options and students mark a tally down for which they prefer. I teach all levels of high school, so it’s a fairly representative sample of teenagers.

Continue to follow along throughout the school year. Here are the winners I’ve had so far:

• French Fries defeated Tator Tots
• Joe Jonas defeated Sophie Turner
• Beyonce defeated Taylor Swift
• Coffee drinkers defeated non-coffee drinkers
• No pineapple on pizza BARELY edged out pineapple on pizza
• Twix defeated Snickers
• Christmas defeated Halloween
• Sweet snacks defeated salty snacks

I’ll try to keep you up throughout the year so you too can be in touch with the preferences of today’s youths. And if you have any THIS OR THAT polls you’d like to survey the kids on, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments!

Quick Jordan Love statistical update

Yes, he’s been imperfect. Yes, he clear has areas of improvement. 

But it’s hard not to be pretty pleased with Jordan Love’s performance so far this season. He’s certainly outperformed even my relatively high expectations, and has given me hope that the Packers have, indeed, found their next star quarterback.

After two weeks, Jordan Love LEADS THE NFL (!) in passing touchdowns (6), adjusted yards per pass attempt (9.92) and passer rating (118.7), as well as several other advanced stats tracked by Pro Football Reference. All this while not turning the ball over. Say what you will about some of the weaknesses that still exist in his game; I think if you told Packer fans several months ago the kind of start Love would have to this season, we’d have been universally ecstatic. 

Moreover, there have only been three other Packer seasons EVER in which the quarterback threw six touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season.

Again, I want to be very clear that Love has plenty of growing to do, but it’s hard not to be thrilled. Love has thrown a tremendous amount of poise, and the year-over-year growth he’s shown these last couple years is incredible. He deserves a lot of credit, as do his coaches (particularly Tom Clements).

Quay Walker had a hell of a game

I’ll tell you what–if Quay Walker continues to play like he has the first couple weeks, the kid may well push for an All Pro slot this year.

His highlight reel touchdown from week one has drawn the most attention, and understandably so, but he just played the finest game of his career in Atlanta. He was all over the field, and was particularly strong in coverage. It does not feel like the Packers have had an inside linebacker with the combination of well-rounded skills and sheer physical talent since… well, ever, really. Nick Barnett was a really good player for a long time, and De’Vondre Campbell had a well-deserved All Pro recognition of his own. 

But neither Campbell nor Barnett have Walker’s raw athleticism. So if Walker is able to combine those physical gifts of his with all-around excellence on the field, he could become a special player.

In a week when there was a lot to dislike about the play of the defense, Walker was a real bright spot.

Predictions for Packers/Saints and Week 3

Feels to me as though Packer games are going to be tough to predict all season long. This is going to be a good test for the Packers in terms of how they can bounce back after a difficult loss, because you know there are going to be more of those coming this year.

The Packers finally get their home opener. The Saints are not to be underestimated; they have some of the pieces in place to make a run for the playoffs this year. However, they’re also far from a juggernaut.

To me, this one really comes down to whether Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari play. The loss of both would be devastating. We saw how AJ Dillon fared behind a backup offensive line a week ago. Even having just one of Jones or Bakhtiari probably makes the difference in Atlanta. If both play, the Packers win. Even if one plays, I think the Packers win.

Because I’m feeling charitable early in the season, give me Green Bay 24, New Orleans 20.

LAST WEEK: 10-6

SEASON TO DATE: 18-14

The rest for this week…

49ERS over Giants

FALCONS over Lions

CHARGERS over Vikings

JAGUARS over Texans

DOLPHINS over Broncos

TITANS over Browns

BILLS over Commanders

PATRIOTS over Jets

RAVENS over Colts

SEAHAWKS over Panthers

CHIEFS over Bears

COWBOYS over Cardinals

RAIDERS over Steelers

EAGLES over Buccaneers

BENGALS over Rams