The Green Bay Packers are still very much a work in progress.

The timing hasn’t always been right on the offense. The defense is still awful in clutch situations and it’s hard to have a whole lot of faith in the unit as it currently stands.

But after week three, there are clear signs of progress on both sides of the ball. 

And for the first time, we got a glimpse of the Packers team many of us had hoped to see right out of the gates this year. A team that could be, or at least become, a legitimate contender.

The mental and physical toughness shown in this victory cannot be understated. The Packers came out on a short week after a long road trip to physically dominate an opponent that has manhandled them multiple times in the last several years when they’ve been at full strength. 

The offensive line played generally very good football against a very tough defensive front, despite missing its two best players, and starting four players who’d never started an NFL game before 2021.

The defense came out and nearly pitched a shutout in the first half, and would have finished the job at the end of the half had it not been for a missed intentional grounding call that essentially handed the 49ers a touchdown. It took the ball away from the 49ers offense multiple times, and swarmed to the ball carrier.

The team got down late, but refused to roll over, instead getting down the field with 37 seconds left for Mason Crosby to kick a game-winning field goal.

It wasn’t always pretty, and there’s a whole lot of room for improvement. But those kinds of gutty victories build a ton of confidence in this league. For the Packers to win like that after the way the team completely sleepwalked through the first six quarters of action this season, it’s a big deal and shows that this team might be able to play with the big boys after all.

As of right now, I have no idea what my assessment of this team would be. Before the season I predicted them to win the Super Bowl--the first time I have done so since 2011. After weeks one and two, it felt much more like a one-and-done in the playoffs kind of team to me.

But the team is clearly on an upward trajectory, and seems to be settling into regular season football after a horrendously slow start. Aaron Rodgers has traditionally been outstanding in October, and this will be an important month for the team to show what it’s capable of.

This coming month, the team faces:

-A Steelers team that was in the playoffs just a season ago, and still is hoping to get back this year, despite the clear fall-off from Ben Roethlisberger.

-A Bengals team that appears to be significantly better than expected.

-A Bears team that is always capable of playing the Packers tough, even when they’re nowhere near as good on paper.

-A Washington team that has played tough football against some strong competition.

-A Cardinals team that could pose a very difficult matchup for the Packers with an MVP-caliber quarterback who will likely give this defense fits.

At the end of October, we’re going to have a much better read on who the Packers are and what they’re capable of accomplishing this season.

For now, I’ll settle for continued improvement, week after week.

A few underrated performers against San Francisco

The players who took home the majority of the headlines against San Francisco were Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Mason Crosby, and for good reason. But there are a few other players who deserve some recognition after Sunday night’s game.

• De’Vondre Campbell: As I said on Twitter earlier this week, De’Vondre Campbell looks, after three games, to be the best and most well-rounded interior linebacker the Packers have had since Desmond Bishop. Campbell is playing with excellent lateral quickness and seems to always be around the ball. Previous Packer ILBs have only been useful as thumpers, but it’s been some time since they’ve had a really dynamic player at the position. It’s very early, but so far Campbell is far better than I expected. I’ll maintain tempered expectations for now, but he’s definitely piqued my interest.

• Jon Runyan Jr.: We’ve talked a lot about Josh Myers and Royce Newman, but Runyan is really looking like starter material at the left guard spot. Part of me wonders if the Packers will consider moving on from Billy Turner after this season, kicking Elgton Jenkins out to right tackle full time and giving Runyan the guard position. 

• Yosh Nijman: I was absolutely terrified about Nijman getting the start opposite Nick Bosa, and his first series didn’t do anything to quell my fears. But after that, he played a really strong game. Hats off to him for performing so well in a less-than-ideal matchup for his first significant regular season action.

• Darnell Savage: For the first time this season, Savage really looked like the guy taking the big leap forward many had expected him to be. He was making fast, decisive breaks on the ball and receivers, more so than he has at any point this year. It was an encouraging development for a guy that had a few struggles in the first couple weeks.

• Blocking receivers: Whether it was Allen Lazard, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara or Robert Tonyan, a bevy of Packers pass catchers got involved in the blocking game out of sheer necessity, often to excellent results. There was a whole lot of unselfish play out of these wide receivers and tight ends, and it helped set the Packers up for offensive success.

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

This time of year, most folks looking for a seasonal New Glarus beer will likely turn their attention to Staghorn, the brewery’s outstanding Oktoberfest (which happens to be a staple of my beer fridge in the fall).

However, I would also urge you to consider the Gyrator Doppel, a really excellent doppelbock that New Glarus released this fall for what I believe to be the first time.

Doppelbocks have a bit higher of an ABV than Oktoberfests, so you’re not going to crush as many in a single day. This one sits right at 6.9 percent ABV. 

But it does have the smooth, malty flavor you like out of a good fall beer. Very pleasant, no frills, a little bit more depth of flavor than what you’ll get out of an Oktoberfest and a bit darker color (not as dark as many other doppelbocks I like, though), but with a lot of the other same flavor properties.

It’s a great tailgate beer or outdoor beer to complement your Oktoberfests for the next couple months. And, with it being a New Glarus beer, you should be able to find it all over Wisconsin.

Give it a shot! It’s one of my new favorites from New Glarus.

The Bears’ new purchase in Arlington Heights

On Wednesday, the Chicago Bears officially announced the signing of a $197.2 million purchase agreement fo the Arlington Heights racetrack land, marking the next significant step in a possible move from Soldier Field that is becoming increasingly likely.

The Bears do not own Soldier Field--they lease it in an agreement with the Chicago Park District. The stadium is famously horrible. It has the league’s smallest capacity (61,500) despite having one of the country’s biggest markets. Its playing surface is one of the worst two or three in football. The remodel from the early 2000s destroyed the historical vibe of the site, creating one of the league’s ugliest venues.

There are few, if any, redeeming qualities about Soldier Field.

I don’t personally have strong opinions about the team moving to the suburbs. I do understand and sympathize with the folks who hate the idea of teams moving out of the cities that bear their name all for the almighty dollar, and I think there’s something special about the fact that the Bears play in downtown Chicago right on the lake.

What I do have a strong opinion about is the report that a potential stadium development on the property could feature a dome, or possibly a retractable roof.

Honestly, it would be a disgrace to the Bears franchise to play football indoors. The entire historical identity of the Bears is completely incongruous with playing in a dome. The Bears’ identity has always been about hard-nosed football in all conditions. Some incredible weather games have happened at Soldier Field over the years.

Moreover, it would be truly upsetting to have three of four teams in the NFC North play indoors. 

The Bears would be wise to not try to emulate the Vikings, who long ago gave up real outdoor football in favor of indoor comfort.

But it seems to be an inevitability that the team will at least be implementing a retractable roof. Ownership is going to want to attract Super Bowls, Final Fours, concerts and all kinds of other events to capitalize on their investment (or, more likely, the taxpayers’ investment). 

Just one more reason why the Bears still, and will always, suck.

The Bucks and their economic impact on Milwaukee

While I’m always hesitant to cheer about stadiums that are largely funded by taxpayer dollars when billionaires could easily pony up the cash themselves, there’s a reason why the Bears are likely going to push through this suburban palace. 

Milwaukee is just the latest example.

According to reports, the Milwwaukee Bucks brought in an estimated $57.6 billion in economic impact for Milwaukee throughout the playoffs and NBA finals this year. That’s a massive surge in any circumstances, but especially amid a pandemic in which many businesses had ben struggling to get by.

During the playoff run, Milwaukee was a more popular search term on Google than it had been in five years. Traffic at Mitchell International Airport significantly increased in July over June, and especially from June and July 2020.

I have to admit I was skeptical about the Fiserv Forum and Deer District projects, especially given how dreadful the team had been for so long. But there’s no denying now that it’s made a massive difference in the local economy. It’s a destination spot in a city that could use more of them.

Seeing tens of thousands of people crammed into the stadium area on television during the playoff run was surreal. I never thought I’d see anything like that in Milwaukee, especially for the Bucks, who’ve always fallen well behind the Packers and Brewers in terms of local support.

The Bucks may have overtaken the Brewers now in terms of fervent fan following, but the Brew Crew may have an opportunity of its own to deliver a magical playoff run to the city.

It’s just great to continue to see Milwaukee in the national spotlight, where it belongs.

Around the NFC North

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

-The CHICAGO BEARS had one of the worst offensive performances in NFL history on Sunday with just a single team passing yard and just 47 total yards, with Justin Fields being sacked nine times. That 47-yard total was the ninth worst in NFL history. The team averaged just 1.1 yards per play. No wonder the team announced its new Arlington Heights purchase yesterday--it needed a distraction badly from its utter futility on the football field.

-The DETROIT LIONS continue to find new, heartbreaking ways to lose football games. Watching an NFL record 66-yard field goal boink off the crossbar and in through the uprights has to be devastating, no matter how used you are to heartbreak. Now me personally, I laughed my ass off. There’s something oddly comforting about the consistency with which the Lions lose in gut wrenching fashion.

-The MINNESOTA VIKINGS finally notched a win, which helped them avoid a start as futile as what they puked out on the football field a season ago. 1-2 doesn’t look nearly as bad as 0-3. That being said, now the Vikings have a date with a Cleveland team that just pounded Chicago. It’s been a tough opening schedule and so far the Vikings do not look up to the task of becoming a playoff team, but it’s a long season.

Who’s 3-0 around the league?

It’s always interesting to pause after three weeks, take a look at who’s off to a hot start and who’s most and least likely to sustain their pace.

Here are the 3-0 teams in the NFL right now, ranked in order of how truly good I see them as being.

1. Los Angeles Rams. With Matthew Stafford, the Rams finally have a legitimate high-end quarterback who, in turn, finally gets to play with a great offense and coaching around him. The Rams may be the best team in the NFL at the moment, and will prove a formidable contender in January and February.

2. Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have had a little bit of luck on their side to get to 3-0, but make no mistake, this team is legit. Kyler Murray is playing some seasoned ball in his third year and is looking like an MVP candidate. As a matchup for the Packers, I might be more nervous about the Cardinals than the Rams.

3. Las Vegas Raiders. Good to see the Raiders off to a strong start--they’ve always been one of my favorite AFC teams. Derek Carr is playing some of the best football he’s played in years, and this team seems to have a lot of fight in it now in Jon Gruden’s fourth year of his sideline return.

4. Denver Broncos. The Broncos are playing some outstanding defense to start the year, and haven’t had to get a whole lot out of Teddy Bridgewater. They’re playing extremely well, but their wins have also come against teams that are a combined 0-9. I’m going to wait to pass judgment until they play real competition, but if their defense is for real then they’re going to be a tough draw for anyone.

5. Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have had wins against some bottom feeders like the Jets and tExans, but they also managed to take down a Saints team that had just annihilated the Packers. But with both Christian McCaffrey and Jaycee Horn out, they’re in for some challenges. 

If you’d have asked me to predict five 3-0 teams, these certainly would not have been the five, but that’s the NFL for you. 

Prediction for Packers vs. Steelers

I was extremely pessimistic last week about the Packers’ chances versus the 49ers, because it just seemed to be like a terrible matchup. I thought the offensive line would struggle mightily against a tough 49ers front, and that the defense would get shredded by a Kyle Shanahan offense.

The offensive line was better than I could have ever hoped, and that’s one of several things that gives me far more confidence in the Packers this week.

The other is that… well… Ben Roethlisberger has been absolutely awful so far this season.

The man needed to retire this offseason. He can’t move, he looks disinterested. He’s done. 

If he continues to play as he has, the Packers’ defense is going to have a really great opportunity to build some confidence in this game. The Steelers’ run game has been practically nonexistent through three games so far, and the team simply cannot rely on Roethlisberger to carry them through the passing game at this stage of his career.

The Packers were opportunistic with turnovers against San Francisco, so I’d expect them to nab one or two more against Pittsburgh. This won’t be a runaway, I don’t think, but the final score should indicate a reasonably comfortable victory for the Packers.

Packers 37, Steelers 20