Hoo boy, I’m glad the CheeseheadTV publication schedule got shifted around for the Thursday night game, because if I had to write this article for Thursday it would’ve been a whole lot of angst.

But since then the Packers went on the road and crushed the 49ers’ JV team. While it’s not a win that tells us a whole lot about the Packers’ capabilities this season, it is encouraging for several reasons:

• The Packers handled the 49ers on both sides of the ball, just as they should have done. The last couple touchdowns came when the Packers had practice squad players of their own on the field and the game was well out of reach.

• The Packers have still never lost back-to-back games under Matt LaFleur.

• Yeah, sure, maybe the 49ers were down practically their whole team, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t get at least a little satisfaction from this beatdown. It’s okay, admit it.

I get all the people talking about how the circumstances made this an empty win--I really do see where that belief is coming from. But I am firmly in the camp of there being no such thing as an empty win in the NFL.

Now, that doesn’t mean this win is any kind of predictor of similar future successes. But it does mean that, even given the circumstances, there are some things that came out of this game that the Packers must like.

For instance, the ability to continually shuffle around the offensive line and dig deep into their depth while still delivering strong results. This is the second time of the season numerous injuries have led to Jon Runyan, Jr. seeing extensive playing time, and each time it got to that point the Packers still performed admirably along the offensive front.

It was also great seeing the miraculous connection that exists between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. I’ll be talking more about Adams in a bit, but some of those connections weren’t just a result of playing backups; there were some absurd throws into tight windows that both parties made look easy. 

And the defense also finally created some turnovers! Most encouraging was Preston Smith whipping his man to affect Nick Mullens’ throw, forcing a duck up into the air that Raven Greene easily intercepted. Regardless of who the competition is, turnovers come with confidence and can quickly become contagious. A game like this could really help the defense get its juice back after being embarrassed against the Vikings… hopefully.

So while it still remains to be seen if the Packers are going to be able to hold up to top-flight competition in the NFC playoffs, there are still a few glimmers of positivity that came out of an otherwise boring football game that probably shouldn’t have happened to begin with.

Davante Adams shooting his way up Packers’ all-time WR list

When it comes to ranking the Packers’ all-time wide receivers, it goes like this:

1. Don Hutson

VERY LARGE GAP

2. Sterling Sharpe

3. Everyone else.

.Now, entering this season I’d probably have had Hall of Famer James Lofton solidly in that third spot. But Adams has been so good this year, even beyond his normal standard. He has a legitimate argument to be the top receiver in the NFL this year, and potentially having already eclipsed Lofton in Packers’ annals.

Here are just a few ridiculous facts about Adams’ season so far:

• He’s the first receiver in NFL history to have three games with 10 or more catches for 150 or more yards in the team’s first eight games (he’s played essentially five and a half)

• He ranks first in the NFL in touchdowns, yards per game and receptions per game and despite missing a couple games he leads all receivers in PPR leagues for fantasy points

• He has 21 TDs in single coverage since 2017, most in the NFL

• He’s the first player with 600 receiving yards and 8 TDs in his first six games played since Randy Moss in his historic season with New England in 2007

Even Skip Bayless took to Twitter to crown Davante the league’s top receiver. What he’s doing this year is out of this world.

At this point, the only other receiver in the league I’d put in the same conversation as Adams is Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins. Adams’ constant scoring threat as well as his unbeatable route running allows him to eclipse Atlanta’s Julio Jones in my mind. I’m not sure there are more complete players at the position right now than Adams and Hopkins.

Let’s appreciate what we have in this Rodgers and Adams connection while we’ve got it, because it’s looking like one of the best QB to receiver combinations you’ll ever see.

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

This week I’m going to give a shoutout to Untitled Art, one of the best and most exciting breweries in Wisconsin right now. They’re constantly producing a wide range of delicious beers ranging from the standards to some really unique, experimental stuff. You’ll find all different kinds of flavors, and I’m sure some fun ones will show up here in this space soon. And if you follow both Corey Behnke and myself on Twitter, you’ve probably seen us gushing over their products already.

Today my chosen beer is the brand’s Oat Cream IPA. It’s a subtype of milkshake IPA that features oats, giving it the smoothness and creaminess you’d expect of a milkshake IPA with a little more of a hearty, robust flavor. 

This beauty comes in at a pretty moderate 7 percent. Its smoothness and depth of flavor make it a great sipper. I enjoyed it while watching some Netflix on a Saturday evening and it carried me through an entire 45-minute episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation because I was just savoring it, so, you know, take that for what you will.

Highly recommend you give some Untitled Art beers a shot if you see them in stores. Their distribution around Wisconsin is getting more widespread, so it should be easier to find them than ever. Just beware that they don’t frequently make the same beer twice, so when you find one you love, cherish it because it may not come back for a while, if ever!

Coming up for air during Wisconsin’s unseasonably warm weather

Here in Milwaukee it’s hit 70 degrees for the last several consecutive days, something that’s unheard of for November. And honestly, it’s much needed; much of October was chilly and rainy, and as we head into the long Wisconsin winter, the isolation will be real.

There’s no way around it… this is going to be a tough winter thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the weather gets uncomfortable, a lot of outdoor time will cease, which means we’ll be more isolated from each other than ever. We were just coming out of winter when COVID first hit, and as long as this year has felt so far, this upcoming winter could be even longer.

So enjoy the weather while you have it. Get out to the parks, go fishing or hunting, spend some time sitting out on your patio or deck with a drink and a book. I don’t typically mind winter very much, but something tells me this year’s going to be different.

Around the NFC North

Once again it’s time for us to take a look around the NFC North.

The CHICAGO BEARS had a tough loss to the Saints last week, bringing them down to 5-3 and once again showcasing the team’s averageness (or worse) on offense. Now the Bears have a challenge in the Tennessee Titans and their powerful running game. At this point, you have to wonder if the Bears will consider a move back to Mitchell Trubisky. Head coach Matt Nagy seems steadfast in his support for Nick Foles, but there’s no denying that Trubisky at least exceeds Foles in athletic ability, and when you’re working behind a garbage offensive line, you could use a bit of extra spark. Of course, for the Bears, they’re kind of screwed either way, but at least they can make their losses more exciting by tossing Trubisky back there.

The DETROIT LIONS will have Matthew Stafford today against the Vikings after he spent a bit of time on the COVID/Reserve list. After getting slaughtered by the Colts, the Lions are going to need a divisional win to stay afloat in a NFC that’s going to be very competitive for those last couple wild card spots. The problem is they still have Matt Patricia as their head coach. It would be extremely Lions of them to come out and get spanked by Minnesota, putting them pretty far behind the eight ball in the wild card race, and then win just enough the rest of the year to avoid a premium pick.

The MINNESOTA VIKINGS came out and won their Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. This is a team that’s had some close games against good competition but continuously came up short. It’s far too late for them to crawl back into the playoff picture, but at least they got to avoid being swept by the Packers two years in a row, which is… something. Dalvin Cook is a heck of a talent; the Vikings barely had to throw the ball at all behind Cook’s incredible performance. Imagine if this team had an actual quarterback, and a defense capable of a ball control style of game.

Mini bye a big benefit for the Packers

Thursday Night Football might be awful, but the mini-bye that comes after the game is at least beneficial in some ways, especially for the Packers right now who have a number of players ailing. 

I’m hopeful we’ll see Allen Lazard back on the field next week against the team that failed to see his potential, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lazard traveled with the team to San Francisco but ultimately did not suit up for the game. But chances are good he’ll play again next Sunday.

Kevin King continues to be hampered by injury, and I’m hopeful the extra rest he got this week will get him prepared to go against Jacksonville as well. Josh Jackson has had some bright moments in his absence, but equally as many head scratching moments. It’s been good for Jackson to get more playing time--the improvement is obvious, but he’s still not on King’s level and entering the second half of the season you really want to have your best players feeling good and ready for the marathon that is NFL playoff-contending football in late fall.

Aaron Jones got a heavy workload on Thursday night, but it’ll be good for him to get a bit more rest for his calf leading into another game. 

David Bakhtiari will be a big boost to the Packers upon his return. The team has managed to stay afloat by shuffling around its offensive line, but with depth pieces getting injured now as well, they need Bakh to get healthy and allow the team to stop holding its breath with regard to O-line depth.

And then of course, you’ll have players returning from the COVID/Reserve list, which will be a big boost.

All in all, if the Packers had to play on a Thursday night, they got off about as easy as they could given they got the 49ers at about 30 percent strength and could feel good enough about resting some of their injured players for an extra week. 

Week nine quick forecast

The Packers have already played their game, a game I predicted them to win 23-20 for what it’s worth (I was not feeling particularly positive the Packers’ run defense would even be able to handle the 49ers’ practice squad, but I was pleasantly surprised with the team’s performance).

So what am I watching the rest of the week?

Of course, you have to pay attention to what’s happening in the division. Chicago is going to have its hands full with Tennessee and it just seems like a not-great matchup for me. Detroit and Minnesota is basically a game all about Detroit--can they maintain relevance for another few weeks?

But the most interesting games to me are these two:

-Seahawks vs. Bills, in which the Seahawks get a tough, cross-country road test they’ll need to pass to stay at the top of the NFC, while the Bills get a chance to further prove their legitimacy. I think the Seahawks just manage to squeak it out in true Seattle fashion.

-Saints at Buccaneers on Sunday NIght Football, a rematch of the week one contest that the Saints won. These are two different teams since then, and the Bucs have really picked up the momentum. I think the difference is going to be in the quarterback position; Drew Brees is playing his age this year, and Tom Brady, while certainly past his prime, is not looking like a 43-year-old with a shot arm as he did in the AFC playoffs about 10 months ago. Meanwhile, the Bucs’ defense is legit, and when you get Brees out of the dome it’s always going to be better on defenses. Give me the Bucs.