Well, that was fun. Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done had the Green Bay Packers been defeated by the Chicago Bears Sunday night. I already had to read or hear enough from Vikings fans all week long. To then have to hear it from Bears fans too? Ugh, forget it. Luckily the Packers defeated the Bears Sunday night 27-10 in a game that luckily, seemed to be over before halftime.
There were some good moments, there were some great moments. But there were also some, well, not so great moments. Given my enjoyment for a good beer or two, or three, or number that drifts above three occasionally; I wanted to look back at the Packers week 2 game and give a good beer toast to the highlights, and a not so good beer acknowledgement to the lowlights.
Toasts:
The first toast goes to Aaron Jones. I’m going to raise a nice New Glarus Nectar Ale in his direction. His performance was just simply exquisite and worthy of one of my favorite beers. What’s a good way to answer a game where you only touched the ball eight times, and your involvement was a topic of conversation the last week? By having the ball 18 times, 132 yards and a TD on the ground, and 38 yards and a TD through the air. I’ve touted Jones as one of, if not, the Packers best Offensive weapon, and it was proven Sunday night.
Six years in the league and Aaron Jones still plays with a drive to score on every carry. That may seem short, but with the average running back lifespan on the decline, a talent like Jones is becoming rare. The key to this offense’s success is making sure Aaron Jones gets the ball.
Veteran Receivers
Allen Lazard may have had the lone TD grab for the Packers receivers, but I think it’s Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins that deserve this toast. For them I’m holding up none other than the Wisconsin favorite, Spotted Cow. Cobb and Watkins were basically non-existent last week. Which sometimes when you’re trying too hard to pick something different off a beer menu, you overlook what’s good and reliable. And that’s Spotted Cow. I think Aaron Rodgers realized that this week, and turned back to his veteran receivers.
Sammy Watkins proved he still has it a bit and caught 3 targets for 93 yards, including a big 55-yard grab in a crucial moment late, getting the ball out of poor field position. Randall Cobb’s stats may not be that flashy, but he was once again that reliable target for Aaron Rodgers to pick up the first down.
Cornerbacks
After getting absolutely embarrassed last week vs Minnesota, the Packers CBs decided it won’t happen again. I’m going to raise a Nice Day IPA by Third Space brewery to the Cornerbacks. Not only because they had a nice day, but because they put the Bears WRs on their own individual islands, and essentially shut them down. And well, Nice Day IPA boasts tropical tastes, so I think Jaire, Stokes, and Rasul Islands are fitting.
Justin Fields totaled a sad 70 yards through the air. The top receiver, Darnell Mooney, had a game changing, or lack thereof, -4 yards receiving. These corners were letting no one embarrass them again. Rasul Douglas had a big Tackle for loss on Mooney that sealed away Mooney’s only target. And of course, Jaire Alexander decided that since Justin Fields wasn’t going to throw towards him, he’d close from across the field to get an Interception. A fitting seal late in the game where the Packers corners dominated.
Roasts
Run Defense
Sadly, I have to hand out a Keystone Light to this run defense. Pretty much the only thing the Bears offense could do was rush the ball. Even though the Packers defense knew it was coming, it seemed like they often couldn’t stop it. Keystone light is just, a beer, that you can drink. It’s not good, but you go with it because you just need a beer, and maybe there’s an off chance it’ll satisfy.
That seemed to be our run defense against the Bears. It was there, it was used, but it just wasn’t good. Luckily it seemed to tighten in the redzone as there were a few key stops including one of 4th and Goal. But otherwise, it was just awful and hopefully I can toast a much better beer to it soon.
Amari Rodgers
This one’s rough. I want Amari Rodgers to succeed but he just does not do himself any favors. For him I’m raising a Lakefront IPA. In my opinion, he has all the potential in the world, but just doesn’t wow you. You expect him to be better, but he just doesn’t do it.
Sunday night Amari Rodgers had a good Punt Return for 20 yards and was mostly good with his decisions to call for a fair catch. But then he had a muffed punt that luckily went out of bounds. Had that stayed in, it could’ve been a pivotal turning point in the game. Like Lakefront IPA, Rodgers needs to find that sweet spot. If he does, I’m hoping he can be a very good player.
Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to PackersTalk as well as CheeseheadTV. Follow him on Twitter at @gmeinholz. for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings.
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