Thursday Cheese Curds: Packers are partying like it’s 2011

An explosive Green Bay Packers offense has turned the clocks back for many fans.

The Packers’ hot start offensively has reminded many of the 2011 season when they could score at will and Aaron Rodgers rocketed towards his first MVP award.

Green Bay of course finished that season with a 15-1 record before they were upset in the divisional round of the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. A team that seemed destined to repeat as champions was done in by a team that won their division with a 9-7 record.

Despite the bitter ending, 2011 holds a lot of fond memories for fans and it bears some resemblance to the start the Packers are off to this season, both good and bad.

The Packers have scored more points through the first three games of a season than any other time in franchise history. Rodgers has emerged as a candidate for his third MVP trophy and the offense is among the NFL’s elite. Sounds like 2011, right?

Well, the 2020 Packers defense is also on pace to allow the most points in franchise history and anyone who remembers the 2011 team will know how bad that team was on defense (God level Rodgers kept that under the radar most of the year). While they weren’t historically bad, the Green Bay defense ultimately proved an Achilles’ heel that did in their season when the offense finally stumbled.

It’s way too early to determine if the 2020 team will follow the same trend, but regardless the Packers defense needs to get better.

In today’s curds, there ismore on the Packers’ hot start plus a new face emerges on the defensive line in Kenny Clark’s absence.

Packers playing like it’s 2011, which unfortunately goes for defense, too—ESPN

While the explosion on offense is a welcome sight, the defense continuing to struggle against good offenses should temper at least some of the excitement. The shortened training camp favored offenses so maybe it’s just a matter of time before the defense catches up? Here’s hoping that’s the case.

Aaron Rodgers’ adjustments have Packers feeling right at home on the road—PackersNews.com

No crowd noise has let Rodgers go to town with his hard count. No live crowd noise enables much easier communication at the line of scrimmage as well and that’s clearly improved the Packers’ offense.

5 things we’ve learned about Packers personnel usage on offense to start 2020–Packers Wire

The emergence of Allen Lazard as WR2 behind Davante Adams and Robert “Big Bob” Tonyan as TE1 have helped the offense reach new heights.

Kingsley Keke’s emergence provides options on Packers’ defensive line—Packers.com

The absence of Clark has caused sweating among fans and the run defense definitely misses him, but Kingsley Keke’s performance against the Saints provides some hope. It also gives coaches some flexibility until Clark returns.

14 Raccoons Confront Dad And Son In Encounter That ‘Feels Like End Of Days’—Huffington Post

A coyote showed up as well. It doesn’t get more 2020 than this.