Three weeks ago, we'd have told you that the Brewers had a better chance of winning the World Series than the Packers had of opening the season with a 3-0 record.

So much for that theory....

It's too early to start planning playoff parties. The Packers have some obvious flaws that will need to be addressed as the season progresses. Three sets of back-to-back road games after the Oct. 21 bye week will make things difficult and any major injury to a key playmaker could be devastating.

However, the dramatic 31-24 victory over a talented but slightly disheveled San Diego outfit Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field showed that the Packers are closer to realizing their potential than a lot of ‘experts' thought.

Some observations from the team's first 3-0 start since 2003:

Brett Favre is still the man. Given time to throw and playmakers to throw to (welcome back, Mr. Jennings), the guy makes plays that other quarterbacks can't. All those people who wanted him traded, released or retired two years ago should say 15 "Hail, Bretts" as penance.

Had the Packers lost, would we be talking about anything else beside the bizarre sequence that played out near the goal line? It sure looked like Favre called a timeout on his own. And that "empty backfield" set on 4th and goal at the 1? Call me old-fashioned, but I kind of like it when teams power their way to pay dirt in those situations.

One of the reasons Favre looked good is that the offensive line did a superb job of protection. Chad Clifton, who had struggled earlier this year, looked particularly stout in the five-man protection scheme. At some point this season, though, it would be nice to see the Packers be able to run the ball. 13 carries and 42 yards is not going to get it done.

As good as Favre has looked, it's beginning to appear that Nick Barnett is the best player on the team. San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman has more publicity, awards, notoriety, commercials and video game covers, but he was virtually invisible on Sunday. Barnett, meanwhile, has contained Bryant Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson in back to back weeks. He was all over the field again on Sunday. His interception on the final series was a big-time play.

Rookie James Jones is a promising player, but the Packers looked like a different team with Greg Jennings on the field. Jennings creates space for Donald Driver, who remains one of the underrated stars in the game.

If the Packers can get contributions from Koren Robinson, the receiving corps becomes that much tougher.

Speaking of toughness, we always knew Driver was tough, but he seemed totally unfazed by the helmet-to-helmet hit by Marlon McCree, who was given a penalty and will almost certainly be fined. That looked like a deliberate attempt to injure.

Admit it: when you heard that San Diego defensive back Quentin Jammer was covering Donald Driver, you thought about the porn-name implications. Who was the quarterback on that play, Buck Naked?

You're going to hear a lot of Jarrett Bush-bashing this week. The Packers nickel back wasn't great by any stretch, but he's too young and athletic to write him off at this point. Young players make mistakes.

The Packers' special teams have improved this season. Is it any coincidence that Mason Crosby has been booming kickoffs into the end zone? The guy had another strong outing Sunday and punter Jon Ryan was good, too.

How bummed are people who took Tomlinson with the first pick in their fantasy draft? The guy had 62 yards in 22 attempts Sunday and hasn't cracked 100 yards in any of his first three games.

Do the Chargers look like a team that was 14-2 last season? Firing Marty Schottenheimer was a ridiculous overreaction. Losing both coordinators virtually guaranteed that the Chargers would endure some rough seas early and they are. Quarterback Philip Rivers' strong outing Sunday should help keep people from panicking too much.

Why didn't the Chargers blitz more often? For that matter, why didn't the Packers? Green Bay is relying on a stout front four to generate pressure, but those guys could wear down as the season progresses. It could be time to unleash Barnett, A.J. Hawk, Nick Collins, etc.

We were flipping back and forth between the Packers game and the Brewers' meltdown, but it sure seemed as though CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Phil Simms did OK without the services of a sideline reporter. If only all games were like that.