The Packers played — and lost to — the Saints this weekend, I know, but I unfortunately missed large chunks of the more recent game. The reason for my absence from my usual front-row seat at The Gasthaus was that I was too busy hugging the toilet from the vomit-inducing loss to the Bears a week earlier.

Seeing as I missed most of the Saints game, forgive me for dwelling a little bit on the unfathomable home loss to Chicago.

If you’ve forgotten the game by now, stop reading. It’s much too painful to rehash. Now that you’ve been warned, here we go: 26-0. Yes, that was the final score.

Twenty-six to nothing! Zilch. Nada. Zero.

Last Sunday’s game marked the first shutout loss for the Packers since 1991, and the first in Brett Favre’s career — the way the Pack looked in Week One, it might not be the last.

Bears QB Rex Grossman hit receiver Bernard Berrian for a 49-yard touchdown on the Bears’ opening drive, and Chicago never looked back. In hindsight, their entire offense could have headed home after their initial strike. They didn’t go home though — probably because they didn’t want to pay the Illinois tolls — and proceeded to set up four Robbie Gould field goals.

The Packers got little going offensively, and were put away for good when an 84-yard punt return by Devin Hester served as icing on the cake.

Throughout, it was hard to tell if the Bears were playing great defense or if the Packers were playing terrible offense. My guess is that it was an ugly combination of the two. Whichever the case, it resulted in a horrific debut for new head coach Mike McCarthy.

In each of the last two seasons, the Packers were plagued by slow starts, and McCarthy’s experience as coordinator for the worst offenses in football surprisingly was of no help in this year’s opener.

To make matters worse, the Packers were blanked in their own house. After a dreadful 3-5 home record last year and recent playoff losses on the Frozen Tundra, McCarthy pledged to help Green Bay regain the advantage at Lambeau Field. Unfortunately, the only advantage the Packers had against Chicago was a better locker room.

With two home games already in the books, the Pack will test their luck on the road this weekend when they head to Detroit, the site of last year’s season-opening loss.

I’ll try not to lose my lunch.

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