1/16/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday
16 January 2023 Sports
Sports for Monday
From Wayne Mausser
NFL Wild Card Round
(Sat.)
San Francisco 41, Seattle 23
Jacksonville 31, Chargers 30
(Sun.)
Bills 34, Dolphins 21
Giants 31, Vikings 31
Bengals 24, Ravens 17
(Mon.)
Dallas at Tampa Bay
Souley Boum and Jack Nunge each scored 16 points and No. 12 Xavier won its 11th straight game with a 80-76 victory over No. 25 Marquette on Sunday.
Six players scored in double figures for Xavier (15-3, 7-0 Big East), which is off to its best start ever in Big East play. The Musketeers’ winning streak is their longest since starting the 2015-16 season 12-0. Nunge had 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double this season and second straight.
Tyler Kolek scored 25 points and Oso Ighodaro had 14 for Marquette (14-5, 6-2 Big East), which snapped a five-game winning streak. Kolek who averages eight assists per game, dished out seven.
Gabe Vincent scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 13 rebounds and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 111-95 Saturday. Victor Oladipo added 20 points and Jimmy Butler had 16 for the Heat. Miami won its second straight against the Bucks after a 108-102 home victory on Thursday.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the two games against Miami because of left knee soreness.
The Heat also was short-handed as guards Tyler Herro (Achilles soreness) Kyle Lowry (knee discomfort) sat out.
Vincent did the bulk of his scoring in the first half, when he had 21 points. Stepping in for Lowry, Vincent missed equaling his career high by one which he set in Thursday’s win over the Bucks.
After the two-game sweep over the Bucks, the Heat has won six of eight.
All Bucks starters finished in double figures. Portis scored 15 points, Pat Connaughton had 14 points and Brook Lopez finished with 13, while Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen had 12 points each. Milwaukee finished 2-2 on its road trip.
The Bucks host Indiana on Monday.
Trayce Jackson-Davis knew what Indiana had been missing over the past several weeks. So Saturday, he made sure the Hoosiers defense got reconnected.
The all-conference forward had 18 points, 12 rebounds and helped Indiana’s defense focus on the basics as they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 63-45 victory over No. 18 Wisconsin.
One of the conference’s best 3-point shooting teams in Wisconsin made just five, barely half its season average. Indiana also held the Badgers (11-5, 3-3) to their second-lowest scoring total this season and their second-lowest point total in the series since a 51-44 loss on Feb. 13, 1943.
Connor Essegian had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Badgers, who have now lost all three games since starting forward Tyler Wahl went down with an injured leg. This one came in a series they’ve
dominated for more than a decade and which included eight wins in its previous 11 trips to Assembly Hall.
Wisconsin returns home Tuesday to face Penn State.
Monmouth College 76, Ripon College 70-Ryan Steffes led the Red Hawks with 18 points as Ripon fell to 8-8 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
UW-Oshkosh 78, UW-Lacrosse 73. The Titans improve to 12-5 and 5-1 in conference play.
(Women)
Ripon College 60, Monmouth College 66. Skylar Brescia scored 14, Kiana Fall had 13 and Bonne Jensen 12 as Ripon improves to 10-6 and 6-1 in the conference.
UW-Oshkosh 61, UW-Lacrosse 53. The Titan women upped their overall record to 11-5 and 2-4 in the conference.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker was fined $13,261 by the NFL for the shove that led to his ejection from a 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday, a person familiar with the situation said.
The person also said Saturday that Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas was fined $11,139 for his unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in that game and Lions running back Jamaal Williams was fined $18,566 for his two touchdown celebrations. Williams wasn’t penalized during the game for either celebration dance.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the fines hadn’t been announced. NFL Network first reported the fines
Walker was ejected during Detroit’s go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter of the Packers loss. He was close behind two Lions staffers as they attended to Detroit running back D’Andre Swift, Walker’s former Georgia teammate.
Lions team physician Sean Lynch put his left hand on Walker’s right elbow to move him away from the staffers so he could check on Swift. Walker then shoved Lynch in the back.
It was Walker’s second ejection during the first-round draft pick’s rookie season. He was tossed from an Oct. 30 loss at Buffalo after shoving Bills practice squad tight end Zach Davidson on the sideline.
Walker apologized Monday and said he had spoken directly to Lynch to express his regret.
Money collected from fines goes to programs for former NFL players in need.
Packers kick returner Keisean Nixon was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the 2022 season. Nixon received 44 of 50 first-place votes, with 136 total points. Nixon finished the season leading the league in yards on kickoff returns (1,009) and led in kickoff returns of 50-plus yards (five).
He averaged 28.83 yards per kickoff return to rank second in the NFL this season. His 105-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Vikings in week 17 was the first by a Packer since week one of the 2011 season, when Randall Cobb ripped one off for 108 yards.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander was named second-team All-Pro. Alexander led the Packers with 14 passes defensed and a career-high five interceptions.
Aaron Rodgers just needs time. It’s the word the Green Bay Packers quarterback used when asked about his future following the season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions, explaining he needs time to take the emotion out of any decision he makes.
It’s also the word general manager Brian Gutekunst reiterated multiple times in his season-ending press conference Friday.
“I want all these guys back”, Gutekunst said when asked if he wants Rodgers back in Green Bay. “He’s certainly going to take some time. That’s fair and as we work through this I think as he takes his time, as he makes his decision on his playing career in general, then we’ll get together and move forward that way.”
Similar to last offseason Rodgers has a decision to make — retire, return to the Packers, or play elsewhere.
Rodgers signed a three-year $150 million contract last March.
“We made a really big commitment to him last offseason so as we did that, it wasn’t certainly for just this year,” Gutekunst said. “He’s going to take his time and the communication will be pretty constant as we move forward.”
Gutekunst said the two spoke this past week and had “really good” conversations, but it was mostly kept to discussing the 2022 season rather than Rodgers’ future.
If Rodgers does choose to return for a 19th season in Green Bay, where does that leave backup quarterback Jordan Love?
The 2020 first-round draft pick is entering the fourth year on his rookie contract, and the Packers have to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option this spring.
Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have expressed their confidence in Love’s progression and ability to be a starter in the NFL.
On Friday, Gutekunst said he’s excited about Love’s development but pointed out that Rodgers is a four-time MVP and still gives the Packers the best chance to win.
“I definitely think he’s ready to play,” Gutekunst said about Love. “I think he feels that way. I think he’s chomping at the bit but at the same time we’re going to do what’s best for the Green Bay Packers and what gives us the best chance to win moving forward.”
When asked if it’s a given that Love will be on the team next year: “I wouldn’t say that’s a given,” Gutekunst said. “I think we’re working through that, what’s best. We don’t even know the salary cap number for this coming year. Once we get that and we start down the track of looking how we’re going to put the team together for 2023 and beyond we’ll make that decision. But we’re not there yet.”
Left tackle David Bakhtiari and running back Aaron Jones have large cap hits, but Gutekunst expressed his desire to have both back next season.
“We expect to have him back,” Gutekunst answered when asked about Jones. “He’s a dynamic player. For a guy his size to bring it every day, he rarely misses a practice, rarely misses a rep. The way he leads our football team. His consistency is amazing.”
On Bakhtiari, Gutekunst said he “hopes” he’s back.
“We’re hopeful that he’s cleared some of those injury hurdles he had the last few years,” Gutekunst said. “He got into a really good groove before the appendectomy which set him back, but when he came back he just stepped in like he hadn’t missed any time.”
Gutekunst also spent time during his press conference fielding questions about the disappointing 2022 season that resulted in the Packers finishing 8-9 and missing out on the playoffs.
“We just never played complementary football,” Gutekunst said when asked what went wrong. “At times when our defense was playing well we didn’t adjust and do things in the second half and our offense was taking some time to get going. I think we got better as the year went on but I think there was just inconsistencies in our complementary football and that hurt us along the way.”
Following back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers had a significant drop-off in 2022.
Statistically, it was the worst season of his career finishing with 3,695 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 17 games.
Gutekunst listed a number of factors when asked what caused that drop in production.
“Certainly, losing ‘Tae (Davante Adams), that was a big part of this,” Gutekunst said. “There were some moving pieces on the offensive line early as some of those guys, Elgton (Jenkins) and Dave (David Bakhtiari) got back from injury. Bobby (Robert) Tonyan as well. And obviously he dealt with some significant injuries and like he always does, he plays through things most guys don’t.
“Our offense as a whole was inconsistent week in, week out. There were some flashes, some glimpses in games I thought we were getting back to the productivity level that we’ve seen in the past but we weren’t able to string those things together.”
Gutekunst mentioned the Davante Adams trade a few times in his press conference when discussing the offensive struggles this season.
Gutekunst said he knew it would be a challenge to adapt without Adams, but mentioned that he thought the defense would perform at a high enough level to give the young players on offense time to catch up. As we know, that wasn’t the case.
“I just don’t think we came together and played consistent enough football with that group early on,” Gutekunst said about the defense. “Back in the beginning of the season, especially some of the first halves we were really, really good but we just didn’t carry that through the game and we weren’t good enough for where our offense was at the time, to win the games we needed to win.
“I think that was a very talented group but we did not play like a very talented football team.”
LaFleur said earlier this week that he doesn’t expect many changes to be made among the coaching staff. While changes in the roster are expected every offseason, Gutekunst expressed optimism in what’s ahead for the Packers.
“I believe in our group, I really do,” said Gutekunst. “Every year is new. This is a hard league but I believe in the players. Certainly there’s going to be change within our roster there’s no doubt about that but I believe in our organization, how we do things.
“I believe in the process. Sometimes things don’t go our way and you look at it, and you’ve got to be able to tweak things but I believe in the people in this building and I’m excited for 2023.
Green Bay Packers opponents for 2023 are no more successful than the opponents for 2022 were, and fewer of them made the playoffs. The NFL this week announced each team’s home and away opponents for the coming season, although the actual schedule will not be released until late April or early May.
The Packers will play the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field.
They will travel to Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Atlanta, Carolina, Denver, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and to New Jersey to play the Giants.
The overall winning percentage of Packers’ opponents in 2023, 47.3%, is nearly the same as 2022’s 47.8%. The Packers’ 2023 opponents had a collective 112-125-1 record in 2022, but this being the NFL, past performance does not guarantee future results. The Los Angeles Rams went from Super Bowl champions in 2021 to 5-12 this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars were 3-14 in 2021, but 9-8 this season while winning the AFC South.
For that matter, the Packers went from 13-4 in 2021 to 8-9 this season, although they did defeat four teams that made the playoffs.
Five of the coming year’s opponents are playoff teams, compared to seven heading into 2022. Those five are Minnesota, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay and the New York Giants. The Packers defeated Minnesota and Tampa Bay this season and lost to the Giants.
Here’s a look ahead, and in some cases back, at the Packers’ history with the teams they play in 2023.
Monday High School Basketball
Waupun at New London
North Fond du Lac at Kiel
New Holstein at Saint Mary’s Springs
Tri-County at Pittsville
Waupaca t Fox Valley Lutheran
Athens at Nekoosa
Necedah at Westfield
Pardeeville at Dodgeland
Wayland Academy at Palmyra-Eagle
Girls (Mon.)
Random Lake at Campbellsport
Saint Mary’s Springs at Roncalli
Weyauwega-Fremont at Rosholt
Mauston at Almond-Bancroft
Westfield at Amherst
Horicon at Johnson Creek
Wayland Academy at Palmrya-Eagle
Waterloo at Pardeeville
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