9/25/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday
25 September 2023 Sports
Jordan Love rallied Green Bay from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit in his first career home start — a comeback that began after New Orleans lost quarterback Derek Carr to a shoulder injury — and the Packers stunned the Saints 18-17 on Sunday.
The Packers (2-1) scored 18 points in the final 11 minutes to win their 11th consecutive home opener, the NFL’s longest active streak. They took the lead on Love’s 8-yard pass to Romeo Doubs in the right corner of the end zone with 2:56 left.
Carr’s backup, Jameis Winston, drove the Saints (2-1) into scoring position, but Blake Grupe’s 46-yard field-goal attempt with just over a minute left sailed wide right. It was the first career miss in seven attempts for Grupe, a rookie who played in college at Arkansas State and Notre Dame.
New Orleans led 17-0 when Carr left with a shoulder injury in the third quarter after one of Rashan Gary’s career-high three sacks. That set the stage for Love to spark the type of rally that his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, orchestrated on this field so many times.
Love was making his fourth career start but first at home as he takes over for Rodgers, a four-time MVP who was traded to the New York Jets in the offseason. The fourth-year pro from Utah State went 22 of 44 for 259 yards with one touchdown pass, a TD run and an interception.
Green Bay became the third team in the past 30 years to win after being shut out 17-0 or worse through three quarters. The others were Carolina against Philadelphia on Oct. 21, 2018, and Tennessee against the New York Giants on Nov. 26, 2006.
Anders Carlson’s 38-yard field goal with 11 minutes left began Green Bay’s comeback.
On the Packers’ next possession, Love faked a handoff to Patrick Taylor before running into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Love connected with Samori Toure on a 2-point conversion to make it 17-11 with 6:58 remaining.
The Packers forced a three-and-out and took over at their 20 with 5:23 remaining. A 24-yard scramble by Love and a 30-yard completion to Jayden Reed set up the go-ahead touchdown.
Winston threw a 28-yard completion to Chris Olave and connected with him again two plays later on a 10-yard gain that put the Saints in field-goal range.
The Saints had taken their big lead by scoring touchdowns on Carr’s 8-yard pass to Jimmy Graham and Rashid Shaheed’s 76-yard punt return. Grupe’s 25-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half made it 17-0.
Green Bay won without five key contributors: cornerback Jaire Alexander (back), running back Aaron Jones (hamstring), wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring), left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) and left guard Elgton Jenkins (knee). Bakhtiari and Jones were missing their second straight games, while Watson has yet to play this season.
Packers LB De’Vondre Campbell (ankle) and CB Carrington Valentine (biceps) left the game. Valentine, a rookie seventh-round pick from Kentucky, was making his first career start. OT Zach Tom hurt his knee late in the game.
The Packers (2-1) host Detroit (2-1) on Thursday night.
Elsewhere in the NFC North the Chargers beat the Vikings 28-24 in Minneapolis, the Lions beat the Falcons 20-6 and the Chiefs pounded the Bears 41-10.
In Sunday Night Football the Steelers won at Las Vegas over the Raiders 23-18.
In Monday Night Football the Eagles are at Tampa Bay and the the Bengals host the Rams.
Jon Berti had his second career multihomer game, and the Miami Marlins beat Milwaukee 6-1 on Sunday, the second straight day they prevented the Brewers from clinching the NL Central.
Josh Bell also went deep, Jorge Soler had three hits and Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled twice for the Marlins, who began the day one game behind the Chicago Cubs for the third NL wild card spot. Milwaukee entered with a seven-game lead over the Cubs.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (7-7) allowed one run and five hits in five-plus innings with five strikeouts. Xavier Edwards stepped in for injured Miami infielder Luis Arraez and had three hits and two stolen bases. Arraez, the major league batting leader at .353, didn’t play after he aggravated a sprained left ankle Saturday. Arraez rolled his ankle during pre-game infield drills Tuesday then slipped on the dugout steps before the ninth inning Saturday.
Berti homered in the second on a slider from Freddy Peralta (12-10), who gave up four runs and nine hits in three innings. Bell’s solo homer and Bryan De La Cruz’s two-run single boosted the lead to 4-0 in the third.
Milwaukee closed on Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single in the fifth before Berti completed a 13-pitch at-bat with a two-run homer off Julio Teheran in the bottom half, Berti’s sixth home run this season. Berti’s only other multihomer game was on May 4 last year against Arizona.
Miami went 46-35 at home, up from 34-47 last year, and finish the regular season with three-game series at the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Milwaukee is off Monday. Brewers: RHP Adrian Houser (7-4, 4.35) will start the opener of a three-game home series against St. Louis on Tuesday. The Cardinals will go with LHP Zack Thompson (5-7, 4.57).
Elsewhere in the NL Central Sunday the Cubs edged the Rockies 4-3, the Reds beat the Pirates 4-2 and the Padres pounded the Cardinals 12-2.
Tanner Mordecai ran for two scores and Braelon Allen rushed for 116 yards and two more scores Friday to lead Wisconsin to a 38-17 victory at Purdue.
The Badgers’ second straight victory extended their winning streak in this series to 17. Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) also has 10 straight wins at Ross-Ade Stadium since losing last in 1997. But the celebration was marred by a potentially devastating left leg injury to running back Chez Mellusi, who was carted off the field with 6:37 to go.
First-time coach Ryan Walters has now lost his first three home games with Purdue (1-3, 0-1).
Wisconsin quickly built a 14-0 lead thanks to Mordecai’s TD runs of 14 and 6 yards on the Badgers first two possessions. Allen made it 21-3 with a 14-yard run in the second quarter.
But after Wisconsin settled for a 38-yard field goal to open the second half, the Boilermakers made it interesting.
Boilermakers quarterback Hunter Card sped up the offense and Tyrone Tracy Jr. took advantage by scampering 20 yards to make it 24-10.
Allen’s 52-yard run set up another field goal and then Card found an opening as he sprinted from the harsh mark closest to Purdue’s sideline across the field for a 6-yard TD to cut the deficit to 27-17.
Wisconsin sealed it, though, with another field goal, two late turnovers, a turnover on downs and Allen’s second score in the waning minutes.
Running back Chez Mellusi left with an air cast over his left leg. He missed four games with a wrist injury last season and tore his ACL IN 2021. The injury occurred when his leg appeared to get inward while he was being tackled.
Wisconsin takes next week off before returning to action Oct. 7 against Rutgers.
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