9/12/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
12 September 2024 Sports
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur still isn’t ruling out the possibility Jordan Love could play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts as the quarterback recovers from a knee injury that has kept him from practicing.
Love injured his left medial collateral ligament Friday on the third-to-last play of the Packers’ season-opening 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. LaFleur said Love doesn’t necessarily have to practice this week to be ready to play in Sunday’s game.
“But at the same time, like I told you guys, he’s got to be cleared,” LaFleur said. “We’ve got to feel like he can protect himself, and he’s got to be confident enough to go out there and do that. Until that happens, we are not even going to think about that.”
While Love continues his recovery, Malik Willis is preparing for the likelihood he will start a game for Green Bay less than three weeks after the Packers acquired him from the Tennessee Titans.
Willis was asked Wednesday how much of the playbook he knows.
“I’m not sure I’d put a percentage on it,” Willis said. “Just trying to, whatever we have in each day, try to come in, diagnose it, study it the night before and be able to go out there and execute.”
LaFleur compared the situation to his 2018 stint as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, when the Titans turned to Blaine Gabbert after starting quarterback Marcus Mariota got injured in the season opener.
At least in that instance, Gabbert had been with the Titans throughout training camp. The Packers just added Willis in a trade that was finalized Aug. 27.
Willis’ only three previous career starts came as a rookie with Tennessee in 2022. The Titans went 1-2 in those games, and Willis didn’t top 100 yards passing in any of them.
He went 6 of 10 for 55 yards with an interception in a 17-10 victory at Houston, a game in which Tennessee attempted only one pass after halftime. He was 5 of 16 for 80 yards with no touchdown passes or interceptions in a 20-17 overtime loss at Kansas City. And he was 14 of 23 for 99 yards with two interceptions and no touchdown passes in a 19-14 home loss to the Texans.
Love was the only Packer who didn’t practice at all Wednesday. CB Corey Ballentine (oblique), DL Kenny Clark (toe), RB Josh Jacobs (back) and RB MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) were limited. Lloyd didn’t play against the Eagles.
In Thursday Night Football the Bills are on the road against the Dolphins. Both teams are 1-0 on the season.
The Giants pounded the Brewers 13-2 Wednesday night in San Francisco. The Giants scored four runs in the each of the first two innings.to cruise to the win.
Jerar Encarnacion, Mike Yastremsi and Matt Chapman each homered to help propel the Giants rout of the first-place Brewers at Oracle Park.
The blowout victory was a nice change of pace for the Giants, who have played 13 one-run games since Aug. 9, including a 3-2 loss to the Brewers in Tuesday night’s series opener. San Francisco bounced back from that four-hit showing by racking up 17 hits, allowing the club to finally cruise and rest workhorses like Ryan Walker and Tyler Rogers, both of whom rank in the top five in Major League appearances this year.
The offensive eruption provided ample support for left-hander Blake Snell, who allowed only one run on four hits while walking two and striking out eight over five innings. Snell didn’t have his best fastball command, but the results were still an improvement from his last start against the D-backs when he was pulled after throwing 42 pitches in the first inning.
The Brewers managed just six hits. Started Colin Rea (12-5) went four innings, giving up 10 runs on 11 hits. Giants starter Blake Snell (3-3) gave up one run on four hits in five innings.
The teams meet again tonight in the finale of the three-game series. RHP Frankie Montas(6-10) will start for the Brewers against Hayden Birdsong (3-5). First pitch is at 8:45 CDT.
Elsewhere in the NL Central on Wednesday the Pirates beat the Marlins 3-1, the Cardinals nipped the Reds 2-1 and the Cubs lost to the Dodgers 10-8. The Brewers still lead the Cubs by 8 ½ games while the Cardinals are 10 games behind.
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