Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday 1/3/22
3 January 2022 Sports
Sports for January 3rd
Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, A.J. Dillon ran for two more scores and the Green Bay Packers routed the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Sunday night to wrap up the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.
Green Bay’s victory, coupled with Philadelphia’s 20-16 triumph at Washington earlier in the day, dropped the Vikings (7-9) from postseason contention and gave the Eagles a playoff berth. The Vikings were playing without quarterback Kirk Cousins after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.
The Packers (13-3) are the lone NFL team with an unbeaten home record and have a chance to reach the Super Bowl without leaving Lambeau Field. Sunday night’s game exemplified the potential advantage the Packers have playing home games in January, as the temperature was 11 degrees with a wind chill of 1 just before kickoff. Green Bay has won 13 straight regular-season home games, but lost 31-26 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last season’s NFC championship game. The Packers haven’t reached the Super Bowl since their 2010 title and have lost in the conference championship game four of the last seven seasons.
Rodgers went 29 of 38 for 288 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard and an 11-yarder to Davante Adams, who had 11 catches for 136 yards. Adams has 117 receptions to break the Packers’ season record he set last year. Over his last six games, Rodgers has thrown 18 touchdown passes without an interception despite playing with an injured left pinky toe. The reigning MVP has thrown 56 career regular-season touchdown passes against the Vikings, the most they have allowed to any quarterback. Brett Favre, who preceded Rodgers as the Packers’ quarterback, threw 54 career touchdown passes against the Vikings before ending his career with Minnesota.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur broke George Seifert’s 30-year-old NFL record for the most regular-season wins by a coach in his first three seasons. LaFleur owns a 39-9 regular-season mark and 41-11 overall record. Seifert had a 38-10 regular-season record from 1989-91 in his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Dillon ran for two second-half touchdowns and gained 63 yards on 15 carries. Aaron Jones gained 76 yards on just eight carries as the Packers outrushed the Vikings 174-27.
Minnesota had won its last two matchups with the Packers but never had much of a chance in this one without Cousins, who had thrown for 341 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 home victory over the Packers on Nov. 21. The Packers have won five straight since that loss in Minnesota.
Sean Mannion started in place of Cousins and went 22 of 35 for 189 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn. Mannion was making his third career start, and first since the final week of the 2019 regular season.
The Packers reached the red zone on three of their first four possessions but only had a 6-0 lead to show for it, thanks to a pair of Mason Crosby field goals. But they broke through by reaching the end zone on their next three possessions, including two touchdowns in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half.
Packers: At Detroit on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the NFC Sunday the Bears pounded the Giants at home 29-3 and Seattle walloped the Lions 51-29.
In Monday Night Football the Browns (7-8) play the Steelers in Pittsburgh (7-7-1) in what most likely will be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s last game at home.
Philadelphia 20, Washington 16. The Eagles clinched a playoff spot.
LA Rams 20, Baltimore 19. The Rams clinched a playoff spot
Tampa Bay 28, Jets 24
Tennessee 34, Miami 3. The Titans their division.
New England 50, Jacksonville 10. The Patriots clinched a playoff spot.
Las Vegas 23, Indianapolis 20
Cincinnati 34, Kansas City 32. The Bengals clinched their division.
Buffalo 29, Atlanta 15. The Bills clinched a playoff spot
San Francisco 23, Houston 7
LA Chargers 34, Denver 13
New Orleans 18, Carolina 10
Arizona 25, Dallas 22. The Cardinals clinched a playoff spot
Antonio Brown just said goodbye to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Tampa Bay’s offense in the midst of a third-quarter drive against the New York Jets, the star wideout pulled off his helmet, jersey and pads, waved to the fans at MetLife Stadium and ran into the tunnel. Video showed teammate Mike Evans attempting to restrain Brown from removing his uniform.
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians told the media after Tampa Bay’s 28-24 comeback win that Brown was no longer with the team.
“He is no longer a Buc. That’s the end of the story,” Arians said.
Braelon Allen ran for 159 yards and Wisconsin drained the final 9:57 off the clock with an 18-play drive that sealed a 20-13 victory over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Allen, the 17-year-old true freshman from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, had 101 yards by halftime for his eighth 100-yard game of the season. Graham Mertz finished 11 of 15 for 137 yards and a touchdown to senior tight end Jake Ferguson, who caught three passes for 33 yards in his final game for Wisconsin. The Badgers started 1-3 with Big Ten losses to ranked opponents Penn State and Michigan but answered with a seven-game winning streak to earn a 20th consecutive bowl bid.
Friday, Dec. 31
Gator Bowl No. 17 Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10 (No. 25 Texas A&M out because of COVID) TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
Sun Bowl Central Michigan 24, Washington State 21 (Miami (Fla.) out because of COVID) Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas
Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 1 Alabama 27, No. 4 Cincinnati 6 AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 3 Georgia 34, No. 2 Michigan 11 Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Saturday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl No. 21 Arkansas 24, Penn State 10 Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
Citrus Bowl No. 22 Kentucky 20, No. 15 Iowa 17 Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
Fiesta Bowl No. 9 Oklahoma State 37, No. 5 Notre Dame 35 State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
Rose Bowl No. 6 Ohio State 48, No. 11 Utah 45 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California
Sugar Bowl No. 7 Baylor 21, No. 8 Ole Miss 7 Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
NBA (Sat.)
In the NBA Saturday, the Bucks won at home over the Pelicans, 136-113. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double, leading all scorers witth 35 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Jrue Holiday chipped in with 21 points. Jason Hayes led New Orleans with 23 points. The Bucks improve to 25-13, tied for second with the Nets and just a game behind the Bulls in the Eastern Conference while the Pelicans fall to 13-23 in the Western Conference. Milwaukee hosts Detroit Monday night.
Men’s College Basketball (Mon.)
Wisconsin at Purdue
Boys Basketball (Mon.)
Berlin at Campbellsport
Waupun at Westfield
Lourdes Academy at Saint Mary’s Springs
Winnebago Lutheran at Oakfield
Cambridge at Wautoma
Girls Basketball (Mon.)
Princeton/Green Lake at Ripon-7:15 tipoff on AM 1600/93.1 FM, WRPN.
Plymouth at West De Pere
Wild Rose at Adams-Friendship
Central Wisconsin Christian at Heritage Christian
Hustisford at Pardeeville
Lourdes Academy at Manawa
Oakfield at Fall River
Cambria-Friesland at Palmyra-Eagle
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