9/12/22 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday
12 September 2022 Sports
Sports for Monday
Justin Jefferson started his third season with Minnesota by smashing rival Green Bay for 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns, giving new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell a 23-7 victory over the Packers in his first game on Sunday.
After accumulating the most receiving yards (3,016) in a player’s first two years in the NFL, Jefferson set an all-time Vikings receiving record with 158 yards in the first half against a stacked Packers defense.
Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 32 passes for 277 yards without a turnover, targeting Jefferson on more than a third of his throws and keeping the Packers on their heels for most of the afternoon.
Aaron Rodgers’ first game without Davante Adams was a struggle, and the three-time defending NFC North champion Packers fell flat in their opener for the second straight season. Last year, they deftly rebounded from a 38-3 defeat by New Orleans, but a repeat will require some new wide receivers to quickly emerge in rhythm with Rodgers.
Jefferson rewarded O’Connell for his first critical in-game decision by catching a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 to punctuate the first possession. When Adam Thielen ran a slant, cornerback Eric Stokes and safety Adrian Amos both turned inside — leaving Jefferson wide open in the flat after he came in motion across the formation.
Jefferson had a 36-yard reception for a score in the final minute of the first half to give the Vikings a 17-0 lead. He came close to a third touchdown on the previous drive, too, but his diving catch at the edge of the end zone was a bit too far for him to drop both feet down.
That drive yielded the first of two field goals by Greg Joseph — who later made a career-long 56-yarder — and was set up by a 64-yard gain by Jefferson on a burst between Amos and fellow safety Darnell Savage to grab the heave from Cousins.
Rodgers returned to an offensive cast that needs plenty of work — the running back duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon aside. Rodgers went 22 for 34 for 195 yards. Allen Lazard, the leading returning receiver this year for Green Bay, didn’t play because of an ankle injury. Starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins were also inactive.
Second-round draft pick Christian Watson, who was taken after the Packers traded up with the Vikings for the No. 34 overall selection, juked past 12-year veteran Patrick Peterson on the first snap for the Packers and let what would’ve been a 75-yard touchdown pass slip through his hands.
Za’Darius Smith, who was released by the Packers in a cost-cutting move this spring, had one of Minnesota’s four sacks. Jordan Hicks had another one that forced Rodgers to lose a fumble on the first possession of the second half.
Injurywise, LG Jon Runyan entered the concussion protocol in the third quarter and was replaced by rookie Zach Tom. Rookie LB Quay Walker — the team’s first round draft pick, departed with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter along with backup CB Keisean Nixon Backup LB Krys Barnes, who replaced Walker, hurt his ankle and left on a cart in the fourth quarter.
The Packers host Chicago next Sunday night.
Elsewhere in the NFC North Sunday the Bears upset the San Francisco 49ers in a driving rainstorm, 19-10. The Bears trailed 10-0 before making their come back. Quarterback Justin Fields had a good second half and finished 8-17 for 121 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
In Sunday Night Football 45-year old Tom Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 19-3 win over the Cowboys in Dallas. The Cowboys not only lost the game but also quarterback Zac Prescott. Sources say Prescott will have surgery on his right thumb and will miss s 6-8 weeks.
Tonight, Denver plays at Seattle.
Rowdy Tellez homered twice, doubled and drove in four runs as the Milwaukee Brewers withstood a ninth-inning comeback attempt to edge the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 on Sunday.
Willy Adames and Tellez hit back-to-back homers off Reds starter Justin Dunn (1-3) in the Brewers’ four-run second inning. Tellez added a solo shot off Luke Farrell in the fourth inning for his 30th homer of the season, to lead the team. Adames is next with 28 and needs just one more homer to match the single-season record for a Brewers shortstop. Hall of Famer Robin Yount hit 29 homers in 1982 while earning MVP honors and leading the Brewers to their lone World Series appearance.
Brewers’ center fielder Garrett Mitchell made a diving catch of a TJ Friedl fly ball in the ninth inning that prevented the Reds from tying the game.
Cincinnati’s Alejo López went 3 for 3 with his first career homer and a double.
The Reds trailed 7-2 through six innings but nearly came all the way back.
Cincinnati was still behind 7-4 when Spencer Steer doubled and López hit an infield single to start the ninth. The Reds brought the tying run to second with nobody out after Matt Reynolds hit a grounder to the left side and reached second on third baseman Jace Peterson’s errant throw.
After Williams struck out Kyle Farmer, Mitchell’s diving catch turned Friedl’s potential game-tying single into a mere sacrifice fly. Williams then struck out Jonathan India for his 12th save in 13 opportunities. India struck out on each of his five plate appearances.
This marked Tellez’s fifth multi-homer game of the season. His huge performance delighted the 42,482 spectators who gave Milwaukee its third sellout of the season, capitalizing on a promotional giveaway of bobbleheads featuring Milwaukee Bucks superstar and Brewers minority owner Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff (10-4) struck out 11, walked one and gave up five hits and two runs in six innings.
Dunn struck out one but yielded six runs, six hits and three walks in three innings.
The Brewer have Monday off before starting a two-game series at St. Louis on Tuesday. The Brewers haven’t named a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game. The Cardinals will start LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-3, 3.08).
Elsewhere in the NL Central the Cardinals nipped the Pirates 4-3 and the Giants beat the Cubs 4-2. The Brewers trail the Padres by two games for the final Wild Card spot. St. Louis leads the division by eight games over Milwaukee.
In the Midwest League Sunday the Beloit-Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game was cancelled at Fox Cities stadium because of rain.
Nakia Watson scored two touchdowns against his former team as Washington State beat No. 19 Wisconsin 17-14 on Saturday. Watson scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and put the Cougars (2-0) ahead for good by turning a short completion into a 31-yard score with 5:12 left in the third quarter. Watson rushed for 522 yards and five touchdowns at Wisconsin from 2019-20 before transferring. The Badgers drop to 1-1 and host New Mexico State Saturday.
Ripon College beat Knox 33-6 to improve to 2-0.
UW-Oshkosh defeated Northern Michigan University 28-10. The Titans are 2-0 on the season.
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