12/27/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Wednesday
27 December 2023 Sports
The Packers return to the practice field today preparation for Sunday night’s game at Minnesota against the Vikings. If the Packers don’t win against the Vikings their playoff hopes are pretty much out the window. Green Bay hosts Chicago in the final game of the regular season. Even if the Packers win out they’ll need some help. But the organization is hopeful. Running back Aaron Jones says he believes he’s part of a playoff-caliber team.
But it’s only evident to anyone else when the Packers have the ball.
The Packers (7-8) still maintain postseason hopes as they head into a crucial Sunday night matchup at Minnesota (7-8), but it’s hard to imagine them staying in contention if their defense doesn’t improve in a hurry.
“This does definitely feel like a playoff team,” Jones said after the Packers’ 33-30 victory at Carolina on Sunday. “We’re a resilient team. We’re a team that’s never going to quit and lay down for anybody. We got a bunch of guys who are ready to come out and compete. We showed when we’re playing our best ball, we can compete with anybody.”
After Tommy DeVito of the New York Giants and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield each earned NFC offensive player of the week honors for leading their teams to victories over Green Bay, Packers coach Matt LaFleur was fielding questions about defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s job security..
That defense possibly was even worse Sunday.
Carolina rookie Bryce Young threw for a career-high 312 yards as the Panthers erased a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Carolina scored a season-high 30 points, the first time the Panthers had exceeded 18 points since Oct. 15.
Even after Green Bay’s Anders Carlson put the Packers ahead by kicking a 32-yard field goal with 19 seconds left, Young drove the Panthers into position for a tying field goal before time ran out.
A Green Bay defense that had allowed more than 25 points just once in its first 13 games has yielded at least 30 points in each of its past two games. The Packers have given up an average of 29.3 points over their past three games.
Now that defense gets a Sunday night rematch with the Minnesota Vikings, who won 24-10 at Green Bay on Oct. 29, but lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury that day.
“Everything’s at stake,” LaFleur said. “We’re going into a great environment next week in Minnesota against a really good football team, and it’s going to be a great challenge. But this is what we prepare for all year, every day, every week, so we’ll be excited about that opportunity.”
The Packers had their highest point total since a season-opening 38-20 victory at Chicago. … QB Jordan Love had an efficient performance even with injuries sidelining WRs Christian Watson and Jayden Reed for the entire game and knocking out WR Dontayvion Wicks late in the game. … Love also led a drive that ended with the winning field goal.
The Packers got criticized for their soft zone coverage against Tampa Bay, but they fared just as poorly Sunday while playing more man to man. The secondary misses CB Rasul Douglas, who got traded to the Buffalo Bills when the Packers were 2-5 and didn’t seem likely to be competing for a playoff berth late in the season. … As well as the offense played for much of the game, the Packers went three-and-out two straight times in the fourth quarter to assist the Panthers’ comeback.
Wicks left the game with a chest injury. Watson (hamstring) missed a third straight game and S Darnell Savage (shoulder) sat out a second straight game. Reed (toe/chest) and LB DeVondre Campbell (neck) also didn’t play.
Meanwhile, a series of tests revealed that Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson tore both the ACL and MCL ligaments in his right knee during the team’s 30-24 loss Sunday to the Detroit Lions, coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday.
Hockenson will be placed on injured reserve and surgery will be scheduled soon.
The injury occurred on the Vikings’ second offensive play of the third quarter. After leaping to grab a 24-yard pass, Hockenson absorbed a hit to the knee from Lions safety Kerby Joseph. He immediately jogged to the sideline and was soon ruled out for the game.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, miffed that “conspiracy theorists” are portraying him as selfish for taking up a roster spot even though he’s not playing, said Tuesday that it wasn’t his idea to be activated from injured reserve.
Rodgers, in his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” said the Jets’ organization wanted him on the 53-man roster so he could keep practicing with the team despite being ruled out due to his surgically repaired Achilles. Rodgers said he would’ve been content to finish the season on IR.
By activating him, the Jets had to release another player — veteran fullback Nick Bawden, who later returned to the team on the practice squad.
assumed I was going to go on IR,” said Rodgers, who announced Dec. 19 that his 2023 comeback bid was over. “I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation, ‘Do you want to practice?’ I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works.
“I didn’t feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab. I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation.”
Rodgers’ 21-day practice window closed on Dec. 20. At that point, the Jets had to make a decision: Leave him on IR (no practice allowed) or activate him to the roster. They went the unconventional route, adding him to the roster while acknowledging there was no chance he’d play in a game.
“I called Nick right away,” Rodgers said. “I just said, ‘Hey, I hope you know this isn’t coming from me. I asked to be put on IR.’ He actually said, ‘Hey, look, I’m vested. I’m getting my money. I’m fine.'”
The Bucks are back in action tonight at the New Jersey Nets. Milwaukee (22-8) is coming off a Christmas day road loss to the Knicks but are still in second place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets come in at 15-15. Tipoff is at 6:30 CT.
It’s history not many fans inside Little Caesars Arena were looking forward to experiencing Tuesday night, but the Detroit Pistons couldn’t avoid NBA infamy, dropping their 27th straight game with a 118-112 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
It’s the most consecutive losses in a single season in league history. The 76ers have the overall record, losing 28 straight, but that spanned the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Detroit hasn’t won a game since its home opener Oct. 28, against Chicago, and now is 2-28 on the season.
Boys and Girls Basketball 12/27
Boys:
Ripon at Antigo
Waupun at Sturgeon Bay
Green Bay East at Green Bay Southwest
Freedom at West De Pere
Wrightstown at Seymour
Cedar Grove-Belgium at Omro
D.C. Everest at Appleton North
Oshkosh North at Franklin
Kaukauna at Hartford
Bay Port at Kimberly
Fox Valley Lutheran at Appleton West
Medford at Wisconsin Dells
Juda at Dodgeland
Johnson Creek at Princeton/Green Lake
Girls:
Bay Port at Waupun
Green Bay East at Green Bay Southwest
West De Pere at Hortonville
Jefferson at Lomira
Kentridge (WA) at Kaukauna
Freedom at Oostburg
Lodi at Marinette
Algoma at Luxemburg-Casco
Bonduel at Westfield
Mishicot at Dodgeland
Wednesday College Football Bowl Games
Military Bowl: No. 24 Tulane vs. Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ESPN
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 5:30 pm., ESPN
Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Louisville vs. Southern California, 8 p.m., Fox
Texas Bowl: No. 21 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, 9 p.m., ESPN
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