1/9/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
9 January 2025 Sports
The Green Bay Packers passing game has struggled of late, and there’s nothing coach Matt LaFleur would like more than for his offense to find its groove again heading into Sunday’s NFC wild-card game on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Of course, it would help if the Packers two quarterbacks — starter Jordan Love and backup Malik Willis — weren’t both dealing with injuries that affected their ability to throw the ball during the team’s loss to the Chicago Bears in last Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Love, who had numbness in his right hand after banging his right elbow on the Lambeau Field turf during the second quarter, was limited in practice Wednesday because of the injury, although he said his hand was “pretty much feeling back to normal” by the next morning.
Still, Love said his elbow was still sore on Wednesday, when he did some limited throwing and acknowledged feeling pain when he did so.
Asked if he is definitely playing on Sunday, Love replied, “We’ll see. Yeah, I’m hopeful.”
Meanwhile Willis, who injured the thumb on his right hand on a Bears defender’s helmet during the fourth quarter, was also limited in practice and his status is uncertain for Sunday.
“I mean, it doesn’t feel normal, no,” Willis said after practice. “I just did whatever they allowed me to do out there today and we’ll see how it goes the rest of the week.”
Asked if he thought he’d be ready if Love wasn’t able to start against the Eagles or reinjures his elbow, Willis replied, “I’m not sure that I’m ready to think about that. I take it day by day.”
The quarterback injuries are set against the backdrop of a Green Bay passing game that was on a roll for much of the second half of the regular season until the team’s back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Vikings and the Bears the past two weeks.
The Packers finished the regular season eighth in scoring offense (27.1 points per game) and fifth in total offense (370.8 yards per game). In the passing game, they were 12th in yards per game (223.9), but were third in passing yards per play (7.95), because running back Josh Jacobs and the ground game became such a focal point and Love wasn’t asked to carry the offense as much as he had at times last season.
But against the Vikings and Bears, the Packers quarterbacks combined to complete 36 of 55 passes for 390 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and six sacks.
Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is back for the Eagles — limited at practice, for now — and with all signs pointing toward their star quarterback set to start this weekend in an NFC wild-card playoff game.
Hurts was a limited participant in practice Wednesday for the first time since he suffered a concussion in Week 16 and was expected to return for Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Eagles (14-3) had said nothing until Wednesday about Hurts’ health since he suffered a concussion and left a Dec. 22 game early against Washington. He missed the final two games — where backups Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee led the Eagles to victories — and coach Nick Sirianni had said only that Hurts remained in the NFL concussion protocol.
he Eagles practiced at their home stadium of Lincoln Financial Field to get better used to the environment — especially with temperatures in the 20s — ahead of the wild-card game. Hurts, who was not scheduled to meet with the media, impressed his teammates with all facets of his game in his first competitive action in weeks.
Hurts was 20 of 34 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and led the Eagles to a 34-29 victory over the Packers in the season opener.
Hurts, who played late in the season with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, threw for 2,903 yards this season with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw only one interception after the NFC East champion Eagles returned from their Week 5 bye. Thanks to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season.
Pickett was also limited with sore ribs and could lose the backup spot this postseason to McKee. McKee got the start in the season finale and threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He threw for two TDs on just four pass attempts a week earlier in relief of Pickett in a win over Dallas.
The Eagles are 4½-point favorites, per BETMGM Sportsbook.
Damian Lillard had 26 points and eight assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-105 on Wednesday night.
Brook Lopez scored 22 points, including 17 in the first half, and AJ Green and Gary Trent each added 14 as the Bucks won their second consecutive game after losing four of five.
Keldon Johnson scored 24 points to lead the Spurs. Chris Paul added 18 points, Harrison Barnes had 14 and Devin Vassell 11. Victor Wembanyama had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
With the score tied at 33 early in the second quarter, the Bucks went on a 32-13 run to close the first half, led by the 3-point shooting of Green, Lopez and Lillard. The Spurs opened the second half on a 16-5 run to pull within 10 and Paul’s third 3-pointer of the quarter pulled San Antonio within eight. However, Milwaukee pushed the lead back to 13 by the end of the third quarter.
The Bucks led by 26 in the fourth.
Milwaukee shot 19 for 42 on 3s.
The Bucks play at Orlando on Friday.
In college basketball action Wednesday night, Ripon College lost on the road to Grinnell College, 99-97.
UW-Oshkosh lost at home to UW-Eau Claire 69-56.
The Ripon women’s team also lost at Grinnell 71-58.
The UW-Oshkosh women’s team won at UW-Eau Claire 67-53.
Thursday Boys Basketball (Thurs.)
Berlin at Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Waupun at Kewaskum
North Fond du Lac at Winneconne
Tri-County at Greenwood
Marinette at Clintonville
Freedom at Fox Valley Lutherran
Pardeeville at St. Ambrose Academy
(Girls)
Ripon at Plymouth
Campbellsport at Lomira
Mayville at Laconia
Winnebago Lutheran at North Fond du Lac
Omro at Saint Mary’s Springs
Shawano at Antigo
Weyauwega-Fremont at Menominee Nation
Wild Rose at Tri-County
Wisconsin Dells at Wautoma
Adams-Friendship at Mauston
Dodgeland at Horicon
Lourdes Academy at Oakfield
Hustisford at Valley Christian
Rio at Cambria-Friesland
Fall River at Markesan
Montello at Randolph
Pardeeville at Princeton/Green Lake
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