Hanginâ with Havel
Monday July 22nd
Chris Havelâs sports columns appear during the week on The FANâs website. The columns are brought to you by these fine advertisers (click on hyperlink to go to their website/Facebook
Twenty-eight years in business, owner Mike Worachek features rare Packers and sports memorabilia at 2208 S. Ridge Rd., Green Bay. Card and Coin also buys gold and silver at www.titletownnostalgia.com.
Race-Driven Powersports is your premier powersports manufacturer and proud dealer of Polaris ATVs/UTVs, KTM, and GASGAS â located in Escanaba, MI. Race-Driven has the largest in-stock parts and accessories department in the region, a full service and repair shop, and new Polaris, KTM, and GASGAS inventory delivered weekly. Visit their website at www.racedrivenpowersports.com to check out new/used inventory and parts and accessories that fit virtually every make/model.
** Los Banditos
Los Banditos is a cozy cantina serving California-Mexican fare plus margaritas, tequila and beer. Steve âSwobeyâ and kitchen manager Jason run a clean, customer-friendly business. Open Monday-Saturday 11-9 and for âTo Goâ orders only Sunday 3-8 p.m. Call Los Banditos as (920) 494-4505.
Packers extend all-pro Clark on eve of camp as excitement abounds
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers and their fans have been eagerly anticipating this day ever since San Francisco ousted Green Bay 24-21 with a late touchdown in a hotly contested NFC divisional playoff game.
That loss feels like an eternity ago.
Today, the Packers officially kick off the 2024 season with a pair of morning news conferences (GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur) followed by the first practice of training camp.
The Packers didnât want their season to end in January.
It felt like it was just getting rolling with a 7-3 finish after a 3-6 start.
Jordan Love capped his first season as the Packersâ starter by outplaying every other NFL quarterback in the seasonâs second half. His ascension was steady. His numbers were staggering. His future as the Packersâ QB1 was cemented and a mega-contract extension secured.
Now that momentum is being carried into training camp.
They are expected to sign Love to a multi-year extension in excess of $50 million per year. They preceded that move with a clever cap-cutting extension of All-Pro defensive tackle Kenny Clark on the eve of camp.
Clark, 28, is among the oldest players on the NFLâs youngest roster.
He also is one of the most well-respected players and leaders in the locker room. And guess what else? He can still play at a high level. In fact, he ranked eighth in the league in pass rush production among all defensive tackles.
There is a feeling that new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs scheme is going to unleash Clarkâs pass rush ability like never before.
The Packers have 46 days between now and their Friday, Sept. 6 regular-season opener against Philadelphia in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Here is the Packersâ âTo Doâ list between now and then:
** No. 1 â Seal the deal to extend Loveâs contract. Once that is settled the entire focus will be on the field, not off it.
Love, 25, is the unquestioned leader on offense.
His calm demeanor, day-to-day consistency and apparent talent have drawn teammates to him. He is a charismatic guy who seems as real and down-to-earth as a burgeoning NFL star is apt to be these days.
Loveâs development, ascension and success has validated Gutekunstâs decision to draft him and reinforced LaFleurâs reputation as a creative play caller and quarterback whisperer.
The better Love plays, the better everyone looks.
** No. 2 â Settle on an offensive line that can go into the season ready to handle anything Philadelphiaâs defense can throw at it. The projected starting five appears to be (left to right) Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom.
While Tom recovers from a torn pec muscle the Packers need to decide which configuration best suits the offenseâs needs. If Tom isnât ready for the season opener it could be rookie Jordan Morgan or veteran Andre Dillard at right tackle. Or perhaps another offensive tackle will emerge.
Regardless, the Packers have much better depth than they did a year ago.
** No. 3 â Jeff Hafleyâs defense will be under the microscope in camp. That comes out of curiosity, rather than concern, because nobody is quite sure exactly what to expect on that side of the football.
Most assuredly it will be a significant departure from the recent past.
Hafleyâs 4-3 base defense will take some getting used to. So will seeing the Packersâ defense successfully stop the run on early downs, rather than being steamrolled to set up second-and-short situations.
Clark isnât the only defensive lineman expected to benefit from Hafleyâs scheme. Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks also are excited about being able to cut it loose at the snap and create disruption wherever they can.
** No. 4 â The Packers signed free agent safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs to lucrative deals.
Both will be under the microscope as fans get to know them.
McKinney is a fluid, ball-hawking safety whose strengths include being a bona fide student of the game. McKinney leads by example. He already is similar to Charles Woodson in that his defensive back mates just naturally gravitate to him.
They see what he does and try their best to emulate it.
Jacobs, 26, is bigger, stronger and younger than Aaron Jones. He also is just one season removed from being the NFLâs rushing leader.
He should improve the Packersâ fortunes in short yardage and goal line situations. He also is tenacious in blitz pickup and a capable receiver out of the backfield. He lacks Jonesâ explosiveness, but donât be fooled. Jacobs ranked among the best in the NFL at making the first would-be tackler either whiff or get run over.
McKinney and Jacobs were excellent free agent signings in that theyâre both just entering their prime and already have excelled at the highest level. There is no mystery about what McKinney and Jacobs bring.
Itâs professionalism, leadership and an abundance of talent.
** No. 5 â Itâll be interesting to watch the coaches interact during camp. Thatâs especially true on the defensive side where Hafley has either retained or brought in an interesting group of accomplished assistants.
They are reputed to be vocal, intense and unwilling to suffer repeat mistakes. They are demanding, detail-oriented and highly respected. This isnât Joe Barryâs crew, not by a longshot.
** No. 6 â The Packersâ special teams has details to be sorted out such as how to best cover and return kickoffs under the new rules. They also need to decide on a kicker they can rely on and figure out which of their rookies can enhance the mix on special teams.
Itâs a lot to accomplish in 46 days, but it feels doable under this regime.
The 2024 season is officially here.
It might feel like an eternity between today and the Packersâ season-opener in Brazil, but trust me on this: Itâs going to be here before you know it.
Packersâ defense looks to attack under Hafley
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The contrast between Joe Barry and Jeff Hafley couldnât have been clearer simply based on first impressions.
Barry, who was part of the Lionsâ winless season, spent his introductory news conference defending past failures as much detailing a plan for future success when he was hired to coordinate the Packersâ defense.
Hafley spent his initial media availability painting a vision of what he expects the Packersâ defense to play like under his tutelage. He also drew a picture of what his ideal âpost safetyâ would look like.
Barry flamed out after three largely underwhelming, at times epically embarrassing seasons. The run defense sprang more leaks than a rusted out pipe. The pass defense and its âbetter safe than sorryâ approach â which often failed â generated more regret than turnovers.
Now it is Hafleyâs turn to implement his brand of defense.
The first-year NFL defensive coordinator is scarcely a newbie. He spent seven seasons in the league working with Kyle Shanahan, among others, while building a first-rate reputation.
He took that to Ohio State and helped build the nationâs No. 1 defense. After that it was on to Boston College, where Hafleyâs Golden Eagles showed steady improvement under him.
However, Hafley appeared destined to return to the NFL, whether it was as Shanahanâs defensive coordinator in San Francisco, or LaFleurâs Packers in Green Bay.
The Packers-49ers NFC Divisional playoff winner advanced to the NFC Championship. The loser got the chance to hire Hafley and pounced.
Hafley, a former defensive backs coach, runs a âvision-basedâ defense where the back end (safeties and occasionally cornerbacks) keeps its eyes on the quarterback in an effort to better read and react.
Theoretically, it creates more opportunities to make big plays, especially game-changing interceptions.
Eric Stokes, who is hoping to rejuvenate his career under Hafley, is a big fan of what heâs seeing so far. The first-round draft pick spent three seasons in Barryâs scheme so he has an interesting perspective.
âI love Hafley,â Stokes admitted to the media. âI love how his mindset is and everything ⌠He just wants you to ball. Heâs going to put you in the positions (to make plays). He ainât gonna make you overthink anything and all that stuff.
âHe just wants you to go out there and have fun and just play 110 miles per hour, and thatâs what I love about Hafley, to where he always says, âIâm going to go ahead and take the bullet (when plays backfire). You just go out there and just have fun and you just play.â And itâs different for every position.â â
Hafley deploys as 4-3 as his base defense.
However, itâll be a 4-2-5 alignment that will be on the field most often.
The 4-3 should provide stouter run defense on early downs. In turn, the vision-based defense on the back end should be equipped to defend offenses that choose to pass on early downs, rather than buck the 4-3.
All-Pro defensive tackle Kenny Clark is on board.
âI think itâs going to be really good,â Clark said. âItâs one of the things where all of my career Iâve been kind of playing this way but in more of a controlled way. And I think now this is giving us a chance to shut all that other stuff off. Just use your ability and just go up the field and be disruptive. I just think with my get-off and how I am, I think itâs going to suit me well.â
Every NFL defense talks about attacking and being aggressive. Nevertheless, there is a vast difference from one team to another in terms of how the defensive line â the interior linemen especially â are taught to play at the snap.
Jason Rebrovich, the defensive line coach, is a holdover from the previous staff. It speaks to Hafleyâs respect for Rebrovich that he retained him. In turn, Rebrovich is happy to be here.
âItâs an attack front,â he told reporters.
âItâs about TFLs (tackles for loss) and sacks. Weâre going to create havoc in the backfield. Every down, weâre looking to penetrate and make something big happen. Offensive linemen, not moving so fast laterally, which is why theyâre going to have to stay on the line of scrimmage a little bit longer with the movements and the ability for us to get in the backfield.â
Last season under Barry it was a lot of âread firstâ and âreact second.â
Under Hafley itâs more of an âattack firstâ and âread as you goâ approach.
It plays well to the style of Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden, and T.J. Slaton returns to anchor the interior along with Clark. First-round pick Devonte Wyatt also is looking to take a massive leap.
The linebackers also should be able to cut loose.
Now the unit has the speed to do it.
Quay Walker, a physical freak, returns as one inside linebacker. Veteran Isaiah McDuffie also returns as the would-be middle linebacker and primary play caller on early downs. Rookie second-round draft pick Edgerrin Cooper, the fastest linebacker in the draft, would also be there.
The upgrade should be eye-popping at the outset.
Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness should provide the pass rush along with Kingsley Enagbare. Second-year pro Brenton Cox Jr. also should figure in the mix.
In the secondary, the Packers spent big money on safety Xavier McKinney, who is eerily similar to Hafleyâs description of âthe ideal safetyâ in his scheme when he was initially hired.
Rookie second-round pick Javon Bullard joins McKinney and Anthony Johnson Jr. as the top safeties.
Jaire Alexander leads a cornerback group that should be better for the healthy return of Stokes, along with Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, rookie Kalen King and the rest.
McKinney â like Stokes â is excited about Hafley and the defense.
âI think we could be really special,â McKinney said.
Training camp opens Monday. It wonât be long before the Packers and their fans find out just how special.
Loveâs strong Year 1
elevates expectations
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â A year ago, the Packers went into the season needing to know if Jordan Love had what it takes to someday develop into a franchise quarterback capable of winning in the playoffs.
A year later, that âsomedayâ is today.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleurâs confidence in Love is so high that the quarterback position has gone from being the teamâs greatest unknown to one of the top reasons for fans to dream big.
Love, 25, is the Packersâ franchise quarterback.
Itâs all over but the signing.
His impending contract is going to be valued among the NFLâs highest for a quarterback. Thatâs not a bad thing. It means Love has done enough to prove to GM Brian Gutekunst that heâs worth every penny.
If the eye test didnât tell you, the numbers donât lie.
Love started 17 regular season games and two postseason games.
He stayed healthy, made steady progress and stacked successes from one week to the next. His unflappable demeanor served him well. If he was stressing out between snaps it didnât show.
He threw for 37 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in his 19 games. That included an amazing stretch during the final seven regular season games and the wild-card game in which he threw 23 touchdowns to one pick.
âHe had a hell of a year,â LaFleur said of Love. âJust to see the growth ⌠obviously, the results speak for themselves, but the growth of him as just the commander out there, heâs an extension of us, and I thought the ownership that he showed, the leadership that he showed, was a great sign for us.â
Love completed 409 of 634 passes (64.5%) for 4,625 yards and finished with a 98.5 passer rating. By comparison, Aaron Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during his first year as a starter in 2008 and finished with a 93.8 passer rating.
Love had to work through some rough going early in the season.
Through nine games Love had 14 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions. It was decent, but it wasnât enough for Gutekunst to commit to him when he held his mid-season news conference.
At that time, around Halloween, Gutekunst took a âwait-and-seeâ approach in regards to making grand declarations regarding Loveâs play.
Coincidentally or otherwise, Loveâs season began to soar in the coming weeks. He posted a passer rating of at least 108 in eight of the final 10 games, and exceeded 125 in four of them.
As the young receivers began to emerge, and the tight ends started to find their way, the Packers got Aaron Jones back from injury. With the offensive line playing at a high level â it allowed only seven sacks in the final nine games, including none in the two playoff games â and Jones recapturing his form the offense flourished.
LaFleur was asked if Loveâs growth will continue in 2024.
âWe all know how resilient he is and one of the things I think heâs done such an unbelievable job with is every situation heâs been in heâs learned from it,â LaFleur said. âSo I would fully expect that to be the case.â
Jones had the finest five-game run of his seven-year stay in Green Bay to close out his career. He is now with the Vikings while free agent Josh Jacobs will replace him in Green Bay.
Jacobs led the NFL in rushing in 2022. After a down season in which he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, some teams cooled on Jacobs.
Not the Packers.
Gutekunst and LaFleur jumped at the chance to sign him in similar fashion to their aggressive approach to acquiring safety Xavier McKinney.
Jacobs is a decent receiver out of the backfield and exceedingly capable in blitz pickup. His strength is his ability to either run over or simply make the first would-be tackler whiff.
The Packersâ goal-line and short-yardage situations should be much improved. As great as Jones was there were times when it appeared LaFleur didnât know how to best utilize his talents.
Jacobs is a tough runner between the tackles who also possesses enough elusiveness to take it outside.
Third-round draft pick Marshawn Loyd is penciled in to be the primary backup. Loyd possesses breakaway speed. Some draft experts believed he was one of the top running backs in the entire draft.
A.J. Dillon returns on a bargain-basement contract. Heâll be highly motivated to prove his worth and increase his value to the team. He has had some shining moments, but how itâs make-or-break time for Dillon.
Emanuel Wilson also returns and itâs not beyond the realm to think he could supplant Dillon as the No. 3 back.
The receivers are wonderful. Top to bottom, from Christian Watson to Malik Heath, promise and potential abounds.
The thought of Watson staying healthy for an entire season could lead to a âbreakoutâ season. Watson is the most explosive big-play weapon on the roster. Heâll either beat defenses or demand maximum attention, which should allow Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton plenty of room to operate.
There isnât a weak link in the group.
The tight end position is well-stocked for the next several seasons.
Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft developed into the players they were reputed to be coming out of college. Musgrave has legit big-play potential in the passing game and heâll only improve as a blocker.
Kraft may be the more complete player right now. He also has excellent hands, runs crisp routes and attacks would-be tacklers with a vengeance.
Ben Sims and Tyler Davis are quality special teams players and reliable backups if either Musgrave or Kraft is injured.
The offensive line added depth and youth in the draft. First-round pick Jordan Morgan looks to be the sixth-best offensive lineman entering training camp. Right now it appears Rasheed Walker will hold down the left tackle job until further notice.
Elgton Jenkins will be back at left guard with Josh Myers at center. If Jenkins recaptures his Pro Bowl form, and Myers continues to play at the level he did in the second half last season, the line should excel.
Sean Rhyan will be first up at right guard with Zach Tom at right tackle. A pec injury to Tom might be the opening Morgan needs to crack the lineup until Tom is healthy. Projections are less than certain that Tom will be ready in time for the season-opener in Brazil.
Brewers end skid with
9-2 Dodgers drubbing
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewers blew away the Dodgers and the cloud of negativity hovering above Chavez Ravine entering Sundayâs finale of their three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Milwaukeeâs 9-2 win snapped a seven-game slide at Dodger Stadium and enabled it to dodge its first four-game losing streak of the season. The Brewers, Phillies and Guardians â all division leaders â are MLBâs only teams whose longest losing streaks are just three games.
Milwaukeeâs most recent âstopperâ came in the form of a crafty lefty.
Veteran starter Dallas Keuchel couldnât keep the Dodgers off the bases, but he did keep them off the scoreboard with 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He had five walks, zero strikeouts and a ton of soft contact.
âThe reason we picked him up,â said Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy, âis because of his experience. Heâs not going to give in. He gave us a huge lift today. He did what was needed.â
As All-Star Christian Yelich said of Keuchel, âHe finds a way.â
Yelich is right about Keuchel. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner has âfound a wayâ to replace a once-dazzling arsenal by mixing experience and ingenuity with just enough stuff to keep hitters off-balance.
Of course, Yelich couldâve been referring to the entire team. Or, for that matter, he couldâve been referring to himself.
Yelich had three hits, three RBI and a home run to highlight the Brewersâ impressive win Sunday. He has âfound a wayâ back to his NL MVP form of 2018 and 2019 when he belted 63 doubles, nine triples and 80 home runs with a .327 average in a wondrous two-year span.
Murphy had a dugout seat to Yelichâs tremendous two-year run as the Brewersâ bench coach. Now as the Brewersâ manager he is seeing the veteran outfielder recapture his place among baseballâs finest hitters.
âIâve seen this,â Murphy said. âIâm not going to get giddy, but heâs had an incredible year.â
âMore than that,â he added, âheâs having an incredible impact on the team, an incredible impact on the team, an incredible impact on young guys like (Blake) Perkins to not get down after getting picked off in a 2-0 game. A senseless pickoff (but) he kept himself going.
âAfter that Perkins responded.â
Perkins responded, as Murphy noted, with three hits, three RBI and a home run to back Yelichâs big day.
Although Perkinsâ playing time has dwindled significantly since Garrett Mitchellâs return after missing all of the season with a fractured finger, he kept his head in the game.
Then he helped the Brewers win despite his own base-running blunder.
âYelich rose to the occasion when we needed him,â Murphy said. âPerkins was unbelievable too. (It was) a great effort by our guys.â
Backup catcher Eric Haase, who is one of the guys giving great effort, had two hits including a two-run home run to stake Milwaukee to a 4-0 lead before the Dodgersâ Chris Taylor homered to make it 4-2.
After that it was all Brewers, all the time.
Yelich, 32, is on a tear right now. He hit .393 (11 for 28) with three home runs and five RBI during the Brewersâ six-game road trip. He is hitting .329 for the season with 11 doubles, three triples and 11 homers.
Yelich isnât a stats watcher.
âI have no idea what any of my stats are,â he said. âThe home runs are probably the only one I know. I donât look at (stats) because they change so much throughout the year. You just try to keep contributing to wins and stack them.â
The Brewers (53-38) maintained their five-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. The Pirates, Reds and Cubs are all 10-plus games back.
The victory also kept Milwaukee just two games behind the Dodgers (55-36) in the race for the NLâs No. 2 playoff seed. The No. 2 seed gets a first-round bye. The No. 3 seed gets a matchup with the No. 6 seed in a best-of-three wild-card series at the higher seeded teamâs ballpark.
The Dodgers face the Brewers in a four-game series Aug. 12-15 at American Family Field. Itâs their only other regular-season series.
The Dodgers travel to Philadelphia (58-32) for a three-game series against the NLâs top team. The Phillies are 33-14 at home.
Milwaukee headed home for a three-game series against the Pirates beginning Monday night at American Family Field, where the Brewers are a dazzling 27-13 this season.
Right-hander Colin Rea (8-2, 3.34) will start Mondayâs series opener. Rea is 5-0 in his last eight games as he continues to be the Brewersâ most dependable of the 15 starters deployed.
âItâs good to win, especially on âgetaway day,â â Yelich said. âWe had two tough losses.â
The Brewers lost Friday nightâs series opener 8-5 despite it being tied at 5-5 entering the eighth inning. Thatâs when the normally reliable Hoby Milner, in relief of Elvis Peguero, yielded three runs before recording a single out to take the loss.
On Saturday, the Brewer and Dodgers were knotted at 3-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Thatâs when the typically unhittable Bryan Hudson allowed home runs to light-hitting second baseman Miguel Vargas and the incomparable Shohei Ohtani in the 5-3 loss.
Despite the disappointing outcomes of both games, the Brewers went pitch-for-pitch with the mighty Dodgers and had a chance to win each of the first two games of the series.
The Brewers reminded fans that they have what it takes to compete with baseballâs best teams. Even if that means using an MLB-high 15 different starting pitchers this season â the most in franchise history for an entire season â to do the job.
Yelich lent perspective.
âWhenever you go through a stretch when the outside perspective is that itâs the end of the world and the sky is falling to us itâs like, âWe know that thereâs going to be tough streaks in the year. Keep going. Keep trying to play well,â â he said. âThen, when you get on the good side of it, you try to build momentum again.â
Packersâ MVP hopes?
Love is poised to win
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers open training camp in 17 days.
The season arrives with great expectations for the NFLâs youngest team. The Packers are coming off a 9-8 season capped by a wild-card rout of the Cowboys in Dallas and a narrow divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl runner-up 49ers at San Francisco.
So what will the Packers do for an encore?
To a person, from the front office to the field, the football folks at 1265 Lombardi Ave. believe the skyâs the limit. Reclaiming the NFC North from the talented Lions wonât be easy, especially while trying to fend off the much-improved Bears and the explosive Vikings.
Nevertheless, it is a lofty yet attainable goal. Beyond that everything is in play, including a Super Bowl berth.
Those are terrific team goals for an incredibly unselfish squad.
But what about the Packers winning individual awards in 2024?
Hardware has been tough to come by lately.
Matt LaFleur knows it firsthand.
The Packers hired LaFleur in 2019 for a job numerous NFL âexpertsâ called âa bad job.â They thought the roster was in a shambles, the defense was in disarray and the future Hall of Fame quarterback was in decline and going to be difficult to work with.
LaFleur merely led the Packers to a 13-3 record and the NFCâs No. 2 seed. Green Bay defeated Seattle 28-23 in the NFC divisional round before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers 37-20.
He got Rodgersâ career back on track and proved the naysayers wrong. It turns out the Packersâ job wasnât bad. It just needed the right person running the show.
A strong argument couldâve been made for LaFleur being the NFLâs âCoach of the Yearâ in 2019. Instead, he finished a distant third to Baltimoreâs John Harbaugh and San Franciscoâs Kyle Shanahan.
LaFleur didnât get much credit for Rodgersâ rebirth. Rather, it hurt his chances for âCoach of the Yearâ because the prevailing notion was âHe couldnât have done it without Rodgers.â
No one bothered to ask, âCould Harbaugh have done it without Lamar Jackson?â It wasnât asked because the answer was all too obvious.
So what about 2024?
Again, LaFleur could be his own worst enemy.
While he is widely praised for developing Jordan Love during a 3 ½ year span that blossomed in the final seven regular-season games and two playoff games last season.
If the Packers reach or exceed expectations the narrative could be, âJordan Love was the reason. LaFleur was just along for the ride.â
Itâs ridiculous rationale but it isnât unprecedented.
LaFleur has the fifth-best odds to win âCoach of the Year.â The Bearsâ Matt Eberflus and the Chargersâ Jim Harbaugh lead the pack. The Jetsâ Robert Saleh (because of Rodgers), and the Texansâ DeMeco Ryan â last yearâs runner-up â also are ahead of LaFleur.
The Packersâ head coach will trade personal honors for the Lombardi Trophy every day of the week and twice on Super Bowl Sundays.
If LaFleur isnât âCoach of the Year,â but the Packers still forge a double-digit win season and playoff magic, Love should be the heavy favorite to win the NFLâs MVP Award.
Love, like his coach, has the fifth-best odds ⌠to be MVP.
The Chiefsâ Patrick Mahomes (hard to argue), the Billsâ Josh Allen (I donât see it), the Texansâ C.J. Stroud (heâs the real deal) and the Bengalsâ Joe Burrow (heâll have a big season) are ranked ahead of Love.
So are the Ravensâ Lamar Jackson, the 49ersâ Brock Purdy and ex-Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Loveâs cool persona, charisma and undeniable talent should thrust him into the forefront of MVP discussions by the seasonâs midpoint. The rest is up to Love, his coaches and teammates, and â alas â the voters.
The NFLâs âOffensive Player of the Yearâ award isnât likely to find its way into a Packersâ hands.
Josh Jacobs has the best odds at plus-12,000.
The receivers are so far back it isnât worth listing the odds.
The NFL âDefensive Player of the Yearâ does have a decent chance to wind up on Rashan Garyâs fireplace mantle or Xavier McKinneyâs.
Gary, with the 14th-best odds, could explode for a huge sack season. With a bolstered run defense, a creative coordinator and a top-notch safety on the back end, Gary is in line for 12-plus sacks.
McKinney, who isnât listed among âDefensive Player of the Yearâ candidates, is another strong choice.
If the Packersâ defense excels it will mean McKinney is running the show with aplomb. If he has multiple multi-interception games, including a âpick sixâ or two, heâll immediately become a top contender.
None of that is farfetched, either.
McKinney is that good. Itâs just that the rest of the NFL doesnât understand how good he will be in the heart of the Packersâ reconstituted defense.
Interestingly, the Packers are in the hunt for a âDefensive Rookie of the Yearâ award winner with linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard coming aboard in the second round of the 2024 draft.
Cooper has a chance to run and hit with the best of them. It doesnât hurt that heâll have Quay Walker next to him in addition to savvy veteran Isaiah McDuffie.
Bullardâs talent is off the charts. If offenses elect to avoid McKinney and attack Bullard it could lead to plenty of opportunities for the rookie from Georgia.
Finally, do the Packers have any candidates for âComeback Player of the Year?â
No one even made the list. The Packers are so young they arenât in a position to make comebacks. Theyâre still on the rise.
By the way, the NFLâs best bet to win âComeback of the Yearâ honors?
Aaron Rodgers.
For 1st-place Brewers
life is grand as of late
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â MLB.comâs Adam McCalvy nailed the nickname the way the Brewers nail pitches with the bases loaded.
And the veteran baseball writer was down to his last strike.
When Brice Turang smashed the Brewersâ fifth grand slam in eight games Sunday to make Milwaukee only the second team in baseball history to do so, McCalvy felt the feat was nickname-worthy.
Slamwaukee? (Strike one). Wisconslam? (Strike two).
AmSlam Field? (Get up ⌠Get outta here ⌠Gone)!
Turangâs second grand slam in a week capped a seven-run fourth inning as the Brewers rolled the Cubs 7-1 in front of a standing-room-only crowd at âAmSlam Fieldâ to take the weekend series, two games to one.
Lost in all of the grandeur was the fact that Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta and the bullpen held the Cubs to just one run on two hits. Nico Hoerner led off with a home run and Cody Bellinger added a one-out single in the first inning.
After that the Cubs were no-hit in the final 8 2/3 innings.
Nevertheless, the Brewersâ penchant for grand slams stole the headlines.
Manager Pat Murphy was asked if the Brewers had a secret recipe. It was reminiscent of the search for the recipe for the âsecret sauceâ at the stadium that fans use to lather up their hot dogs.
âWe found the secret plan for how to hit homers with the bases loaded and, really, itâs been working,â Murphy quipped after the game. âThere was a recipe online.â
For real, skip?
Murphy explained.
âMost homers are thrown, and I think if you look at all of those grand slams that were hit, youâll see where the pitches are,â he said. âYou have to be ready when you get that opportunity.â
Turangâs grand slam stretched the Brewersâ streak to five straight home runs with the bases loaded. That streak ended later in the game.
âMost homers are thrown, and I think if you look at all of those grand slams that were hit, youâll see where the pitches are,â Murphy said. âYou have to be ready when you get that opportunity.â
Turang started it with a ninth-inning grand slam June 22 at San Diego. Rhys Hoskins followed suit Monday and Jake Bauers did so Wednesday. That helped the Brewers sweep their three-game series against Texas.
On Friday night, rookie Jackson Chourio delivered a grand slam â also in the fourth inning â in Milwaukeeâs 4-2 win over the Cubs. The Brewers scored eight runs on two swings in the weekend wins.
Chourio was red hot in June. He is hitting .324 (23-for-71) with four doubles, four home runs, 13 runs and 17 RBI in his last 23 games.
âTruthfully, itâs just every single day I feel a little better,â Chourio said through an interpreter. âIâm happy to be here.â
And the Brewers are happy to be in first place in the NL Central, where they boast a gaudy 20-10 record in the division.
The Cubsâ Ian Happ delivered the crushing blow â a two-run home run in the ninth â to deliver Chicagoâs 5-3 win on Saturday.
On Sunday, Happ misplayed a fly ball in left field to extend the fourth inning and give Turang a chance to clear the bases.
âWeâre just out there competing, having great at-bats and catching (grand slams),â Turang told reporters. âItâs fun, man.â
Turang has 12 career home runs. Three are grand slams.
Talk about rising to the moment.
Cubsâ right-hander Kyle Hendricks looked untouchable through three innings. Then came the fateful fourth inning and the Cubs were history.
âThey obviously had a good plan against me, sitting on some of the right pitches and got them,â Hendricks said. âBut regardless, even if theyâre sitting on a pitch and they get it, it was still up in the middle. It doesnât matter whether youâre sitting on that or not, itâs just easier to put a good swing on that.â
The first-place Brewers (50-34) lead the second-place Cardinals (43-40) by 6 ½ games. The Pirates (40-43) are 9 ½ games out with the Reds and Cubs 11 and 11 ½ games out, respectively.
The Brewers and Phillies are the only teams in baseball without a losing streak longer than three games.
Milwaukee is 27-13 at home, including 22-6 in their past 28, and owns the most comeback wins (25) in all of baseball. The Orioles, Yankees, Guardians and Royals are next at 22 comeback wins.
Milwaukeeâs 13 blown leads are the second-fewest in baseball trailing only the Yankees with 12.
The Brewersâ .255 team batting average is fourth in the NL. Their 3.71 team earned-run average also ranks fourth in the NL.
Murphy is grateful to have the Brewers in this position, but he isnât taking anything for granted.
âThereâs a lot to be pleased about,â he said. âBut thereâs a mountain to climb. Weâve got half a season left and we have to improve in just about every way you can.â
Obviously, itâs going to be difficult to improve on the Brewersâ ability to hit home runs with the bases loaded.
The Brewersâ five grand slams already are more grand slams than the team hit in 38 of the franchiseâs 55 seasons.
Peralta said the team is sensing something special. He admitted he got emotional when Turangâs line drive in the fourth landed in the first row of the stands.
âI got emotional in that moment. I said a word Iâm not allowed to say here,â Peralta said. âI was talking about it with some of the guys in the dugout. Weâve been doing a lot of the little things (on offense). ⌠When you do that, everyone on the team sees everything different.
âThereâs no pressure around.â
The Brewers open a seven-game road trip tonight at Colorado. Bryce Wilson will start against the Rockiesâ Austin Gomber. After that, the Brewers play three more at Colorado, where they play a Fourth of July night game Thursday.
Then they embark on a three-game weekend series against the Dodgers.
Brewers on pace for
96 wins at midpoint
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewersâ outlook entering the 2024 season was one of anxiety overshadowing expectations.
The prevailing view around baseball was that the Brewers â with no Craig Counsell, no Corbin Burnes and no Brandon Woodruff â had no chance to seriously compete with the Cubs, Cardinals and Reds in the National League Central. In fact, a majority of preseason predictions forecast Milwaukee to finish fourth just ahead of the Pirates.
Even the most ardent of Brewersâ fans, if they were being totally honest, would have been hard-pressed to disagree.
Pat Murphy, the new skipper, was a baseball lifer with a wry sense of humor, the ability to connect with his players and a knack for thinking outside the batterâs box, so to speak.
But he also was a first-time big-league manager.
Some believed that by the seasonâs midpoint â if not sooner â Murphyâs seat on the bench would start heating up, his witty retorts would wane and his team would struggle to play .500.
Look whoâs struggling now.
While Counsellâs Cubs resemble a shabby facsimile of his poorer teams through the years, the rejuvenated Brewers are handling their business ⌠and let me tell you: Business has been good.
Milwaukee is 48-33 at the seasonâs halfway point.
The Brewers are on pace to win 96 games. The Las Vegas odds-makers had Milwaukeeâs win total at 77.5 entering the season. The Brewers could exceed that even if they flamed out at 30-51 the rest of the way.
Milwaukee and its fans get a day off Thursday before hosting the Cubs in a three-game weekend series at American Family Field.
The âoff dayâ provides an opportunity to recap and revel in the first half of what has been a truly remarkable 2024 season.
The Brewers havenât spent a single day out of first place this season. They currently hold a 6 ½ game lead over St. Louis, despite the fact that the Cardinals have won 25 of their last 39 games. The Reds, Pirates and Cubs have spent much of the first half flailing around the basement.
Milwaukee also is one of only five teams whose longest losing streak this season is three games. The Phillies (53-27), Yankees (52-30), Orioles (50-30) and Guardians (51-27) are the others.
Itâs good company to be in.
Former Brewers pitcher Jerry Augustine believes the ability to avoid slumps is due to Milwaukeeâs completeness and consistency. They rarely give away at-bats, much less games, without a fight.
The Brewers, Augie also noted, play terrific defense, run the bases wisely and aggressively, and feature baseballâs finest bullpen.
Furthermore, the Brewersâ lineup is talented and tenacious.
In terms of pitching, potentially devastating injuries and defections to a depleted starting rotation have been offset by timely hitting, great defense and Murphyâs belief that necessity is the mother of invention.
He is unorthodox in the way he uses âopeners.â
Rather than expecting his starter to go six innings, Murphy is Ok with them getting six outs and turning it over to the next pitcher up.
He has used 14 different starters, the most in big-league baseball, and he has enabled pitchers such as Tobias Myers, Bryse Wilson, Jared Koenig, Bryan Hudson and Trevor McGill to flourish.
Milwaukee currently ranks first in Major League Baseball in steals with 113. They rank fifth in batting average at .255. They rank third in walks drawn with 299. They have 83 home runs in 81 games. Their on-base percentage (OBP) is third in baseball at .332.
They have the eighth-best fielding percentage (.987) and have committed the ninth-fewest errors (39).
The pitching staffâs ERA is a cool 3.75 which is ninth overall. They also are third in saves with 29 and thatâs without All-Star closer Devin Williams, who is expected to return in the seasonâs second half.
Individually, the Brewers have numerous players in the midst of career years, and a handful of rookies that are playing like seasoned veterans.
Christian Yelich is hitting .325 in the No. 3 spot in the lineup. His return to near-MVP caliber play is a revelation. He has drawn 28 walks to just 47 strikeouts with seven home runs and 16 steals.
William Contreras is hitting .292 with 19 doubles, nine home runs and 49 runs batted in. He also is an excellent defensive catcher.
Willy Adames plays marvelous shortstop while belting 13 home runs and driving in 54 runs. Both are team highs.
Jackson Chourio has raised his average to .236 with eight home runs. He plays first-rate defense and is an exciting base runner.
Joey Ortiz has developed into a quality third baseman as a rookie. He is hitting .275 with seven home runs.
Sal Frelick is batting .269 after a slow start.
Everywhere you look someone in the Brewersâ lineup is doing something positive.
The pitchers have been every bit the pleasant surprise.
Colin Rea is a steady starter with ice in his veins. Freddy Peralta has had his struggles but still is as dynamic a starting pitcher as there is in baseball. Myers, Wilson and the rest have done their part and more.
Finally, the bullpen has been magnificent despite tossing the most innings in all of Major League Baseball.
The Brewers look like a good bet to claim the NL Central title.
Itâs a far cry from the preseason predictions of doom and gloom. Itâs also proof that Milwaukeeâs organization knows how to develop its own pitchers and hitters while accurately assessing prospects such as Ortiz when being forced to move on from high-priced pitchers.
Right now itâs all good in Milwaukee.
The beer is frosty and foamy. The brats are cooked and garnished to perfection. And the Brewers are as entertaining and exciting a team as any of their predecessors in recent memory.
Enjoy the day off.
Myers keeps rolling as
Brewers top Blue Jays
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Tobias Myers enabled the NL Central-leading Brewers to win consecutive series both coming and going.
On Friday night, Myers dazzled by pitching eight innings of one-hit, shutout baseball to lead Milwaukee to a 3-0 victory at Detroit in Game 1 of a three-game weekend series. The Brewers went on to win the series, two games to one.
On Wednesday afternoon, Myers backed it up by allowing three hits in six shutout innings to help Milwaukee claim a 5-4 victory over Toronto at American Family Field.
It was the Brewersâ sixth straight win in a home series dating back to April 26-28 when the New York Yankees won two of three at AmFam. The Brewers won the opener 7-6 in 11 innings before dropping games of 15-3 and 15-5.
Milwaukee (40-28) is 15-4 at home since that two-day 30-run unconditional surrender. By the way, the Yankees are really, really good, too. The Brewers are now 20-11 at home.
Myers (3-2) won back-to-back starts for the first time in his big-league career. The 25-year-old right-hander is 3-0 in his last five starts.
âI think I did a pretty good job of landing everything today and that opened up some opportunities to throw some curveballs in the fifth inning,â Myers said. âWe just kept it going from last week.â
Quietly, Myers has become one of the Brewersâ most dependable starters, along with Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea, in what has been an injury-depleted starting rotation.
Rea (5-2) has covered 70 2/3 innings while allowing 66 hits with 48 strikeouts to 23 walks. He has posted a 3.31 earned-run average while emerging as the Brewersâ most reliable starter in his 11 starts.
Peralta (4-3) has pitched an identical 70 2/3 innings while allowing 54 hits and 31 runs with 92 strikeouts to 26 walks.
Myers (3-2) has made eight starts and allowed just 33 hits in 40 2/3 innings with 36 strikeouts to 14 walks.
The trio has a sterling 176 strikeouts to just 63 walks, but also has combined to surrender 26 home runs (Myers has given up eight home runs while Rea and Peralta have yielded nine each).
The Brewersâ pitchers also have been blessed with terrific defense behind them, great catching in front of them, and timely hitting from a number of different players.
On Wednesday, Myers and the Brewers needed a five-run sixth inning against the Blue Jays to escape with the win.
Myers allowed a first-inning home run to Davis Schneider to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead and that was it.
Right-handed starter Chris Bassitt pitched five shutout innings despite giving up five hits and walking four in a wild 100-pitch outing.
Toronto (33-35) went to Zach Pop (0-1) in the sixth. Things started well enough for Pop when he recorded the first two outs. After that it was as disastrous and self-destructive an outing as Pop couldâve imagined.
It began with Blake Perkins drawing a two-out walk.
Brice Turang followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Turang stole second as catcher Alejandro Kirkâs throw bounced away fromm second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Perkins scored on the play and was credited with a steal of home to tie it at 1-1.
Turang advanced to third on Kirkâs throwing error and William Contreras promptly drove him in with a single to make it 2-1. Christian Yelich followed with an RBI single off reliever Tim Mayza and Willy Adames capped it with a two-run home run.
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy had seen his team stretch its hitless streak with runners in scoring position (RISP) to 24 earlier in the game.
Nevertheless, Murphy wasnât surprised by the sixth-inning outburst. The Brewersâ lineup is too solid top to bottom to be held down forever.
On Wednesday, all nine Brewers in the lineup reached base. They also had the huge inning after two outs and also managed to overcome numerous two-strike counts to get the job done.
âItâs like shaking a bottle when itâs carbonated,â Murphy said of the offense. âItâs going to fizz but at some point its top is going to pop.â
The Blue Jaysâ offense has been underperforming most of the season. It was no different on Wednesday until Toronto put together a three-run rally in the ninth.
Hoby Milner whistled through the eighth so Murphy decided to stick with the veteran left-hander in the ninth with a 5-1 lead.
The decision was almost disastrous as Milner allowed three runs before Trevor Megill came in to record all three outs. The game ended with Megill getting pinch-hitter Vladimir Guerrero to end the game.
The Brewers are off Thursday before taking on the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game weekend series at American Family Field.
Friday nightâs series opener features a pair of hard-throwing right-handed starters. Cincinnati will start Hunter Greene (4-2, 3.61) against the Brewersâ Peralta (4-3, 3.95).
On Saturday, itâll be left-hander Andrew Abbott (5-5, 3.28) for the Reds versus righty Bryse Wilson (3-3, 4.19) in the 3:10 p.m. game.
Sundayâs 1:10 p.m. series finale features Reds right-hander Frankie Montas (3-5, 4.55) versus Rea (5-2, 3.31).
Brewers take 2 of 3 vs.
Tigers as Myers shines
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Tobias Myers had to be the leader in the clubhouse to win the Brewersâ âTeammate of the Weekâ award, if such an honor existed, following his dazzling performance Friday night.
The 25-year-old right-hander pitched eight innings of one-hit baseball to lead Milwaukee to a 10-0 shutout of the Tigers at Comerica Park. Fellow rookie James Meeker pitched a scoreless ninth in his big-league debut.
After a scheduled day off Thursday, Myersâ outing enabled the Brewersâ bullpen to get an extra day of rest.
Myers needed 100 pitches (64 strikes) to navigate the Tigersâ lineup. He allowed just one hit with three walks and five strikeouts.
Detroit centerfielder Matt Vierling led off with a bloop single to open the game. The Tigers proceeded to record 24 straight outs before shortstop Zach McKinstry singled off Meeker in the ninth.
Myersâ performance was first-rate, but imagine what type of excitement wouldâve been building had Vierlingâs hit come in the eighth, rather than the first?
The Tigers went seven innings without a hit until McKinstryâs hit, a fitting way for the shortstop-turned-pitcher to end his night. McKinstry was the Tigersâ fifth and final âpitcherâ for the evening. McKinstry, a right-hander, tossed a 10-pitch perfect ninth. He capped it by coaxing Joey Ortiz to hit a 43 mph âsinkerâ back to the mound to end the game.
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy was happy for Myers.
âHe stayed ahead and didnât get cute with people,â Murphy said.
The Brewersâ longest start of the season also was timely in that it preceded Freddy Peraltaâs shorting outing of the year. Peralta lasted just 3 1/3 innings Saturday afternoon, but Milwaukee was able to survive and escape with a 5-4 victory over the Tigers.
Jackson Chourioâs two-run double keyed the offense and Jared Koenig (6-1) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to get the win while Trevor Megill earned his ninth save.
On Sunday, the Brewers fell 10-2 as left-hander Tarik Skubal effectively mowed them down.
By then, the Brewers already had their series win in the bag, and they were bracing for a return to American Family Field and a three-game series with the visiting Blue Jays.
The loss Sunday was much easier to stomach thanks to Myersâ outing Friday night.
Myers began his professional baseball career right out of high school. The 17-year-old prospect was drafted by Baltimore and assigned to the Oriolesâ team in the Gulf Coast League.
Nine years later heâs pitching in the big leagues.
The 6-1, 217-pound Myers has been a godsend to the Brewersâ injury ravaged starting pitching. Wade Myers, DL Hall, Jakob Junis, Joe Ross and others either are out for the season or currently on the IL.
While the Brewers wait to get healthier, Myers has held the fort.
In seven starts (eight appearances overall) he is 2-2 with a 4.15 earned-run average (down from 5.40 before the one-hit shutout) with 13 walks to 32 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings.
Tigersâ manager A.J. Hinch summed it up pretty well.
âMyers got spotted a pretty big number in the second inning and he seemed to relax,â Hinch said.
Indeed, the Brewers posted a five-run second inning to take control against Tigersâ right-hander Reese Olson.
Sal Frelick led off with a single and Rhys Hoskins followed with a double to open the second. Joey Ortiz added a two-run single and Blake Perkins delivered Ortiz with a run-scoring triple (his first of two triples on the night).
Brice Turang singled home Perkins, advanced to third on Christian Yelichâs single and proceeded to steal home.
By the time the dust settled the Brewers were up 5-0 and in control thanks to Myers, who was called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Nashville. He merely delivered the best start of his entire pro career.
âThey stayed relentless and kept putting it on them,â Murphy said of his hitters. â
Myers became the Brewersâ first starting pitcher to go eight innings. In fact, he was the first starter to pitch INTO the eighth.
Meeker, a 29-year-old righty and former teammate of Myersâ at Class AA Biloxi last season, allowed a walk and a hit in a scoreless ninth.
Olson, the Tigersâ 24-year-old starter, began his professional career with the Brewers. Murphy said the organization hated to see Olson leave via a trade, but noted thatâs the business.
Olson (1-7) had a 2.48 ERA in 11 starts with the Tigers going into Friday nightâs game, his first against his original big-league club.
âWe hated losing him,â Murphy said. âThat was an agonizing trade. Everybody was so high on the kid, and heâs got a great future. We just happened to get to him today.â
The Brewers (38-27) currently hold a 6.5 game lead in the NL Central over the Cubs (32-34), the Reds (32-34) and the Cardinals (31-33).
Here are the probable pitching matchups for the Jays-Brewers series:
** Monday, 7:10 p.m., American Family Field â Right-hander Jose Berrios (5-4, 2.80) vs. Right-hander Colin Rea (4-2, 3.53)
** Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., American Family Field â Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (3-5, 3.48) vs. TBD
** Wednesday, 1:10 p.m., American Family Field â Right-hander Chris Bassitt (6-6, 3.80) vs. Tobias Myers (2-2, 4.15)
NFL power rankings reflect Packersâ leap
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packersâ success in Jordan Loveâs first year as their starting quarterback, coupled with aggressive offseason moves to upgrade the defense, has elevated expectations going into 2024.
The NFL power rankings have Green Bay eighth in the league. That is an NFC North-best 11 spots higher than the previous offseason, when the Packers were ranked 19th overall.
It is instructive to compare the 2023 to 2024 power rankings of each NFC North team to get a feel for the big picture. In the grand scheme the vibe is good throughout a much-improved division.
The question is this: Which teams are going to meet expectations? And which teams inevitably will fall short?
Here are the past two preseason power rankings courtesy of NFL.com:
** DETROIT LIONS (11th in 2023; 4th in 2024)
In 2023 the Lions ranked 11th coming off a 9-8 season under head coach Dan Campbell to finish second behind Minnesota (13-4) and a game ahead of Green Bay (8-9) in Aaron Rodgersâ final season here.
Detroit exceeded the hype by roaring to a 12-5 finish and a berth in the NFC Championship where they lost to San Francisco.
The Lions leap-frogged the Packers to draft Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th pick. They also added highly regarded Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to bolster a suspect secondary.
Here is what NFL.com had to say:
âThe Lions attacked the draft like a team that believes it can and will compete for the Lombardi Trophy in the 2024 campaign, and who am I to doubt them?â
** GREEN BAY PACKERS (19th in 2023; 8th in 2024)
The Packersâ progress was much greater than a single game (8-9 to 9-8) with Love as the signal caller.
This is what NFL.com had to say about the 2024 Packers:
âThe biggest question coming out of the draft might be where first-rounder Jordan Morgan ends up playing next season. Does he compete for the starting left tackle job? Or is a move inside a better fit for his skill set?
âThis might be heresy, but I referred to Morgan as a poor manâs David Bakhtiari at one point. Weâll see. Protecting Jordan Love is, of course, the highest priority now. Green Bay watched the quarterback blossom into near stardom down the stretch of last season, completely flipping the midseason script after some early struggles. This is a team that reasonably can go a long way, but that left tackle spot is worth monitoring.â
It is a far cry from NFL.comâs 2023 takeaway:
âItâs Jordan Loveâs show in Green Bay now. Team brass made a concerted effort to help their young QB in his maiden voyage across the NFL. The team used its pair of second-round picks (one of them acquired in the Rodgers trade) to add Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave and Michigan State wideout Jayden Reed before taking another TE â South Dakota State product Tucker Kraft â in the third round. This has the feel of a developmental year for the offense, a reality that will put more pressure on the defense to play at a high level.â
The prevailing storyline was that itâll be difficult to accurately gauge Love with so many unproven, inexperienced weapons.
That proved to be dead wrong.
The quarterback, in addition to the rookie receivers and tight ends, delivered in a major way.
The Packers enter 2024 with one of the NFLâs most promising young quarterbacks and a stellar collection of receivers and tight ends. The NFLâs youngest team is even younger this season ⌠and better.
Furthermore, the defense received a major overhaul with the firing of coordinator Joe Barry, the hiring of Jeff Hafley, and the signing in free agency of safety Xavier McKinney. In addition, the Packers drafted major help at linebacker and safety.
Now itâs the defenseâs turn to prove it.
Meantime, the Bears and Vikings are expected to be seven-, eight- or nine-win teams depending on what you read and what you know.
** CHICAGO BEARS (26TH in 2023; 16th in 2024)
A year ago, Bears fans were buying into the silly notion that Justin Fields could be an MVP candidate with the addition of receiver D.J. Moore and improvement up and down the roster.
That hardly proved to be the case as the Bears finished 3-14 and Fields was jettisoned to Pittsburgh.
More of the same silliness is pouring out of The Windy City this offseason following the Bearsâ modest jump to 7-10 in â23.
Donât be fooled.
The Bears will be improved, but itâs much easier to go from 3-14 to 7-10 than it is to go from 7-10 to a possible playoff run.
Chicago would do well to improve as much this season with Caleb Williams as the QB as the Packers did last season with Love.
Here is what NFL.com had to say about Chicago entering â24:
âWe’ve graduated the Bears to the top half of the NFL. It’s no charity situation, either. QB Caleb Williams‘ arrival was forecasted for weeks, but landing WR Rome Odunze as a new target for Williams at No. 9 overall was pretty darned exciting.
âThe Bears have a legitimate offense now. No, really. Williams, Odunze, WR Keenan Allen and RB D’Andre Swift are four major additions to a group that was starting to show some promise in 2023. ⌠Even in the really tough NFC North, that should be enough to get Chicago into the playoff mix.â
The Bears in the playoff mix? Iâll have to see it to believe it.
** MINNESOTA VIKINGS (16th in 2023; 18th in 2024)
That leaves the Vikings â a team with a resourceful defensive coordinator in Brian Flores and a boatload of high-end weaponry on offense â with Sam Darnold running Kevin OâConnellâs offense.
That is at least until Darnold fails or rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy is so impressive the Vikings have no choice but to play him.
The bottom line is this: The Packers and Lions are going to duke it out for first place with the loser seeking playoff revenge. Meantime, the Vikings and Bears â while intriguing given their upgrades â are left to fight for third place and an 8- or 9-win season.
Brewers roll ChiSox to
widen NL Central lead
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The past week has been pure Brewers bliss.
Milwaukee woke up last Monday staring down a four-game series at home against (at the time) the NL Centralâs second-place Cubs, followed by a three-game set against the struggling White Sox.
When it was all over but for Tommy Phamâs shouting after being thrown out at the plate in the eighth to preserve the Brewersâ 4-3 lead and ultimately the win Sunday, the Brewers were in a great place.
Milwaukee had won six of seven to widen its NL Central lead to seven games over second-place St. Louis (28-29). The Brewers lead the Cubs (29-31) by 7 ½, the Pirates (27-32) by 9 and the Reds (26-33) by 10.
Milwaukee (36-23) is a season-high 13 games above .500. They have won eight of 10.They are on a season-best five-game winning streak.
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy didnât cast the teamâs fantastic week as some great feat, but rather a tone-setter for what lies ahead.
Murphyâs merely saying he expects the Brewers to be among the two or three teams vying to capture the NL Central. Right now they are firmly in the pole position with everyone well back in their rear-view mirror.
âWeâre a work in progress, for sure,â the Brewersâ manager said. âGuys are getting comfortable in their roles. Weâre set up now to understand how the season is going to be.â
How itâs going to be is a battle to the finish.
The Cubs are struggling to hit, but the law of averages says that is bound to change. The Cardinals have been red-hot but despite winning seven of 10 they still dropped a game to Milwaukee in the standings.
The Brewersâ sweep of the woeful White Sox (15-45) featured a different player in a starring role in each of the victories.
Christian Yelich keyed Friday nightâs 12-5 rout by going 5-for-6 with two doubles, five RBIs and a stolen base. Milwaukee scored the 12 runs on 23 hits without a home run.
On Saturday afternoon, Willy Adames stole the show with a 2-for-5 performance at the plate. He delivered a two-run single in the seventh to tie it at 3-3. Then Adames came through with the game-winning, run-scoring single in the bottom of the 10th.
In Sundayâs 6-3 win rookie Jackson Chourio starred at the plate. After Freddy Peralta allowed two runs in the top of the first to the White Sox, Chourio capped a four-run Brewers second with a two-run shot into the second-level seating in left field to make it 4-2.
Peralta (4-3) settled down to get the win. He scattered four hits over five innings while allowing three runs with a walk and seven strikeouts. Peraltaâs 3.74 ERA is respectable but could be better.
The White Sox have lost 11 straight â the longest losing binge in baseball this season â and have little to smile about. Phamâs displeasure with William Contreras after being thrown out at the plate was misplaced. He shouldâve been upset with the White Soxâs third base coach who had no business sending him home.
âIt was a shallow fly ball to left field,â Pham said. âYou would expect the left fielder to throw the baserunner out on that play. The third base coach (Eddie Rodriguez) sends you, youâve got to go. Iâm nailed out at home by a mile. Iâm going to the dugout. I hear the tough guy (Contreras) with all the hoorah (stuff). I never start anything, but Iâll be prepared to finish it.â
Contreras and the Brewers shrugged off Phamâs tantrum as frustration.
âI really wasnât paying attention to what he had to say,â Contreras said. âI didnât know what he was saying in my direction.â
The Brewers have more important concerns than Phamâs displeasure.
The NL East-leading Phillies come to mind.
Philadelphia (41-19) owns the second-best record in baseball trailing only the New York Yankees (42-19). The Philliesâ plus-99 run differential also is second only to the Yankeesâ plus-107.
The Brewers and Phillies open a three-game series tonight with first pitch set for 5:40 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.
Milwaukeeâs âduct tape approachâ to its starting rotation is reflected in MLBâs probable starters for the series.
The Phillies will open with right-handed power pitcher Zack Wheeler (6-3, 3.32 ERA) on Monday night. Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (3.3, 2.83) follows on Tuesday night with right-handed ace Aaron Nola (7-2, 3.03) going on Wednesday afternoon.
Milwaukeeâs starting pitchers are TBD, TBD and TBD.
Thatâs it.
Murphy isnât trying to be coy or clever. Heâs being honest. He canât say for sure who is going to be the starter for any of the three games.
It could be Bryse Wilson, Colin Rea and Tobias Myers based upon five days rest between starts. Then again, Murphy could elect to go with an âopenerâ such as Jared Koenig like he did at Boston.
Unlike the mystery that is the Brewersâ starting rotation, Murphy can rely on his everyday stars to go out and contribute on a daily basis.
The original lineup for Sundayâs game against the White Sox, according to MLBâs Adam McCalvy, had Contreras and Adames both out for a day of rest. An hour before the first pitch, McCalvy wrote that the catcher and shortstop went to Murphyâs office and asked to be in the lineup.
The manager asked them to rethink it. He wanted them to rest entering the three-game series at Philadelphia. The players didnât want to hear it.
Murphy thought about it and rewrote his lineup with them in it.
âThat doesnât happen everywhere, I promise you,â Yelich told reporters. âA Sunday day game, a lot of guys would be pretty excited about (being off), honestly. Not around here. Not this year.â
The terrific vibe remains strong and the Brewers keep on winning.
The Phillies pose a tremendous challenge, but the Brewers wouldnât want it any other way. Not these Brewers. Not this year.
Brewersâ late heroics
thwart reeling Cubs
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â With the Brewers down to their last out in the eighth, and Gary Sanchez down to his last strike at the plate, fate and the burly right-handed sluggerâs bat intervened.
Sanchez barreled up Tyson Millerâs 3-2 sweeper and drove it 422 feet to dead center-field for a tie-breaking two-run home run as the Brewers went on to edge the Cubs, 6-4, on Thursday at American Family Field.
It capped a thrilling series replete with home-run robbing catches, close plays at the plate, a first-rate pitchersâ duel featuring seven no-hit innings and wondrous home runs.
It was baseball at its finest.
Milwaukee (33-23) claimed the four-game series, three games to one, as the reeling Cubs (28-29) dropped to third place in the NL Central. Chicago trails Milwaukee by 5 ½ games with red-hot St. Louis (27-27) a half-game ahead of the Cubs and 5 behind the Crew.
Sanchez, at 6-2, 258, resembles an NFL linebacker.
Heâs got the right jersey number â #99 â to suggest he hits with power.
Sanchezâs seventh home run of the season snapped a 4-4 tie and enabled Milwaukee to avoid what would have been a disappointing series split.
The Brewers expect to have right-handed slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins (hamstring) available for their three-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox (15-42) at AmFam Field.
While Hoskins has been out, Sanchez has picked up the slack.
âHeâs going to have some strikeouts, but the guyâs dangerous, and everybody in the league knows it,â Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Sanchez. âIâm really happy for him. Heâs kind of shoved it in our face a little bit, like, âHey, man, I can hit more than lefties,â Pretty cool.â
Sanchez, the former Yankees catcher and DH, delivered a pinch-hit home run off Aroldis Chapman â also a right-handed reliever â in the eighth inning of Milwaukeeâs 7-5 win at Pittsburgh in late-April.
âReally, nothing changes there,â Sanchez said when asked about hitting in the clutch. âI think the focus remains the same. Find a pitch in the zone and try to put a good swing on it. I was able to do that today.â
The Brewers had nine hits in Thursdayâs win. Seven of the hits came with two strikes. Clearly, the Brewersâ hitters are locked in. Itâs like the old saying in baseball, âThe first two strikes are for me ⌠the third strike is for my team.â
Translation: Iâll look for something to drive early in the count, but with two strikes Iâm going to choke up, shorten my stroke and concentrate on making good contact if itâs near the strike zone.
The Brewers are in a good place right now.
They have won seven of their last 12 games with the White Sox â owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball â coming to town.
Meantime, the Cubs have been scuffling at the plate and in the field. Even their vaunted starting pitching caved under the weight of the Brewersâ bats.
The Brewers had gone 32 2/3 innings without plating a run against any Cubs starter entering Wednesday nightâs game. They roughed up Cubs left-handed starter Shota Imanaga for five runs in three innings. Imanaga wasnât sharp coming off 11 days between starts, but the Brewers showed no mercy. Christian Yelichâs 441-foot blast in the bottom of the first inning off Imanaga set the stage for a 10-6 blowout win.
On Thursday, Jamison Taillon scattered six hits over six innings while allowing three runs on a walk and four strikeouts.
However, a quartet of Cubsâ relievers surrendered three hits, two walks and three runs in two innings. The Cubsâ defense committed several critical errors in the series, and the bats have been mostly anemic.
With the Cubs falling into third place, the story of Craig Counsellâs return to Milwaukee â where he is the franchiseâs all-time winningest manager â fell into a distant second.
For his part, Counsell played it cool. He knows the distance between his Cubs and Murphâs Brewers â with the Cardinals sandwiched in between â is scarcely insurmountable.
âWeâve just got to keep going,â he said. âWeâre in a tough stretch. When youâre in a tough stretch it feels like you donât get breaks. Weâve got to make our own breaks, and weâll keep doing that.â
Meantime, the Brewers intend to keep rolling on their merry way.
Bryan Hudson, the outstanding left-hander, proved he was human by giving up not one, but two home runs in a dreadful 1 2/3 innings spanning the seventh and eighth on Thursday.
In the seventh, Seya Suzuki tagged him for a two-run shot to give the Cubs a short-lived 4-3 lead. In the eighth, Christopher Morel nailed him for a solo shot to tie it at 4-4 before Sanchezâs heroics.
Before Thursdayâs hiccups, Hudsonâs only home run allowed was an inside-the-park job by Cincinnatiâs Elly De La Cruz on April 8. Despite the rough outing, Hudson still ran his record to 4-0 with his earned-run average merely going from 0.59 to 1.13.
While the Brewers opened their NL Central lead against the Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to keep on winning.
When the Brewers defeated St. Louis on May 11 it dropped the Cardinals to 15-24. The Cardinals defeated the Brewers 4-3 to avert being swept in the four-game series. St. Louis is 11-3 since that win.
âThe feel is real good, it really is,â Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. âThe guys are getting after it. And theyâre convicted about every game and committed to what we set out to do out of spring training.
âThese guys are playing hard, the attention to detail is there, theyâre taking good at-bats, the starters are doing a good job and the bullpen has been good about taking the ball whenever needed.â
âSo it feels really good in that clubhouse right now.â
Was that Oliver Marmol talking about his Cardinals? Or was it Pat Murphy discussing his Brewers?
It was both in what shapes up to be a fantastic three-team battle in the NL Central as a really fun season continues to unfold.
Brewers wallop Cubs in Counsellâs return
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Craig Counsell received a traitorâs welcome at American Family Field before Mondayâs Cubs-Brewers game.
The Brewers played a tribute video of Counsell, the winningest manager in team history, before the Memorial Day matinee featuring the I-94 rivals and top two teams in the NL Central Division.
It was as well-received by Brewers fans as burnt brats and stale beer.
The fansâ boos cascaded throughout the ballpark as Counsell looked on from the third base dugout in wry amusement. The Cubs manager, who grew up in nearby Whitefish Bay, expected nothing less from the place he calls home and the fans he admires greatly.
Counsellâs Cubs were greeted in similarly rude fashion.
It was divine.
The Brewers captured a thrilling 5-1 victory thanks to some fancy footwork by their current manager, Pat Murphy, and a terrific swing on a 3-0 count by Willie Adames in the eighth.
In a well-pitched scoreless game through 7 ½ innings, Sal Frelick led off the eighth with a pinch-hit single (his first in 21 at-bats as a pinch hitter) off Cubsâ reliever Mark Leiter Jr.
Brice Turang walked and William Contreras followed with a rocket to third baseman Nick Madrigal, who tried to side-saddle the grounder as it ricocheted off his glove into left field to plate Frelick and make it 1-0.
Leiter Jr. struck out Christian Yelich before being pulled in favor of right-hander Hayden Wesneski.
After working the count to 3-0, Adames sat on a sinking fastball and drove it 427 feet over the center-field wall. That made it 4-0. Rookie Jackson Chourio capped the scoring with a ringing double to right center that scored Joey Ortiz from first base.
Adamesâ home run was the Brewersâ first dinger on a 3-0 pitch since Christian Yelich did it in 2021. It was only the second time Adames had ever swung at a 3-0 pitch as a Brewer.
âI donât really like to swing 3-0, but today, it was just the right opportunity, the right moment, the right situation,â Adames told reporters. âI think today was one of those situations where youâre like really confident about swinging 3-0, and we got the results we wanted.â
The Brewers (31-22) increased their lead to 4 ½ games over the Cubs (27-27) in the NL Central.
Memorial Day is particularly emotional for fans that solemnly honored each branch of the military in an impressive pregame ceremony. It didnât feel like the right time for Brewersâ fans to pay their respects to their (not so) dearly departed former manager.
âI feel a lot of us were waiting for this series because itâs always intense when youâre playing the Cubs, especially when weâve got Counsell coming for the first time after he left,â Adames said.
Counsellâs brief âthank youâ video elicited boos from every nook and cranny of AmFam Field. Counsell was booed by the sellout crowd of 41,882 every time he left the dugout or was shown on the big screen.
Counsell took it in stride.
âI think the fans are here to enjoy a day and enjoy a baseball game,â he said. âThey get to do what they want. Hopefully they had a good time.â
Indeed, they did.
They were treated to as well-pitched a game as youâre likely to see.
Robert Gasser started and pitched six innings of scoreless baseball. He didnât walk a batter and fanned seven. The rookie left-hander lowered his earned-run average to a tidy 1.96 through four big-league starts.
Lefty Bryan Hudson (3-0) struck out three in two scoreless innings to get the win. Hudson entered with two runners on and nobody out in the seventh, but got Gasser off the hook. Hoby Milner allowed a sacrifice fly in the ninth â the Cubsâ only run â to cap off the Brewersâ 5-1 win.
Cubsâ left-hander Justin Steele matched Gasser pitch for pitch.
Steele allowed just three hits while walking one and striking out eight in seven innings.
âIt was a great pitchersâ duel,â Counsell said. âBoth pitchers were outstanding. Both pitchers were kind of on the attack. It just felt like every hitter was in a hole every single at-bat, from both sides.â
The Brewers came into the four-game series off a series win against the Red Sox at Bostonâs Fenway Park. Milwaukee took two of three with Murphyâs ingenuity leading the way.
Murphy used left-hander Jared Koenig as an âopenerâ in each of the Brewersâ first two games at Fenway Park. He had Bryse Wilson ready to follow on Friday night and Colin Rea likewise on Saturday.
The strategy paid huge dividends.
The Brewers scored a 7-2 win Friday night and followed with a 6-3 win on Saturday afternoon.
Bostonâs lineup features three red-hot left-handed hitters among its first four hitters. Koenig was able to cool off Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Rafael Devers both games.
On Friday night, Koenig recorded two outs but allowed two baserunners to reach in the top of the first, prompting Murphy to bring in Bryse Wilson to get right-handed slugger Tyler OâNeill to end the frame.
Wilson (3-1) went on to pitch 5 1/3 innings while allowing six hits and two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.
On Saturday, Koenig went 1 1/3 innings before giving way to Rea, who went 5 2/3 while allowing three hits and two runs to get the win. Rea improved his record to 4-2.
The Brewers dropped the series finale, 2-1, despite a strong pitching performance from Tobias Myers, who allowed a run on six hits while walking none and striking out four in 4 1/3 innings.
Murphy has been terrific as the Brewersâ manager since Counsellâs departure. He has the Brewers in first place despite dealing with numerous injuries to the starting pitchers.
His creativity has enabled Wilson, Myers and others to be effective by using an âopenerâ such as Koenig to get through the opposing lineup at least once before going to the quote/unquote âstarter.â
Murphy also has juggled a lineup that ranks among the NLâs best in batting average, on-base percentage, home runs and steals.
The four-game series continues tonight as Brewers ace Freddy Peralta (3-3, 3.81) tangles with Cubs righty Ben Brown (1-1, 3.20).
Packers, Love in good
place as OTAâs begin
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Jordan Love gets it.
The Packersâ second-year starting quarterback realizes and embraces the responsibility that comes with playing that position in this city.
Itâs about throwing touchdowns and directing comebacks and winning games, to be sure. Itâs also about being willing to lead, to give of himself, to set the tone by example.
It is why Love was present and accounted for at the Packersâ start of OTAâs Monday. In his mind thereâs nothing âvoluntaryâ about being at the OTAâs. Thereâs no gray area in terms of being âall in.â
Either you are or you arenât.
Love is in the final year of his one-year contract extension worth up to $22.5 million (with incentives), and $13 million guaranteed.
Itâs a lot of money, but itâs dwarfed by his next deal, which is being negotiated and may be worth as much as $275 million over five years. Thereâs an inherent risk every time an NFL player takes the field, be it for practice or a game, and Love understands this.
He also knows his team is in a great position as the season approaches.
âI think thatâs always a part of it ⌠just showing up and the other guys will follow, too,â Love told reporters. âBut I mean itâs a testament to everybody wanting to be here, wanting to get that work in.â
The Packers had near-perfect attendance at the start of OTAs, with only cornerback Robert Rochelle absent for personal reasons with the teamâs blessings. Itâs the most highly attended OTA since Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was hired six seasons ago.
LaFleur was asked about the high number of participants and in particular Loveâs presence.
âItâs everything to us,â he said of Love being there. âWeâve had almost 100% the entire offseason, which has been the best that weâve had since Iâve been here. And I always think that when you look around the league, when your quarterbackâs there, it just naturally has a way of attracting everybody to come.â
Loveâs viewpoint may change over the years, but right now he explained that being here, doing his job, is just business as usual for him.
âI mean thatâs just something that Iâve always done,â he said. âTrying to be here, get the reps in, get the work in with the guys and just start building that chemistry and getting ready for the season.â
Love took that approach as Aaron Rodgersâ understudy, which was understandable. Now that heâs QB1 his approach hasnât changed.
Love, 25, learned a lot â both positive and negative â by watching and considering Rodgersâ every move. He also watched how teammates respond to the quarterbackâs lead.
âI think my leadership has grown every year, even more now,â he said. âI think it was tough when Aaron was still the quarterback and I was the backup to try and be that leadership role and tell guys one thing when he might want something said differently, so that was always tough and obviously now, being the guy last year, I try to elevate that role and talk to guys more, be in guys ears a little bit more and just try to focus on being a better leader.â
Loveâs on-field performance is the most important aspect of his job, but nothing happens in a vacuum. The time spent together in OTAs talking football, working out and collaborating on routes all adds up.
For example, what might seem like a minor detail discussed between Love and Jayden Reed this week could lead to them hooking up for the game-winning touchdown pass in the Sept. 6 season opener.
Itâs one of those things that the media, and therefore the fans, doesnât hear about until a postgame news conference during the season.
Itâs a bonus when that interaction is facilitated by the quarterbackâs willingness to learn along with his receivers and vice-versa.
LaFleur has talked repeatedly this week about how much his teamâs âlove of footballâ on a player-by-player basis is critical to success.
He also pointed out Loveâs embracing his role.
âI just think you feel the confidence from him, the way he projects himself in front of the team, and thatâs what you expect. You expect guys to continue to push and get better and better and better.
âThe command that he has of the offense, I know the guys, they all respect the hell out of him just in terms of who he is as a man and the work he puts in.â
Itâs crazy how much difference a season can make.
Last offseason, rookie tight end Luke Musgrave was asked about his QB1, and he said something like, âWell, he played at North Dakota State and Iâm excited to get to work with him.â
Uh, thatâs Utah State, not NDSU, but Musgrave has been forgiven.
This offseason, rookie tackle Jordan Morgan admitted he âfrozeâ when he first met Love. He stood in awe of what Love did in 2023.
Love smiled when told of Morgan being star struck.
âItâs the first time Iâve ever heard anything like that, so obviously itâs different,â Love said. âIâm just myself ⌠They came in their first day, you could tell the rookies are wide-eyed, first time being in the locker room, being around the guys. So itâs cool just to be able to say, âWhatâs up?â Thereâs a lot on their plate.â
Love isnât the only player with the capacity to empathize.
Left tackle Rasheed Walker played superb football in the second half of last season. His ascension and the offenseâs rise werenât a coincidence. He allowed just six sacks and was flagged for one holding penalty in 851 snaps last season. The Packers allowed only two sacks in the final seven games of the season, including the playoffs.
Walker was asked what he thought when the Packers selected an offensive tackle (Morgan) with the 25th pick in April.
âI didnât think much about it,â he said. âIt doesnât really have anything to do with me as far as my preparation and being ready and being the best player I can be.â
Instead of feeling threatened by Morganâs presence, Walker said heâs going to do his best to help the rookie. In fact, Walker went so far as to say that he sees himself when he looks at the rookies finding their way.
âThat was me,â he said, the empathy on full display.
As for Love, heâs going to build upon the foundation laid last year.
âLast year you have a lot of guys, young receivers that are learning the playbook, that the timing, the chemistry is just not really there yet and we go out there today and itâs just night and day,â Love said. âGuys know exactly where theyâre going to be at. We have so much chemistry from last year and know where guys are going to be at and know what we need to do.â
All that chemistry, to go with the talent, could very well trigger an offensive explosion in Green Bay.
UWGB hires Gottlieb;
Brewers clinging to 1st
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Doug Gottlieb has realized a lifelong ambition.
The 10th menâs basketball coach in Wisconsin-Green Bay history said during last weekâs introductory news conference that he grew up dreaming about being an NCAA Division I basketball head coach.
UWGB hired Gottlieb, a longtime media personality and former college player, to replace Sundance Wicks, who exited to become the head coach at Wyoming after posting an 18-14 record in his one season.
Now itâs up to Gottlieb to build on Wicksâ progress.
Gottliebâs resume indicates a strong desire to be around the game in some capacity, whether it is coaching at the AAU level, or the United Statesâ team in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 and 2017, or talking basketball endlessly with college coaches in his media role.
All of this suggests Gottlieb is champing at the bit to get to work.
My concern regarding Gottliebâs ability to lead the Phoenix program isnât rooted in any lack of experience, enthusiasm or knowledge.
My concern is the fact that wanting something, especially after wanting it for so long, is often more desirable than having it.
So now what?
Gottlieb has his dream job, or dream jobs, if you will, because he is going to continue hosting his national radio show Monday through Friday from 3-6 CDT.
Let the juggling begin.
Landing the Phoenix job is a great accomplishment for Gottlieb. And one may question his motives, but the truth is building a program and a resume arenât mutually exclusive.
In fact, one often begets the other.
However, Gottliebâs hire is as non-traditional as it gets. Thatâs true even in these entirely non-traditional times in college basketball, from the NIL deals ⌠to the transfer portal ⌠to you name it.
One could argue the Phoenix and AD Josh Moon had few options.
In fairness, Wicksâ 11th-hour departure was the catalyst that turned a basketball program headed the right direction upside down.
Moon actually danced around the disaster rather adroitly.
He was decisive in hiring Gottlieb, and he focused on the positives rather than any potential negatives. The exposure afforded UWGB basketball is going to be incredible thanks to Gottliebâs radio role. The university also was able to hire Gottlieb at a bargain salary because theyâre allowing him to moonlight to supplement his income.
The tradeoff is obvious.
Gottlieb wonât be able to give his full, undivided attention to UWGB. As it is college basketball coaches across the country are bemoaning the additional time required to navigate NIL deals and the transfer portal.
These are strange, demanding times indeed.
Gottlieb swears heâs up to the task. He insists he has the energy, desire and commitment to make it work.
Perhaps the basketball gods will bless him for his great affection for the college game and all it brings. Perhaps theyâll watch over him and reward that love of the game with a great experience in Green Bay.
In the best-case scenario Gottlieb and UWGB will be better for it.
In reality I have my doubts that it will bring about the Phoenixâs first NCAA Tournament appearance in what feels like forever.
All anyone is wish UWGB and Gottlieb the best ⌠fingers crossed.
** BREWERS STILL IN FIRST IN NL CENTRAL
The Milwaukee Brewers dropped two of three games at Houston over the weekend, but still hold a two-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
The Brewers (27-19) kept pace with the Cubs (26-22) who lost two of three to the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
Milwaukeeâs finest moment all weekend was William Contrerasâ at-bat in a four-run fifth inning that propelled the Brewers to a 4-2 win over the Astros and ace Justin Verlander on Saturday.
Contreras saw 12 pitches before swatting the 13th offering an estimated 428 feet for his seventh home run, a three-run shot that plated Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio with two outs.
It gave Milwaukee a 4-1 lead and the Brewers never looked back.
Contreras came into the game second in the NL in runs (39) and batting average (.353) while extending his on-base streak to 25 games. That streak was halted on Sunday.
The Brewersâ win halted the Astrosâ six-game winning streak and enabled them to maintain their two-game lead over the Cubs.
Milwaukee is at Miami (15-33) for a three-game series beginning tonight. The Marlins are among MLBâs worst teams, although they have been better of late, going 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Joe Ross will start for the Brewers in the series opener.
** WAUSAUâS JIM OTTO PASSES AWAY AT 86
In NFL news, the player they called âThe Original Raiderâ â Wausau native Jim Otto â passed away at 86 during the weekend.
Otto played 15 seasons and never missed a game. His career began in the AFL in 1960 and continued through 1974. The Raidersâ legend who wore jersey number 00 played in 223 straight games, including the playoffs. From 1960 until the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 Otto was the AFLâs only All-Pro center. He was a 12-time Pro Bowl player and was voted All-Pro (best at his position) an amazing 10 times.
Otto is quoted as saying the Packersâ Ray Nitschke laid the hardest hit on him of any player in all those seasons. It occurred in 1972.
âHe broke my facemask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here,â he said, pointing with his index finger.
âBroke my cheekbone, and my zygomatic arch bone here, and detached my retina in my left eye ⌠I was blind for six months in my left eye. It was really bad. It all swelled up, and I couldnât see, but I kept playing. I never went out of the game.â
Otto remains one of Wisconsinâs most famous athletes of all time.
Packersâ schedule has
user friendly feel to it
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Green Bay Packersâ schedule release has morphed into a cataclysmic event. It triggers a torrent of excitement, anticipation and action regarding whatâs to come and what could be.
The possibilities are endless. The skyâs the limit. Visions of a Super Bowl berth dance through the minds of Packersâ fans everywhere.
Why not?
The Packersâ only wins and losses, at least until the final second of the Friday, Sept. 6, season opener against the Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil, are the Wâs and Lâs fans scrawl next to each of the 17 games.
The Packers remain unbeaten and untied until then.
One could say optimism runs high each offseason when the schedule is released. Perhaps, but this schedule feels different than most.
It seems more doable than daunting despite a singularly difficult stretch. It begins at home against San Francisco, continues Nov. 28 with a Thanksgiving home game against Miami and wraps with a Thursday night showdown Dec. 5 against the Lions in Detroit.
Thatâs 49ers, Dolphins and Lions in 12 days.
Thatâs tough.
Still, the typical Green Bay fanâs reaction to the Packersâ 2024 schedule ought to be, âI donât like it. ⌠I LOVE IT!â
Itâs as user friendly as an open door ⌠As inviting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold night ⌠As welcoming as a preacher perched in the narthex inviting parishioners to enter … As cordial as a politician shaking hands and making promises on the campaign trail.
Yes, the 12-day stretch from Nov. 24 through Dec. 5 is straight out of football hell.
No, it isnât likely the Packer will run the table against the 49ers, Dolphins and Lions. Following that up with night games against the Seahawks and Saints is no bargain, either.
However, the Thanksgiving night game against Miami begins a stretch of four straight night games. The Packers are at Detroit (7:15 p.m. on Dec. 5), at Seattle (7:20 p.m. on Dec. 15), and home against New Orleans for Monday Night Football at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 23.
There arenât any games on Halloween, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Yearâs Eve or New Yearâs Day.
Thank you, NFL.
More important, the Packers can get dialed in on night games rather than constantly readjusting their body clocks.
The natural rhythm and routine canât hurt.
Furthermore, if things go according to plan, the Packers will be playing their best football against top opponents at a time when NFL fans are tuning in to check out Jordan Love and the Packersâ retooled defense.
LaFleur discussed the schedule on Packers.com.
âThat will definitely be a tough four-game stretch,â he said. âGoing into the season, those are four teams (Dolphins, Lions, Seahawks and Saints) that I think project to be very tough football teams. But it is nice to have two of those, at least, at home with San Francisco and then following it up with Miami on Thanksgiving, which is great to have a Thanksgiving night game in Lambeau.â
The Packers kick off six of eight games to open the season at noon.
NFL coaches are control freaks by nature. They put stock in a regular routine and regimen. The noon starts help to facilitate all of that.
The early starts also are great for Packers fans.
Lambeau Field in all its glory is always a wondrous place to watch a football game. Itâs a special mixture of magical and magnificent in two instances: When the snow is blowing, the wind is howling and the temperatures plummet to single digits ⌠Or when itâs a gorgeous autumn day in Wisconsin and the brilliant colors â especially green and gold â stand in brave opposition to the coming winter.
The Packers host the Colts on Sunday, Sept. 15, in their noon home opener. They return Sunday, Sept. 29, to take on the Vikings and Aaron Jones. Then itâs the Cardinals on Oct. 13 and the Texans on Oct. 20.
Thatâs four warm-weather home games during which fans will be able to hoot and holler without seeing their own breath.
LaFleur needs his team to be ready to spring at the starting line.
âYeah, our guys better wake up with their (blank) hot like Iâve said before ⌠they got to get ready to go,â LaFleur said of the noon starts. âI do think in the preseason, weâll have an early kick game (against Baltimore on Aug. 24) to get those guys acclimated with that rhythm.â
The bye week comes in Week 10. It falls between critical NFC North home games against the Lions before the bye and the Bears after.
Division games are crucial. Itâs especially true at home.
âI think weâre excited about that,â LaFleur said of the bye week. âYouâre never quite sure when the right time for a bye is, although it does seem like it maps out pretty favorably for us.â
Much the same could be said of the entire schedule.
The Packers, coming off an impressive 9-8 mark in Loveâs first year as the fulltime starting quarterback, should be in the double-digit win total.
At the risk of sounding like a Packersâ fan an 11-6 season seems doable. Itâs possible the Packers could go 12-5 and vie for the NFCâs top seed.
Either way, the course has been charted and the journeyâs about to begin. The Packers-Texans matchup featuring Houstonâs terrific young quarterback, C.J. Stroud, and Love, might be the Super Bowl preview.
Anythingâs possible. The skyâs the limit.
âWeâre excited,â LaFleur said. âWeâre excited to have a plan for the season. The scheduleâs the schedule. Our mindset is âweâve got to be our best regardless of when we play, where we play,â but we are excited to be able to map out our plan.â
Brewers win 3 of 4 to
claim St. Louis series
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewersâ plan to capture a four-game sweep of St. Louis in Sundayâs finale at American Family Field was derailed by erstwhile slugger Paul Goldschmidtâs slump-busting day.
Goldschmidt ended a career-worst 0-for-32 slump with a ninth-inning base hit on Saturday night. He followed it up with a home run and single on Sunday afternoon to help the Cardinals rally for a 4-3 victory over Milwaukee and salvage the series finale.
William Contreras, Gary Sanchez and Christian Yelich each had two hits, but it wasnât enough to overcome Bryse Wilsonâs shaky start and the bullpenâs inability to make a 3-2 lead through 5 innings stand up.
âOffensively and pitching, whatever, it just wasnât a great ballgame for us,â Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
The Cardinals won despite stranding 13 baserunners on Sunday. They were a dreadful 2-of-14 with runners in scoring position Sunday and finished 4-of-35 with RISP for the four-game series.
Wilson issued five walks, Goldschmidt was due and the Brewersâ insane eight-game winning streak against St. Louis had to end sometime. The Cardinalsâ win also snapped their seven-game losing streak.
Nevertheless, the Brewers (24-16) remain atop the NL Central. The second-place Cubs (24-17) trail Milwaukee by percentage points.
Milwaukee is a splendid 11-6 versus the NL Central. The Cubs are next at 4-2. No one else has more than one win in the division. The Brewers also are also an NL-best 12-7 in day games and 14-8 on the road.
Milwaukee has spent 29 days in first place. It also is 9-8 in intra-league games and owns nine comeback wins. Its plus-35 run differential is fourth-best in the National League.
The loss Sunday was disappointing for Brewersâ fans, but the overall series was a smashing success given their three wins and rookie pitcher Robert Gasserâs outstanding MLB debut on Friday night.
Gasser, a 24-year-old left-hander, threw six scoreless innings to set the tone in Milwaukeeâs 11-2 victory over the Cardinals. The Brewers are an impressive 9-3 in blowout games (decided by five or more runs).
Gasser (1-0) was called up from Triple-A Nashville, where he was recovering from bone spurs in spring training that postponed his season. He was acquired as part of the trade that sent Josh Hader to the Padres.
Gasser scattered six hits to go along with four strikeouts, no walks and a hit batter in his 79-pitch outing.
Murphy said he was pleased with Gasserâs poise and patience.
Once the Brewers claimed a commanding lead Gasser proceeded to pepper the strike zone.
The Brewers took command with a five-run fifth to grab a 7-0 lead. St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn started strong but lost command in the fourth, when he allowed two runs. The Brewers chased him in the fifth.
Gasser and the bullpen did the rest.
The last time a Brewers pitcher went six scoreless in his MLB debut was Brandon Woodruff in 2017.
On Thursday, the Brewers claimed a 7-1 win as they lit up veteran right-hander Sonny Gray like a Roman candle.
Gray (4-2) surrendered solo homers to Joey Ortiz and Jake Bauers after entering with a 0.89 ERA and allowing just one home run in five starts.
On Saturday, Milwaukee rallied for a 5-3 win behind Rhys Hoskinsâ three-run home run in the seventh.
Cardinalsâ reliever Andrew Kittredge came in with one out in the seventh. Contreras walked and went to third on Bauersâ two-out single. Hoskins then delivered a 407-foot bomb to center for his ninth homer.
Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to get his fourth save in fourth tries.
Here are some notable Brewersâ statistics through 40 games (nearly a quarter of the schedule):
** Contreras is hitting .346 with 13 doubles, five home runs, 30 RBI and 22 walks. His batting average, RBI and walks are among the league leaders.
** Christian Yelich has stayed hot despite missing several weeks with a sore back. Yelich is batting .364 with no letup in sight.
** The Brewers acquired Hoskins to bring punch to the lineup. He has done that with a team-high nine home runs and 27 RBI.
** Leadoff hitter Brice Turangâs remarkable sophomore season continues with him hitting .301 with 10 doubles, 14 RBI and 16 stolen bases without being caught. His Gold Glove-caliber defense is apparent.
** Milwaukeeâs .254 team batting average ranks 4th in the NL. The Brewersâ 48 home runs, 53 steals and .334 on-base percentage each ranks 3rd in the NL. Milwaukee batters have been hit 19 times (second most in the NL) and their 150 walks ranks fifth in the senior circuit.
The Brewers open a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. at American Family Field. Steady right-hander Colin Rea (3-0, 3.29) will start for Milwaukee versus Piratesâ ace righty Mitch Keller (3-3, 4.41).
Right-hander Joe Ross (1-4) will face off against Piratesâ righty Quinn Priester (0-3, 3.60) in Tuesdayâs 6:40 p.m. game.
On Wednesday itâll be Gasser (1-0, 0.00) squaring off against Piratesâ left-hander Martin Perez (1-2, 3.60).
The Pirates (18-23) trail the Brewers by 6 ½ games and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Five bold predictions
for Packersâ offseason
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packersâ offseason soundtrack surely kicks off with Pharrell Williams easing into a mike and crooning, âHappy.â
Itâs been pure bliss in Green Bay these days.
Itâs been full speed ahead ever since Jordan Love began to blossom in a rough but revealing 23-19 loss last November at Pittsburgh.
While the defense showed modest improvement after an abysmal 3-6 start to the season, Green Bayâs offense established itself as legit.
Love was 21 of 40 for 289 yards in the Packersâ loss at Pittsburgh, but he also threw touchdown passes to answer early Steelers leads of 7-0 and 14-7. His resiliency under fire was impressive. His ability to give his team a chance despite facing heavy pressure on the road was exciting.
Love looked and played like an upper-tier NFL quarterback. While the Steelersâ game was his breakout appearance itâs difficult to imagine anyone predicting what was to come.
In the Packersâ final eight regular-season games and two playoff contests, they were held to fewer than 21 points just twice, compared with seven times during the 3-6 start.
The Packersâ third-down efficiency was 50 percent or better in 10 of the final 12 games. Green Bay finished fifth in the NFL in third down conversion rate.
Love also posted triple-digit passer ratings in nine games from November through January.
The NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco was disappointing, but it definitely allowed Packers coach Matt LaFleur to have the âfirst shotâ at replacing Joe Barry with Jeff Hafley as his defensive coordinator. Itâs all but certain 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan wouldâve been on the phone to Hafley within days of an early playoff exit.
Instead, the Packers pounced on Hafley, just like they went all-in to sign safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs in free agency.
Itâs much easier to be aggressive when you have âthe guyâ at QB1.
Here are five bold predictions in terms of what will happen between now and the Packers-Eagles season opener in Brazil.
** No. 1 â Who will be the âbest fiveâ offensive linemen at the seasonâs outset, and where will they be lining up?
Based on past performance, experience, contract status and rookie potential it seems there really is only one way LaFleur could go here.
Itâs likely heâll have incumbent left tackle Rasheed Walker and first-round pick Jordan Morgan compete for the starting job. However, itâs not unprecedented to see Walker and Morgan time-share the position throughout training camp, the preseason and into the season opener.
If itâs Walker/Morgan time sharing left tackle, itâll be Elgton Jenkins at left guard, Josh Myers at center, rookie Jacob Monk at right guard and right tackle Zach Tom staying put until further notice.
Earlier this week offensive line coach Luke Butkus revealed Myers is staying put at center.
âWe need depth, so weâre going to cross-train them all,â Butkus said. âObviously, Josh Myers is our center but as far as everybody else, weâre going to cross-train them and put the best five out there. Itâs competition so itâs making everybody better.â
Myers is in the final year of his contract. It appears the Packers are going to play out the string before moving on from him. Much of that is because of the offensive lineâs terrific performance down the stretch.
The run game exploded with a healthy Aaron Jones leading the attack.
Green Bay also allowed only two sacks in Loveâs final 150 pass attempts of the regular season and playoffs. In fact, the Packers surrendered only eight sacks in their final nine games.
They also were the NFLâs best offense in goal-to-go situations. Once they got there, they got into the end zone 95 percent of the time.
They did all of that with Myers at center.
His improvement was a critical if underappreciated aspect of the Packersâ offensive ascension.
At least Myers wasnât unappreciated by Butkus.
When asked what Myers needs to do to continue his improved play, Butkus said: âJust continue to grow, just like our expectations for everybody. Thatâs where Josh excelled last year. He did get better as the year went on and he had command of this offense and took charge, was a little bit more vocal toward the end in commanding this offense.
âSo, what do we need from him? Just to get better every single day. Keep improving.â
** No. 2 â The Packersâ tight ends will emerge as an integral and irreplaceable part of the offense.
LaFleurâs offense puts great emphasis and reliance on tight end play. In the past, he hasnât always had the proper pieces to execute it to its fullest.
With the addition of Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft in last yearâs draft, the signing of Ben Sims and Tyler Davisâ return from injury, Green Bayâs tight end room is second to none in the NFL.
Musgrave is a big, fast target thatâs just beginning to find his way.
Kraft is a rugged blocker, reliable pass catcher and bruising runner after the catch. Sims is steady and versatile, and Davis is an excellent special teamsâ player who already knows LaFleurâs scheme inside and out.
Tight ends coach John Dunn canât wait to get to work.
âTight ends are great weapons because they can wear a bunch of different hats and defenses have to match that ⌠I think it will be fun to see that.â
I suspect Musgrave and Kraft will combine for more receptions than the Packersâ top two receivers, which is another way of saying I believe double-tight end formations are going to be deployed a lot of the time.
** No. 3 â Greg Joseph is going to replace Anders Carlson as kicker.
Joseph beat out Riley Patterson in 2021 to become Minnesotaâs kicker. He went on to hit 33 of 38 field goals (86.8 percent) in his first season. He also drilled a 61-yard game-winner against the Giants, so thereâs no shortage of leg strength.
Furthermore, Joseph is a veteran who has been there, done that.
The Packers have too much at stake to put their faith in Carlsonâs right foot. The change will be quick and unceremonious, except for the inevitable questions about the risk of drafting a kicker.
** No. 4 â Rookie safety Evan Williams will start alongside McKinney to open the season. That means second-round pick Javon Bullard will be lining up at the nickel cornerback spot in sub-packages in tandem with the returning Keisean Nixon.
Williams is a heavy hitter who can slide down and defend the run with a vengeance, especially on early downs. At least thatâs what the scouts see and I tend to agree.
Bullard is incredibly versatile with big-play potential. Heâll play more snaps than Williams, but on early downs and run situations itâll be Williams on the field.
** No. 5 â Jacobs is going to finish among the top three in rushing yards after one season removed as the NFLâs top rusher.
The Packers are going to ride Jacobs like they rode Jones down the stretch. Except Jacobs is going to be the lead dog from Day One with only minimal concerns about being overused.
With Love at the throttle the Packers can use the pass to set up the run, and vice-versa, to their play-callerâs hearts content.
The offensive weapons are young at receiver and tight end, but theyâve also logged a fair number of snaps in their short time.
Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks shared a residence in Florida this offseason so they could train together religiously. If that doesnât make a football coach smile nothing will.
Christian Watsonâs healthy return, Romeo Doubsâ continued improvement and another leap for Reed, Wicks, Malik Heath and Bo Melton will further bolster the attack.
That leaves Jacobs to do a lot of the heavy lifting with rookie MarShawn Lloyd providing him a breather and the defense another reason to worry.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich is excited by the potential to be creative and hit the ground running.
âWe can go out there right now and just run plays and itâs not like weâre installing everything for the first time,â he said this week. âWe can start experimenting faster and taking the next steps with the offense.
âYouâre always looking to take the next step. You have to keep evolving, so itâs just a matter of whatâs our best next step, or next two things that we want to do ⌠where you can see, âalright, is this the direction we want to go?â â
Once Love began to blossom the next steps have been full speed ahead.
Cubs win 2 of 3 to join Brewers atop division
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewers forgot to pack their bats.
At least it looked that way as Milwaukee dropped two of three to the Cubs in their weekend series at Wrigley Field. Better that than the beginning of a slump because the Brewers have neither the starting pitching nor the bullpen to overcome a lengthy scoring drought.
The Brewersâ 5-0 loss to the Cubs and right-hander Javier Assad (2-0) on Sunday put the exclamation point on Milwaukeeâs lack of offense.
The Brewers didnât score until they plated three runs in the eighth inning of Fridayâs series opener. They didnât score until they posted four runs in the seventh inning of Saturdayâs 6-5 loss.
They didnât score at all on Sunday.
The Cubsâ Hayden Wesneski, Jameson Taillon and Assad put up terrific numbers in the three starts. They combined to pitch 18.1 innings while allowing just nine hits, zero runs, seven walks and 19 strikeouts.
Thatâs nearly flawless starting pitching.
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy seemed to take it in stride.
âWe ran into three guys that pitched very, very well,â Murphy said. âAnd offensively we didnât hit with runners in scoring position. But like I said, (it was) a great, great experience for our guys.â
The Brewers began the series with a tidy 3-1 victory over the Cubs on Friday afternoon. Willy Adames highlighted a three-run, eighth-inning rally to turn a 1-0 deficit into a victory.
Rookie Jackson Chourio opened the eighth with a one-out single, stole second and scored on William Contrerasâ sharp single to make it 1-1. Contreras stole second and scored on Adamesâ base hit to centerfield. Jake Bauers followed by driving in Adames for a two-run cushion.
The Cubsâ Adbert Alzolay suffered the loss while Elvis Peguero (4-0) got the win and Trevor Megill pitched a clean ninth for his second save.
Brewersâ starter Joe Ross allowed just one run on six hits in six innings while striking out four without issuing a walk.
Brice Turang stayed hot with a 2-for-4 day to help Milwaukee run its winning streak to three games. Thatâs when the offense withered, the pitching couldnât hold up and a pair of disappointing losses ensued.
The Brewers (20-13, .606) and the Cubs (21-14, .600) are separated by percentage points atop the NL Central.
Fans of both teams may want to settle in for more of the same all season. When healthy the Brewers appear to have the better squad, but the Cubs are expecting to get Cody Bellinger back, and players such as Ian Happ arenât going to stay cold all season.
Either way, there appears to be a paper-thin margin between them. Itâs good for baseball. Itâs good for the division. And itâs really good for the fans, especially Milwaukee fans if the Brewers manage to prevail.
If itâs going to be a two-team race the Brewersâ bats need to get busy.
Freddy Peralta (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, and the Brewersâ first loss in his six starts, due to a three-run, 33-pitch fifth inning that proved to be his undoing.
Peraltaâs curveball was A-plus on Sunday, but he couldnât command his fastball. On one sequence, he threw such a nasty curve that Christopher Morelâs knees buckled. All Morel could do was call timeout, step out of the batterâs box and smile. It was utterly unhittable.
Three pitches later â including two wayward fastballs â and Morel had coaxed a walk.
It was that kind of afternoon for Peralta and the Brewers, who are now 13-6 on the road and 12-5 in day games.
âMy (command) wasnât that bad, but I walked a lot of people today,â Peralta said. âIt shouldnât have happened. I have to be better than that.â
Peralta appealed his five-game suspension for his ejection in last weekâs game against the Rays. Now that he pitched against the Cubs on Sunday, he will drop the appeal and serve his suspension while waiting to make his next start, which is scheduled for Saturday against St. Louis.
Now, it appears left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser may be called up from Triple-A Nashville. Gasser pitched Sunday and threw 78 pitches before exiting with the lead.
âI think thereâs a chance you might see (Gasser),â Murphy told MLB.com. âYou see the hole there with Freddy being down, right? That would be a strong candidate.â
Peralta called Sundayâs loss âreally important.â
âEspecially today,â he said, âbecause I had the opportunity to win this game and the series.â
As it stands, the Brewers and Cubs are in a virtual dead heat.
Cubsâ shortstop Dansby Swanson expects it to be a two-team battle to the finish in the NL Central. Swanson definitely doesnât expect the Brewers to fall out of contention any time soon.
âItâs kind of in their DNA to never beat themselves,â Swanson told MLB.com. âThey pitch. They play great defense. They obviously run the bases well. They just do a lot of the little things right ⌠I thought we had to play a good brand of baseball this weekend to be able to beat them, and we were able to do that two out of three times.â
The Brewersâ newest hitter, Tyler Black, got off to a slow start going 1-for-12 while batting third in Murphyâs lineup. Veteran outfielder Christian Yelich is recovering from back problems, but did participate in batting practice and some light workouts. He has been out since April 16, and his return to the lineup would be a godsend.
Meantime, Black continues to be excited and looks forward to contributing with the big league club.
âThe only thing that matters is winning,â he said. âObviously thrown into the fire, I wouldnât want it any other way. I really felt the intensity and Iâm looking forward to the future of that.â
The Brewers take on the Kansas City Royals (20-15) at Kansas City beginning tonight. Bryce Wilson will start for Milwaukee versus the Royalsâ left-hander Cole Ragans. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.
Brewers get Counsell, Cubs at Wrigley Field
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â While the Packers sort out the post-draft details and the Bucks gamely try to stave off elimination, the Brewers are using Thursdayâs off day to prepare for a much-anticipated weekend series.
The NL Central-leading Brewers (19-11) travel to Chicago to face Craig Counsellâs Cubs (19-12) in a three-game series at Wrigley Field. The first pitch is set for 1:20 p.m. for each game of the weekend set.
Counsell, the Brewersâ all-time winningest manager, left Milwaukee in the offseason for a huge payday and a chance to manage the rival Cubs.
The Brewers promoted bench coach Pat Murphy to the managerâs role.
The early returns suggest it could be a âwin-winâ for both teams.
The Brewers have persevered despite Counsellâs departure, the Corbin Burnes trade and injuries to starting pitchers Wade Miley and Brandon Woodruff (out for the season), as well as DL Hall and Jakob Junis (both are on the 15-day Injured List). Relievers JB Bukauskus (15-day IL) and Devin Williams (60-day IL) also are out.
Nevertheless, the Brewers are off to a terrific start.
They enter the Cubs series with the best road record (12-4) in baseball. They also own MLBâs top record in day games (11-3). In terms of wins against teams that are .500 or better, only Burnesâ Baltimore Orioles (13-5) have a better record than the Brewersâ 11-6 mark.
Interestingly, the Cubs own MLBâs top home record at 10-3.
Something has to give this weekend.
After a 7-6 start under Counsell the Cubs proceeded to win 10 of 13 to plant themselves directly in the Brewersâ rearview mirror. Like the mirror reads â objects are closer than they appear â and right now only percentage points separate the Brewers and Cubs.
The winnowing process begins in earnest on Friday afternoon.
The Brewers and Cubs will be without veteran outfielders Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, who are on the 10-day IL. Yelich is hitting .333 with five home runs while Bellinger has five homers and 17 RBI.
Here are the probable starters in the series:
** Friday: Brewers right-hander Joe Ross (1-3) vs. Cubs righty Hayden Wesneski (2-0).
** Saturday: Brewers righty Tobias Myers (0-1) vs. Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-0)
** Sunday: Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta (3-0) vs. Cubs righty Javier Assad (2-0).
The combined stats for the starting pitchers gives a slight edge to the Cubs, although none of Chicagoâs starters has the stuff or the cache of Peralta, the Brewersâ ace.
Milwaukeeâs starters are 4-4 in 13 starts spanning 68.2 innings. They have allowed 59 hits, 32 earned runs, 9 home runs, 22 walks and 77 strikeouts for a 4.19 ERA.
Chicagoâs starters are 6-0 in 10 starts covering 60.1 innings. They have allowed 43 hits, 11 earned runs, 4 home runs, 13 walks and 42 strikeouts for a measly 1.63 ERA.
The Brewersâ defense, speed on the bases and bullpen are significantly better than the Cubs in those areas. Chicagoâs Nico Hoerner (.272) and Michael Bush (6 HRs in 98 at-bats) have been hitting well. The bane of the Brewersâ existence â switch-hitting Ian Happ â has struggled with just one home run in 124 at-bats. Milwaukee is hoping Happ stays cold at least until the Brewers are on their way out of town.
If the Brewers can win one of the first two games theyâll have a great opportunity to capture the series with Peralta pitching on Sunday.
As much drama as the Brewers have endured the past three games, including multiple ejections and dreadful umpiring, the vibe feels like Brewers-Cubs is going to be all about baseball rather than nonsense.
** BUCKS BATTLE PACERS TO EXTEND SERIES
Milwaukeeâs 115-92 blowout victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night was a profile in courage. The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard but still managed to stave off elimination with a gritty team effort.
Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton scored 29 points each against a listless Pacers team that played like it couldnât wait to get it over with and return to Indiana for Game 6 of their first-round matchup.
The undermanned Bucks were happy to oblige.
Middleton accurately assessed Milwaukeeâs predicament.
âWe have to find a way to win, whatever it takes,â he said. âWeâre still confident. Our backs were up against the wall (on Tuesday) and we had a great home crowd that got us going. So weâre going to have to find a way. Thatâs the only way to put it ⌠find a way to get this one and force a Game 7.â
If the Bucks survive thereâs a chance Antetokounmpo and/or Lillard could be available if there is a Game 7 on Saturday at Milwaukee.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said both are âvery, very, very closeâ to returning to game action.
Antetokounmpo has been out since April 9 with a strained left calf. Lillard has missed the past two games with an Achilles injury. Lillard averaged 32.3 points in the first two games of the series.
The Pacers havenât won a playoff series since 2014.
Indiana All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton â a Wisconsin native and Oshkosh North graduate â offered the opposing viewpoint.
âWeâve just got to understand that theyâre a team thatâs on the brink of their season being done,â Haliburton said. âTheyâre playing desperate and theyâre playing hard, as they should be. At the end of the day, they out-competed us (in Game 5). They played harder, they played better. They kind of just dominated us in every facet of the game. Weâve got to be better. It starts with me and that first group, but weâve just got to be better top to bottom.â
The Pacers are a hefty 8-point favorite going into Game 6.
Then again, the Bucks are familiar with facing long odds. It has been that way ever since Antetokounmpo went down wincing and massaging his left calf before limping off the court 23 days ago.
Itâs up to Antetokounmpoâs teammates to stay alive until he and Lillard are able to return. If that happens everything is still on the table, including a run to the NBA Finals. If that doesnât happen, and the Bucks lose, it will bring an end to a disappointing, injury-riddled season.
Packers fill needs with
talent at OL, LB and S
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â A cold, rainy Monday in northeast Wisconsin canât dampen fan spirit across the stateâs pro sports landscape.
The brash young Brewers remain in first place in the NL Central, the brave but battered Bucks are still clinging to life in the NBA playoffs, and Green Bay is officially on the clock to host the 2025 NFL Draft.
Meantime, the Packers spent the weekend infusing speed, youth and (presumably) talent to fill a handful of needs in this draft.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst followed a script similar to the one that transformed the tight end room into a force in a single draft.
If adding one player at a position is good, and adding two is better, why not make it three?
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is a co-signer on the concept.
âIâm a firm believer that you can never have enough competition,â he said. âItâs going to bring out the best in somebody in that room. I do think when our guys are pushing one another theyâre going to get better.â
Gutekunst needed two offensive tackles, including one capable of competing to start on Day One, and an interior offensive lineman.
He didnât overthink it.
He drafted Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan at 25, Duke center/guard Jacob Monk at 163 and Georgia State tackle Travis Glover at 202.
Morgan will wear No. 77 and compete with Rasheed Walker to start at left tackle, with whoever falls short serving as the swing tackle.
âIf you can protect your quarterback, particularly one like we have, you have a chance to win the football game,â Gutekunst said.
Itâs an undeniable fact.
Gutekunst set out to acquire a left tackle and he got one he preferred.
He also got another offensive tackle with terrific potential.
Glover (6-6, 317) has a great deal of experience at left tackle and the small-school product stood strong at the all-star games.
Glover was one of eight Senior Bowl participants drafted by Green Bay. The Packers put a premium on small-school players with the confidence to test their mettle against the very best.
âThe willingness to compete and put themselves in that environment ⌠thatâs not an easy thing to walk out onto that Senior Bowl practice field with all these NFL people judging you,â Gutekunst said. âTo a) choose to do that and b) compete at a high level when youâre out there, if none of thatâs going to phase you that says something to me.â
Monk (6-3, 308) is a powerful (33 reps at 225 pounds), smart and seasoned interior lineman. Monk will work at center behind Josh Myers and at right guard behind Sean Rhyan, at least for now.
The Packers also needed help at linebacker and safety.
The Packersâ switch to a 4-3 base defense under first-year coordinator Jeff Hafley requires no less than two linebackers with the range, speed and tackling ability to cover a lot of ground in the 4-2-5 alignment.
This draft gives Green Bayâs Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie a pair of potential sidekicks.
So Gutekunst stepped up and selected Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who was widely rated as the top player at his position, at 45. Then he doubled down with Missouri linebacker TyâRon Hopper at 59.
Cooper, who will wear No. 56, runs the 40-yard dash (4.51) like a running back. Hopper, who will wear No. 59, didnât test as well, but heâs rangy, instinctive in pass coverage and an instant asset on special teams.
Cooper was among the top athletes in the entire draft.
âHis speed is different,â said Jon-Eric Sullivan, the vice-president of player personnel. âWhen he hits the gas and heâs running things down, thereâs a âwhoaâ factor to that.â
In addition to linebacker, the Packers also needed help at safety.
The thunderbolt free-agent signing of Xavier McKinney gives the safety room a bona fide lead dog. Now theyâve got a significantly upgraded cast to follow their Pied Piper.
At 58, Gutekunst went down to Georgia looking for a safety to steal. He got one of the draftâs top-rated defenders in the Bulldogsâ Javon Bullard.
Bullard, who will wear No. 20, ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and is an aggressive tackler. He is a wonderful athlete at 5-10, 198, who is only 21 years old. He started as a sophomore on Georgiaâs top-ranked defense, which is no small feat.
Gutekunst wasnât done yet.
He doubled-down at 111 by selecting Oregon safety Evan Williams and then tripled-down at 169 by taking Oregon Stateâs Kitan Oladapo.
The Packers liked Williams enough to trade up 15 spots to select him.
Green Bayâs West Coast scout, Sam Seale, explained why.
âHeâs smart. Heâs instinctive. Heâs a good kid and he makes tackles,â Seale said. âHe makes plays around the ball. Heâs always around the ball. Heâs a football player.â
The Packersâ Sullivan said they were also pleased to add Monk and Oladapo.
âWeâre excited to add Monk and Oladapo to the equation,â the Packersâ vice president of player personnel said. âMonk, we see as an interior offensive lineman, guard/center, swing ⌠(heâs) quick, strong. Elite wiring when you talk to the people at the school there, two-time captain, alpha, all the things you want in a guy like that.
âAnd Oladapo the same ⌠played a lot of football, smart kid, very versatile player.â
The Packersâ other three draft picks included USC running back MarShawn Lloyd, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt and Penn State cornerback Kalen King.
None other than retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban sang Lloydâs praises after the Packers selected him.
Saban called Lloyd the âsecond-best backâ he evaluated in the draft, and predicted that he would be an immediate factor in the passing game.
Lloyd, who will wear No. 32, ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. He also showed strength with 25 reps at 225 pounds and explosiveness with a 36-inch vertical leap.
The 5-9, 220-pound back played one year at USC after transferring from South Carolina. He will serve as Josh Jacobsâ primary backup.
Pratt will be working next to Sean Clifford in a reserve quarterback role.
King, a feisty 5-11, 191, is determined to prove his detractors wrong after having an excellent career as a Penn State cornerback. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at his Pro Day workout.
King was the only cornerback the Packers selected, with Gutekunst noting how well 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine played in his rookie season.
âOur league has a long history of guys who felt they were overlooked and use that as motivation to drive themselves and hopefully thatâll be the case here,â Gutekunst said while referring to King. âCertainly, he was a guy that we expected to go higher, and as we went through it, we felt very fortunate to be able to pick him where we did. Heâs got a really nice skill set.â
Packers protect Love,
take LT Morgan in 1st
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers took a major step toward protecting Jordan Love and their future without exhausting any Day 2 draft capital.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst relied on patience and the process before selecting Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan with the 25th overall pick.
The first 14 picks were offensive players, including six quarterbacks, as the 2024 NFL draft unfolded Thursday night in Detroit.
The offensive onslaught was unprecedented.
That didnât dissuade Gutekunst from letting the board come to him.
The Packers werenât hunting a quarterback, receiver or tight end. They werenât eyeing an edge rusher, interior pass rusher or cornerback, either.
Not yet at least.
They wanted a college-tested left tackle to protect Loveâs blindside. They wanted a player with a great blend of size and athleticism. They wanted a mature âfootball guyâ that fit their locker room culture.
They wanted Jordan Morgan.
Morgan (6-5, 311) sustained an ACL injury late in the 2022 season. The fact that he rehabbed and returned to play outstanding the next season illustrated his mental toughness to overcome and his desire to play.
âIt was remarkable how well he played early in the season coming off (the injury),â Gutekunst said. â(He) just kept getting better and better so that gives us a lot of confidence for where heâs headed.â
Morgan, 22, is going to line up at left tackle.
It appears Morgan and Rasheed Walker will compete for the starting job.
The Packers could go into the season with either Morgan or Walker at left tackle, Elgton Jenkins at left guard, Josh Myers at center, Sean Rhyan at right guard and Zach Tom playing right tackle. That would leave Walker or Morgan as the swing tackle.
Itâs also possible the Packers could go with (left to right) Morgan, Jenkins, Tom, Myers/Rhyan and Walker.
Morganâs presence and, presumably, his proficiency, give Green Bay a greater measure of flexibility along the offensive line. That will be especially true if the Packers select a guard/center on Day 2.
My pre-draft prediction was that the Packers would draft offensive linemen with two of their top three picks. Itâs one down, one to go.
Iâm saying Gutekunst will draft Texas A&M inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper at 41 and Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson at 58.
If Gutekunst has to wheel and deal a bit heâll make it happen.
Just think of the possibilities up front.
The Packers could have Morgan at left tackle, Jenkins at left guard, Powers-Johnson at center, Myers/Rhyan at right guard and Tom playing right tackle. That leaves Walker as the swing tackle and the Myers/Rhyan odd man out as the backup interior O-lineman.
Itâs talented. Itâs deep. Itâs a significant upgrade from last season.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur claims the âbest fiveâ offensive linemen will play. LaFleur, like Gutekunst, also relishes flexibility. Itâs why I believe another offensive lineman is going to be drafted on Day 2.
Offensive line isnât the sexiest pick, to be sure, and there was plenty of Packersâ fan sentiment to select Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean at 25. The fact that DeJean and Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton were both available at 25 â and the Packers went with Morgan â leaves no doubt as to which player Gutekunst coveted most and for good reason.
âIf you can protect your quarterback, particularly one like we have, you have a chance to win the football game,â Gutekunst said.
Itâs an undeniable fact.
Gutekunst set out to acquire a left tackle and he got one he preferred.
âObviously itâs a premium position,â he said of left tackle. âFor me, thereâs only so many big guys usually in each draft, and you realize that theyâre going to go early and theyâre going to go quick and if you donât get one, you might be out of luck.â
The Packers could have gone another direction. They also could have traded back and acquired more draft capital, but that wouldâve been at the risk of losing Morgan.
It was an unnecessary risk when the player was there for the taking AND the Packers didnât have to expend any extra picks to nab him.
âThereâs some of that (fear of missing the player),â Gutekunst said. âBut again, where we had him valued, this was a pretty easy decision for us.â
The Packers will have plenty of options on Day 2.
With the 41st and 58th picks, plus the 88th and 91st, they could rule the roost â so to speak â early in the second round,
Another offensive lineman and two defenders seem likely. Iâd look for the inside linebacker Cooper, or perhaps Michigan linebacker Junior Colson, and either Powers-Johnson or a cornerback in the second round.
I wonât be surprised if the Packers package their 88th and 91st picks in order to move back into the late-second round. The plan would be to take Washington State safety Jaden Hicks to join Xavier McKinney.
If the Packers come away with Morgan, Cooper, Powers-Johnson and Hicks it will be qualify as a dream scenario. It would button up the offensive line. It would give Quay Walker a Robin to go with his Batman. It would give McKinney a talented sidekick to mentor.
Best of all, it would give Love the protection he needs to be terrific.
Gutekunst didnât divulge any Day 2 details, other than to say that itâs an important day for the Packersâ immediate and future success.
â(Tomorrowâs) a big day for our organization,â he said of Friday. âIâve talked about how important the draft is. To have four picks in the second and third round, we have a nice opportunity to help our football team, so yeah, I think weâre all really eager to get after it.â
In the NFC North, the Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick and receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth pick. Chicagoâs new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, will have some shiny new toys to help bring the Bearsâ offense into the 21st century.
The Vikings drafted Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who will be blessed with receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones. Itâs the best situation for a rookie quarterback in the entire NFL.
The Lions traded up from 29 to 24 â one pick ahead of the Packers â to select Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold. His presence gives Detroitâs secondary an infusion of terrific talent to go with safety Brian Branch.
It is âgame onâ in the NFC North between the Lions and Packers. If Williams and/or McCarthy play to their draft status the Bears and Vikings also will be much-improved going into the season.
Itâs why Day 2 is so important for the Packers.
Packers go up in first,
take Duke OL Barton
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packersâ modus operandi since it became apparent Jordan Love was the heir apparent has been full speed ahead.
GM Brian Gutekunst is in the midst of his most aggressive offseason and heâs just starting to get loose.
He broke in front of the competition to intercept safety Xavier McKinney in free agency before anyone else had a chance. He didnât hesitate to acquire the NFLâs top free-agent safety â a critical piece to filling in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs puzzle â because he was confident in what he knew and what he needed.
Then, when a chance to acquire running back Josh Jacobs presented itself, he made the difficult but necessary decision to part with Aaron Jones. He traded a terrific, aging running back for a terrific, in-his-prime running back thatâs better-suited to coach Matt LaFleurâs offense.
Gutekunst was only beginning the retool.
He re-signed All-Pro kick returner and solid cornerback Keisean Nixon. He brought back tight end Tyler Davis. He re-signed cornerback Corey Ballantine and linebackers Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch.
Thursdayâs NFL draft will be the seventh draft Gutekunst has presided over since he flashed some fancy footwork to land Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander in his debut.
It will be Gutekunstâs fifth since he decided, âpopular opinion be darned,â and traded up to select Jordan âAlexanderâ Love at 26 in 2020.
That bold decision â reaffirmed by Loveâs subsequent success â is the cornerstone upon which the Packersâ future Super Bowl hopes rest.
It is why Gutekunstâs game plan for the 2024 NFL draft is fairly apparent. He needs to do everything he can to provide LaFleur and Love the supporting cast to become a championship-caliber team.
The Packersâ defense has been addressed with Hafleyâs hire, McKinneyâs signing and all of the rest. It also will be further fortified in this weekâs draft.
That leaves the obvious answer to the No. 1 question: What will the Packers do in the draft?
Iâm going to make the not-so-bold prediction that Gutekunst trades up and selects Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton. Wherever Gutekunst determines is the break point â the pick in which Barton wonât get beyond â will be the pick he trades up to acquire.
Barton could go anywhere from 13th to 19th or even into the 20s.
Thatâs up to Gutekunst to determine and make it happen. I have the utmost confidence that heâll be able to execute the plan.
Barton (6-5, 314) is an athletic, versatile and battle-tested offensive lineman. He is able to line up at center, guard or tackle with equal aplomb. Ex-Packers offensive linemen Mike Wahle and Bryan Bulaga believe Barton is a fine interior lineman but that his future is at tackle.
âHeâs just too good to play center,â Bulaga said on a statewide radio show. âThatâs not a knock on a centerâs value. Itâs just that Bartonâs too talented not to play tackle. He could be an All-Pro tackle. Theyâre rare.â
Bulaga is right.
Gutekunst could combine his 25th and 88th picks to reach the mid-teens. Ammunition is no object. Itâs just a matter of how seriously Gutekunst is about landing Barton.
The Packersâ GM said THE reason to trade up for a player is the belief that thereâs no way to get THAT GUY anywhere else. Thatâs especially true if the Packers donât plan on drafting in the Top 10 any time soon.
There is an argument to be made for staying put at No. 25.
However, I posed this question to my Sports Line co-host, Marques Eversoll, on Tuesdayâs show:
If you could draft NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry or Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean at 25 would you do it right now? Or would you let the draft board come to you to see whoâs still available?
He said heâd wait.
So would I and the reason is Graham Barton.
If the Packers trade up for a player other than Barton it will be because they couldnât get him for whatever reason and went to Plan B which is selecting a premier left tackle.
Thatâs it. Barton, a left tackle or staying put at 25.
Gutekunstâs m-o this offseason is to be aggressive. Thatâs not going to change in the draft. Itâs going to be accentuated.
Furthermore, Iâm banking on the Packers selecting Oklahoma left tackle Jordan Morgan with the 41st pick. Again, Gutekunst may trade up from 41 to get Morgan or perhaps Oklahoma State left tackle Tyler Guyton.
Thatâs two offensive linemen with the first two picks in the draft.
The safety, off-ball linebacker and 3-technique pass rusher will have to wait, but not for long because Gutekunst is loaded for Bears, and Lions, and Vikings, and the rest of the NFC.
In this scenario, Love would be taking snaps behind an offensive line that has (left to right) Rasheed Walker and the 41st pick competing at left tackle, Elgton Jenkins at left guard, Zach Tom at center, Sean Rhyan and Josh Myers competing at right guard, and Graham Barton at right tackle.
The Packers need to protect their investment at quarterback.
This would do that to a T.
Bucks, Brewers win as
Packers finalize draft
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Bucksâ start to the postseason, much like the Brewersâ start to their regular season, was exciting and uplifting.
Both teams entered the weekend with legitimate concerns.
Could the Bucks compete with the Pacers in a playoff series despite the absence of the NBAâs best player? Could the Brewers maintain their hot start in a three-game series at NL Central rival St. Louis?
The answer to both was an unequivocal, emphatic âYes!â
The Damian Lillard-led Bucks blew out the Pacers 109-94 Sunday night in Game 1 of their first round Eastern Conference playoff series. That they did so without Giannis Antetokounmpo was a pleasant surprise.
It suggests Milwaukee can hold on until The Greek Freak returns. Giannis is listed day-to-day with a calf strain.
The red-hot Brewers blanked St. Louis 2-0 on Sunday to capture their first sweep of the Cardinals since 2018. Milwaukeeâs devastating bullpen covered 13 1/3 innings during the weekend at Busch Stadium and allowed just three hits and two runs with 13 strikeouts.
It indicates the Brewers â and their hypnotizing bullpen â have a penchant for winning games in a variety of ways. Their defense and bullpen are among baseballâs best. Add a dash of timely hitting and a pinch of headâs up base-running and itâs a recipe for success.
In addition, the Brewersâ offense has flashed plenty of power in addition to the ability to hit for average, draw walks and advance runners. Thatâs baseball code for âunselfish plate appearances.â
With those positive vibes among Bucks and Brewers fans â many of whom are Packers diehards â seldom has late-April looked so grand. Thatâs because the Packers own five of the top 91 picks entering the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night in Detroit.
Letâs start with the allegedly beleaguered Bucks. Their struggles both before and after Doc Rivers was hired have been well-Documented.
The fact is Rivers gives Milwaukee its best chance to be a factor in this postseason. The Bucks were going nowhere fast with Adrian Griffin. Now, at least, Rivers has his team playing a semblance of defense while giving Lillard, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis, Jr., great freedom to excel. Thatâs with or without Giannis on the floor.
Lillard poured in 35 first-half points as the Bucks outscored the Pacers 39-21 in the second quarter. He made 11 of 24 shots from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range, to set the tone.
Lillard capped his dynamite first half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
He didnât score a single point thereafter. He didnât need to.
âItâs a long series,â Lillard told TNT after the game. âItâs only one game out of a possible seven. Every game is going to be a different game, but I thought we did a great job of setting the tone (of) how we needed to without our best player.â
Middleton is the Bucksâ X factor.
âCash Moneyâ had 23 points and 10 rebounds â all in small, unmarked bills â to augment Lillardâs terrific performance. It is notable that Middleton scored 15 in the second half.
âI was able to knock a couple down early in the second half to help balance the game a little bit,â he said.
Meantime, Portis added 15 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.
The undersized Pacers got strong efforts from Pascal Siakam (36 points, 13 rebounds) and Myles Turner (17 and 8) but it wasnât enough to overcome their atrocious 3-point shooting.
The Pacers missed their first 14 3-point shots and finished 8-of-38 behind the arc. Indiana had a fair number of open looks, too. The Bucks canât count on Indianaâs marksmanship to be that awful on Tuesday.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle didnât mince words after the game.
âFirst half was embarrassing,â he said. âNo excuses. We simply have got to come out better.â
The Pacers will get their chance Tuesday night in Game 2 at Milwaukee.
The Bucks know itâs only going to be more difficult from here until Giannis returns, but itâs clear they have a survival plan in place.
The Brewers also are thriving despite trading Corbin Burnes in the offseason and being without the injured Brandon Woodruff.
Milwaukee (14-6) has been incredible in day games (9-2) and even more fantastic in away games (10-2) this season.
The Brewers also are tied with Atlanta at plus-35 for the third-best run differential in all of baseball. It suggests they can win slugfests as well as well-pitched, low-scoring contests.
Milwaukeeâs 2-1, 10-inning victory Friday night was the series catalyst.
Freddy Peralta (2-0) pitched six scoreless innings with two walks and seven strikeouts to set the tone. Peralta has a 1.90 earned-run average through four starts. Heâs pitched 23 2/3 innings while allowing 14 hits and five runs with four walks and 33 strikeouts.
Opposing hitters are batting .169 against Peralta, which is the second-lowest average against starters in the National League. Peralta is just behind the Padresâ Dylan Cease (.130).
Red-hot William Contreras (.354) drove in designated runner Brice Turang with the winning run in the 10th after Blake Perkinsâ single advanced him to third base.
On Sunday, Perkins and Turang singled off the Cardinalsâ Sonny Gray to open the seventh. The St. Louis right-hander had allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out 12 through six innings.
Owen Miller kept the line moving by notching his first hit of the season to drive in Turang and Perkins for a 2-0 lead. The bullpen made it stand.
Miller was called up Tuesday and snapped an eight-game hitless streak dating back to last season.
âTo get called up, get his first start and get a huge hit, that says a lot about him,â Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
The Brewersâ bottom third of the batting order â namely Perkins, Turang, Gary Sanchez, Joey Ortiz and the rest â has been awesome.
And Perkins has been a godsend while Christian Yelich remains sidelined with back issues. Yelich was hitting .333 with five home runs when he felt the soreness in his lower back last week.
Perkins has helped ease the pain, so to speak, at least for the Brewers.
He is hitting .354 (17-for-48) with three doubles, two home runs and superlative defense in the outfield. Perkinsâ home-run robbing catch of Paul Goldschmidtâs fly ball to deep-centerfield saved a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
After that Colin Rea (2-0) settled down to toss five scoreless innings.
The Brewers open a four-game set at Pittsburgh on Monday night.
To top it off, the Packers kick off the draft Thursday night. By that time, if all goes well, the Bucks will be up 2-0 heading to Indiana and the Brewers will be discussing their eight-game winning streak.
Packers trade up in 1st for Texas DT Murphy
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Itâs the most wonderful time of the year.
Itâs the NFLâs version of Christmas â the leagueâs âAnnual Player Selection Meetingâ aka the NFL Draft â and itâs just a week away.
The question is which presents, or players, will Packers GM Brian Gutekunst be unwrapping and gifting to the team and its fans?
Iâve got two scenarios that are at once reasonable and wonderful.
The first has the Packers trading up in the first round.
The second has them staying put with the 25th overall pick.
Here we go:
** No. 1 scenario â (Chime sounder indicating a trade)
The Packers send the 25th pick and the 58th pick to the Raiders for the 13th pick, the Colts for the 15th pick or the Chiefs for the 17th pick.
In return, the Packers select (in order) one of these three players âŚ
Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II would be the player Iâd consider most valuable to acquire in a trade up. Murphy is rated the No. 1 defensive tackle in the entire draft.
Murphy (6-1, 297) ran a 4.87 40-yard dash, showed a vertical leap of 33 inches and bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times.
NFL.comâs Lance Zierlein writes:
âMuscular ball of explosiveness with the tools and talent to become a productive three-down defender in the right scheme ⌠Twitchy first-step quickness combined with flexion and power in his lower half to create a recipe for disruption as a gap shooter or as a pass rusher ⌠Murphy is well-schooled at taking on double-teams but lacks ideal mass and length for that role long-term ⌠Murphy is ascending and could become a successful nose tackle or 3-technique in an even front (thatâs Hafleyâs scheme).â
Murphy is relentless with quick-strike hands and an elite combination of strength, balance and flexible power in his lower half.
Kenny Clark and T.J. Slaton are working on one-year contracts.
A disruptive interior pass rusher would give new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley immediate help this season and insurance should Clark and/or Slaton move on.
If itâs not Murphy II then who do the Packers take?
Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton would be my No. 2 choice in a trade to move up in the first round.
Barton (6-5, 313) is a versatile, talented and smart player whose overviews almost always comment on what a pleasure it is to watch him play. Here is Zierleinâs review:
âWatching Bartonâs tape is a pleasurable experience in an offensive line evaluation, as his tenacity and know-how are on full display throughout. Thought he played at a high level at left tackle, center will likely be his NFL home. Barton is an explosive drive blocker with the body control and leg drive to keep his opponents centered and to finish the job âŚâ
Barton could step in and battle Sean Rhyan for the job at right guard on Day One and eventually replace Josh Myers at center. He also could handle right tackle and allow Zach Tom to move to center.
Either way, Barton would be beyond useful as soon as he arrived in Green Bay.
If itâs not Barton then who do the Packers take?
Thatâs easy. If Murphy and Barton arenât available and the Packers still trade up itâll be for a cornerback. Either Alabamaâs Terrion Arnold or Toledoâs Quincy Mitchell would do quite nicely here.
Iâve got to believe Arnold will be selected in the Top 13 or thereabouts. That may be too rich for the Packersâ blood, especially if they have such a sensational alternative as Mitchell.
Toledoâs Mitchell (6-0, 195) is an athletic freak who also possesses great football instincts. Mitchell posted an NBA-like 38-inch vertical jump, ran a 4.33 40 and bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times.
Zierlein writes:
âMitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot. Heâs built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback ⌠Mitchell can play in a variety of coverages and was the clear-cut top cornerback at the Senior Bowl when working against the top receivers in practice âŚâ
Mitchell would be a dynamic defensive addition.
** No. 2 scenario (Chime sounder indicating the Packersâ pick is in)
The Packers would be fortunate beyond belief if Barton lands in their laps at 25. Itâs possible if for no other reason than teams make mistakes in every draft, and teams passing on Barton would benefit Green Bay.
If thatâs not the case, the Packers will look to snag Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry or Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
McKinstry is a ball-hawking, play-making corner who would be a terrific bookend for Jaire Alexander.
Zierlein writes:
âMcKinstry was a three-year starter and former five-star prospect with a quirky name and consistent game ⌠He is patient and well-groomed in matching the outside release and riding the inside release from press (coverage) ⌠Heâs confident enough to handle business on an island and is able to stay in phase as the route travels vertically ⌠Heâs not overly fast but does play with plus acceleration to close out crossing routes or make aggressive plays on the catch point âŚâ
McKinstry is smart and an outstanding communicator.
So if it isnât McKinstry at 25 then what do they do?
Again, itâs fairly evident: They take the best offensive tackle on their board. In this scenario that would be Oklahomaâs Tyler Guyton.
Guyton (6-8, 322) is an athletic monster. He posted a 34 ½ inch vertical leap at 322 pounds. Thatâs a lot of weight to lift that high off the ground.
Zierleinâs overview:
âAscending tackle prospect with the traits and tape to project a bright future as a high-level pass protector ⌠Guyton has battled injuries and had limited reps after coming from TCU after the 2021 season, but his flashes have been complemented by increasing consistency ⌠He plays with a high center of gravity and needs to get stronger, but leveraged hand strikes can help overcome those concerns ⌠He should improve as a run blocker but he may never be great in that area. His value comes with his pass protection, as he has the length, feet and body control to become a human roadblock.â
The Packers also have excellent options beyond the first round even if they trade the 58th pick to move up. They would still have the 41st, 88th and 91st picks which add up to four players in the first three rounds.
In the âtrade upâ scenario they could get Murphy, the stud defensive tackle, at 13 through 17.
Then they could add Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan with the 41st pick and still have enough ammunition to select one or two of the following marquee players:
Texas A&M inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, Utah safety Cole Bishop, Oregon interior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson or Michigan inside linebacker Junior Colson with any combination of the 88th, 91st and 126th picks to manipulate the draft board.
Regardless what happens, Gutekunst will be able to look his coaches, players and fans in the eye and say, âMerry Christmas!â
Brewers win Oâs series
but lose Sunday finale
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The old saying says, âTwo out of three ainât bad.â
That is true for the Brewers, who would have loved to be the first team since May of 2022 to sweep the Baltimore Orioles, but instead will be pleased to win a road series against one of baseballâs best just the same.
The Oriolesâ MLB record of 96 straight series without being swept was put to the test by Milwaukee, which won the first two games and took a one-run lead into the seventh Sunday before losing 6-4 in the finale.
Milwaukee (10-4) pushed across three runs in five innings against former ace Corbin Burnes, but couldnât seal the deal as Abner Uribe surrendered two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Oâs tacked on an insurance run with Colton Cowserâs solo home run in the eighth.
Burnes needed 98 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Yennier Cano (2-1) got the win in relief and Craig Kimbrel earned the save.
Burnes didnât have his best stuff, and the Brewers battled at the plate, but it was Milwaukeeâs vaunted bullpen that let them down.
Nevertheless, facing Burnes is always a tremendous challenge.
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy said as much in his postgame interview.
âWhenever youâre facing a No. 1, youâre trying to do everything you can to pester him to get him off his game,â Murphy said. âI donât know if we did that. He made some big pitches at some big times and gave his team a chance to win.â
William Contreras led off with a solo home run in the top of the first to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. Blake Perkins had three hits and also homered, and Willy Adames added two hits, but the Brewers were a disastrous 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
That conspired to snap the Brewersâ four-game winning streak.
On Friday afternoon, Burnes made the rounds in the visitorâs clubhouse to say hello to his former teammates and coaches.
âEverybody wanted a piece of him,â Murphy said, âTo wish him luck (going forward).â
Burnes was asked to explain his approach to facing the Brewers.
âItâs friends that I played with in the past and theyâre former teammates,and itâs the word âformerâ for a reason,â he said. âIâm here to win baseball games for the Baltimore Orioles and win a World Series for the Baltimore Orioles. Iâm as frustrated as anyone else in here that we got our butt kicked (Saturday).â
Actually, the Brewers kicked the Oâs butts on Friday and Saturday.
The Brewers won the opener 11-1 and Saturdayâs game 11-5.
Brewers ace Freddy Peralta (2-0) started Friday nightâs game and allowed a run on five hits. He struck out 11 without issuing a walk while lowering his ERA to a tidy 2.55 through three starts.
Adames backed Peralta with three hits, including a home run, while Gary Sanchez and Contreras also homered. Ex-Orioles infielder Joey Ortiz had three hits, including his first big-league triple.
Friday nightâs game also was the first matchup between 20-year-olds Jackson Holliday of the Orioles and Jackson Chourio of the Brewers. Chourio went 0-for-6 and Holliday was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
The Brewersâ worst news of the series came in the opener when red-hot Christian Yelich singled in the top of the first before exiting with lower back discomfort. The Brewers have since called up outfielder Joey Wiemer, which suggests Yelich is headed for a stint on IL.
Fortunately for the Brewers, Perkins also is swinging a red-hot bat. The left-handed hitting Perkins is 10-for-26 (.385) with two home runs, five RBI and two stolen bases. He also is an excellent defensive outfielder.
On Saturday, left-hander DL Hall â who was acquired in the Burnes trade â started and lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
Elvis Peguero (3-0) got the win in relief.
The Brewersâ Rhys Hoskins belted a solo home run, and Jake Bauers picked up an RBI on a fielderâs choice groundout.
Sal Frelick had a run-scoring double and Adames drove in two more with a double.
Milwaukeeâs statistics are impressive through 14 games.
The Brewersâ anemic offense of 2023 is nowhere to be found.
Milwaukee ranks second in home runs (23) and batting average (.290) in the National League. Their 91 runs and 21 steals rank third in the NL.
The Brewers have seven players hitting above .300. They are Perkins (.385), Contreras (.375), Bryce Turang (.362), Yelich (.333), Ortiz (.323), Adames (.310) and Frelick (.308).
Milwaukeeâs 3.85 ERA is fourth in the NL. They have walked just 35 batters (fewest in the majors) while allowing 113 hits (tops in the NL).
Obviously itâs impossible to sustain these numbers through 162 games, but itâs better than in the past when slow starts were business as usual.
The first-place Brewers host the San Diego Padres in a three-game series beginning Monday night at American Family Field. The first pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. with Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-2, 6.87) facing Brewersâ right-hander Joe Ross (1-0, 1.80). On Tuesday it will be righty Dylan Cease (1-1, 2.16) squaring off against lefty Wade Miley (0-0, 2.25). The Padres will send right-hander Michael King to the mound for Wednesdayâs âgetaway game,â set for 12:10. The Brewers havenât named a starter for Wednesdayâs game.
Packersâ draft needs mandate OL, then âDâ
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers got it right by drafting Jordan Love and developing him into what many believe is a franchise quarterback.
Itâs the most valuable asset in the NFL. Itâs what every team covets.
Now itâs time for the Packers to protect their investment.
That means selecting an offensive tackle and a guard/center with two of their six picks in the first four rounds.
The question then becomes âwhoâ and âwhen.â
With only an educated guess at which players will be available when the Packers are on the clock with the 25th pick, itâs nearly impossible to say exactly which offensive tackle they will draft in the first round.
But rest assured it will be a tackle they believe can protect Love.
Will Packersâ GM Brian Gutekunst sleep better after Day One of the draft if he lands Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean at 25? Or if he selects the Packersâ left tackle of the future?
The answer is easy: Itâs the left tackle.
Look at it this way: What is the point of building a top-notch defense if the quarterback doesnât have enough time to do his thing? Ask the New York Jets how life is with a terrific defense and a terrible offense.
It used to be said that offense puts fans in the stands, but defense wins championships. That old adage doesnât hold true any longer.
There are two reasons Kansas City has been the NFLâs dominant team. They have a terrific quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and a wise head coach in Andy Reid who never forgets it and proceeds accordingly.
The Packersâ offensive line was living on the edge last season. That they had time-share arrangements at left tackle (Rasheed Walker and Yosh Nijman) and right guard (Jon Runyan and Sean Rhyan) says a mouthful.
They were one injury away from disaster even after Walker won the job at left tackle and the whole time the Runyan-Rhyan co-op played out.
That has to change beginning with Day One of the NFL draft which is slated for Thursday, April 25.
Strong cases could be made for drafting defense. Who doesnât desire a shutdown cornerback such as Kool-Aid McKinstry? How wonderful it would be to have a dynamic off-ball linebacker such as Payton Wilson.
Iâve even seen edge rushers mocked to the Packers because they were âjust too goodâ to pass up.
Iâm not buying those scenarios because they donât track with Gutekunstâs actions this offseason. He signed free-agent safety Xavier McKinney to direct coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs defense. He re-signed Keisean Nixon to provide a solid option at nickel cornerback.
He filled critical needs swiftly and aggressively.
No need is more critical than offensive line and no single defensive player is such a surefire Hall of Famer that they canât pass him up.
Thatâs what four of the Packersâ next five picks are for.
Green Bay needs to find a lockdown left tackle and a strong interior offensive lineman in the first four rounds. If that happens theyâll have created competition in training camp and an O-line thatâs seven deep.
Gutekunst may have to trade up in the first round to get his tackle, which I suspect heâs more than willing to do if he finds the right trade partner. If not heâll sit at 25 and watch, wait and pounce on a left tackle.
Walker is a decent starting left tackle who would be an excellent swing tackle. Rhyan still has a lot to prove and heâll earn whatever he gets, but heâs hardly a lock at right guard.
Center Josh Myers had a strong second half of last season, but heâs in the final year of his contract and needs to replaced, rather than resigned.
An interior offensive lineman who can line up at guard or center would be an ideal fit for 2024 and beyond.
Thatâs why two of the top six picks need to be offensive linemen.
After that itâs defense, defense and more defense.
Common sense suggests the Packers will draft at least one defender at every level within the first four rounds.
That means a pass-rushing defensive tackle to pair with Kenny Clark, an off-ball linebacker to pair with Quay Walker and two defensive backs.
Ideally, one defensive back would be a safety to learn under McKinney and the other would be a cornerback to compete with Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes opposite Jaire Alexander.
Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall, Jr. is a slick interior pass rusher who could join Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks on passing downs.
Texas A&M inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper would be a great fit next to Walker. He has great range as a run defender ala Walker and he doesnât have to come off the field in nickel and dime defenses.
In Hafleyâs 4-2-5 alignment both Hall and Cooper would be nice fits.
Georgia safety Javon Bullard is also in the mix. Bullard is a bit undersized at 5-11, 198, but Hafley made it clear he prefers playmakers to workout warriors.
Between now and April 25th there will be a lot of talk about the Packers drafting a cornerback, a linebacker or a safety with the 25th pick.
It would be foolish to rule out anything, but it would be even more foolish to overthink it.
The Packersâ No. 1 priority is protecting Love and making sure that head coach Matt LaFleurâs offense has what it needs to rank among the best.
Hafley already got his Christmas wish list filled. He got McKinney. I suspect heâll be just fine working with four rookies that were talented enough to be selected among the top 126 players in college football.
I also suspect Hafley â like all defensive coordinators â is more than OK with playing with the lead.
UConn rolls Purdue to
win back-to-back titles
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Purdueâs Zach Edey hoped the zenith of his incredible college career would be a national title in his final game.
The 7-foot-4 consensus âPlayer of the Yearâ didnât get his storybook ending as mighty UConn rolled the Boilermakers 75-60 Monday night to capture back-to-back national championships.
Either way, it was a win-win for Wisconsin and the rest of the Big Ten.
If Purdue wouldâve carried the conference mantle to the stage for the trophy presentation it wouldâve been terrific for the league. If not, well, in Edeyâs case parting isnât sweet sorrow.
Itâs just sweet, period, because Edey was that good.
Unfortunately for Purdue, UConn coach Dan Hurleyâs Huskies were that much better than the Boilermakers. In fact, they were that much better than everyone they played during a marvelous two-year run.
UConn capped its season by winning a 12th straight NCAA Tournament game by double-digits. They did it in last seasonâs march to the title and they repeated it again this season.
âTo win by double digits these past two years, itâs just a tribute to our culture here,â UConnâs Alex Karaban said. âWeâre never satisfied. Weâre always hungry. Weâre always going to go on runs and weâre always going to continue to play hard to where weâre going to break the other team. No team practices like us, no team goes as hard as us. It showed in the second half.â
The Huskies outscored the Boilermakers 39-30 in the second half. Purdue moved to within seven points when Camden Heideâs emphatic slam dunk made it 41-34 with 16:41 to play.
After that it was all UConn. Purdue never got any closer.
In fact, you can count on one hand the number of minutes UConn trailed during the entire tournament. This UConn team ranks among the greatest in college basketball history.
âWhat could you say?â Hurley said. âWe won â by a lot again.â
Hurley isnât the self-deprecating, golly-gee-whiz kind of coach who steers clear of any brash, bold statements. Hurleyâs Huskies are epically good and he isnât afraid to say it.
âI think itâs up there in terms of the greatest two-year runs that a program maybe has ever had,â Hurley said. âI just think itâs the best two-year run in a very, very long time just because of everything we lost from last yearâs team. To lose that much, and again, to do what we did again, itâs got to be as impressive a two-year run as a programâs had since prior to whoever did it before Duke.
âTo me, itâs more impressive than what Florida and Duke did because they brought back entire teams. We lost some major players.â
Not that anyone was crying for UConn.
Donovan Clingan, the Huskieâs 7-2 center, is merely the second-best big man in the nation and has a chance to be pretty good at the next level. Clingan scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Karaban is a complete, smooth 6-8 player who totaled five points, six rebounds and four assists Monday night.
Tristan Newton, an El Paso, Texas, native and ex-Packer Aaron Jonesâ cousin, is merely a back-to-back national champion and the 2024 âMost Outstanding Playerâ in the title game. Newton had 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists to win the award.
Stephon Castle added 15 points and five rebounds after scoring 21 points in UConnâs victory over Alabama in the semifinals.
Early on it appeared the Boilermakers might be able to hang with UConn. Edey scored 14 points out of the gate and Purdue led with eight minutes to play in the first half.
After that it was all UConn.
Edey made just one field goal in the next 14:28 as UConn flipped the script by turning a 2-point deficit into a 9-point lead.
Edeyâs 37 points is the most scored by a player on the national title gameâs losing team.
He went 15 of 25 from the field and 7-of-10 at the line. He had 10 rebounds but ZERO assists. The Huskies did a tremendous job of disguising double teams, coming at Edey from different directions and covering up on the 3-point line so he couldnât kick it out.
The fact that Edey didnât have an assist illustrates how difficult UConnâs big guard line made it on Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and the rest.
Now, Purdue is left to celebrate Edeyâs illustrious career while the rest of the Big Ten is celebrating his exit after four long years.
** South Carolina-Iowa womenâs NCAA championship a ratings bonanza for good reason
The first half of the South Carolina-Iowa womenâs NCAA championship game was the best 20 minutes of basketball Iâve seen all season.
The Gamecocks prevailed 87-75 over Iowa in a fast-paced game that showcased just how impressive the womenâs game has become.
The TV ratings make the point.
The South Carolina-Iowa game drew 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN. It tipped at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Clearly, viewers planned their day around watching Cordoso, Clark and the rest.
It was the most watched basketball game since 2019 when Virginia coach Tony Bennettâs Cavaliers defeated Texas Tech in front of 19.6 million viewers.
Itâs possible the womenâs title game will exceed the menâs title game in viewership for the first time in history.
As an aside, the 2015 Final Four game between Wisconsin and Kentucky on TBS is the only college basketball game on cable to draw more than 18.7 million. The Badgers-Wildcats game drew 22.6 million.
It shows how many diehard Badgers and Wildcats fans there are around the country. It also speaks to the terrific show that South Carolina and Iowa put on display.
South Carolinaâs Kamilla Cordoso scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Gamecocks. The 6-foot-7 center displayed tremendous agility, defensive ability and dominance around the basket.
On the other side, Iowaâs legendary Caitlin Clark didnât disappoint. The closest thing to Steph Curry in the womenâs game scored 30 points on 5-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
Clarkâs unlimited range, clever passing and amazing leadership provides the template for what the womenâs game is all about.
Both Cordoso and Clark are terrific role models for all young players â both boys and girls â in terms of illustrating how a tremendous work ethic, patience and a commitment to teamwork pay off.
Like the old TV commercial said, âYouâve come a long way, baby!â
Bullpen fails Brewers
as Twins salvage split
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewersâ two-game home stand perfectly illustrated the way timely hitting, great defense and a bullish bullpen â in concert with decent starting pitching â can win big league games.
It also revealed the Brewersâ ultra-thin margin for error if any one of those elements â especially their top-notch bullpen â falters.
That was the case Wednesday when Milwaukee took a one-run lead into the seventh inning only to see the Twins erase it with a five-run uprising. That it came against Joel Payamps and Bryce Wilson â two of the teamâs most reliable relievers â was all the more unsettling.
There are going to be ups like the Brewersâ 3-2 opening day victory over the Twins. The Brewers were 29-18 in one-run games last season. They need to continue that into this season.
And there are going to be downs such as the 7-3 loss Wednesday. It was shaping up to be a one-run win until the dust settled in the seventh.
The key takeaway is that there is a lot of reason to be optimistic just five games into Milwaukeeâs 162-game marathon. No one doubts itâll be a tremendous challenge to compete in the NL Central, but the reigning division champs have shown they intend to be a factor.
Thatâs because the Brewers (4-1) are getting plenty of positive answers to key questions early on. Here are the top five reasons to be excited:
** No. 1 â Jackson Chourio looks like the real deal.
The 20-year-old rookie has displayed a lightning-quick bat, the ability to go to the opposite field with power and all the tools necessary to be a top-notch defensive outfielder.
Chourioâs first big-league home run gave the Brewers a 3-1 lead through five innings on Wednesday. He crushed a 1-1 pitch into right-center to become the Brewersâ youngest player to hit a home run since Gary Sheffield, at 19, did it in 1988.
âI think off the bat I knew it was gone there,â he said via an interpreter. â(I give) thanks to God for being able to put a good swing on it.â
Brewersâ manager Pat Murphy has been suitably impressed.
âDay by day you notice more and more that Jackson belongs in the big leagues,â he said Wednesday.
Chourio is 7-for-20 (.350) with a double, a home run, four RBI and a stolen base. He has one walk to six strikeouts in 21 plate appearances. He needs to reduce his strikeout ratio from once every three at-bats, otherwise he hasnât looked overmatched at any point.
Chourio is the youngest player in Major League Baseball. The Brewers signed him to an eight-year, $82 million contract this offseason.
Brewersâ owner Mark Attanasio said it was a good business decision.
âItâs hard for us to compete in the free agent market,â he said. âHere we can have a guy who can be homegrown, whose story the fans can follow for at a minimum of eight years. I think thereâs a value to that.â
Chourio was asked how he blocks out the hype.
âThe organization has treated me incredibly, ever since before I signed the contract,â he said. âSo, you know, ever since after signing ⌠Really? Now itâs just time to demonstrate my abilities and go out there, perform.â
So far heâs done exactly that while exceeding massive expectations.
** No. 2 â Rhys Hoskins is exactly what you picture when thinking about a smooth-fielding, power-hitting first baseman with attitude.
Hoskins is 5-for-17 (.294) with two home runs and five RBI. He took the Metsâ best shot last weekend and made them pay. He and Jake Bauers appear to have first base locked down for the season.
** No. 3 â The defense has been every bit as spectacular as billed.
When Milwaukee deploys Joey Ortiz at third base, Willy Adames at shortstop and Brice Turang at second base they are essentially playing with a trio of Gold Glove shortstops.
Ortiz made a play that was extraordinary on Wednesday. He fielded a slow roller to third and nailed the runner at first thanks to a lightning-quick glove-hand exchange and strong, accurate throw. The initial call was safe at first, but after replay it was corrected. Even the first base umpire couldnât believe that Ortiz made the play.
William Contreras is an All-Star catcher and the outfield is blessed with speedy defenders left to right.
The Brewersâ pitching staff should count its blessings.
** No. 4 â The starting pitchers have gotten off to a decent start.
In 22.2 innings theyâve allowed 17 hits, five runs and two home runs. The starters have 11 walks â a number that has to drop â while racking up 18 strikeouts.
Staff ace Freddy Peralta is the only starter with enough stuff to be able to offset walks with strikeouts.
The Brewersâ starters have a combined 1.98 ERA thus far.
Left-hander DL Hallâs performance is critical to the staffâs success. He has the stuff to be occasionally overpowering and routinely effectively. Hall would be the perfect complement to Peralta while Jakob Junis, Joe Ross and the rest get stretched out.
Wade Mileyâs return canât come soon enough.
** No. 5 â The bullpen is going to be stressed to the maximum until the aforementioned Junis, Ross and the others get stretched out.
Right now Murphy is hoping for five innings from anyone not named Peralta. Thatâs 15 outs. With Milwaukeeâs defense and bullpen that would be enough to give the Brewers a chance to win most games.
The relievers, led by flame-throwing Abner Uribe, have four saves. Theyâve gone 22.1 innings while allowing 12 runs (11 earned) with six walks and 19 strikeouts. The bullpen also has surrendered three homers.
Nevertheless, once Trevor McGill returns from a concussion that occurred when he feinted from food poisoning, fell and hit his head.
Payamps and Wilson both are expected to rebound from their subpar outings Wednesday. Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero and Bryan Hudson also will factor in heavily.
Murphy said the evaluation process is continuing even as the season begins. Expect Milwaukee to look for starting pitching from its own minor league system as July rolls into August.
For now, the Brewers need their bullpen to hang in there and either close out leads or keep games close enough to rally.
âThe first weekend had a lot of good parts to it,â Murphy said. âA lot of not so good, too. So what weâre evaluating, what weâre going by, weâre still developing our personality.â
Christian Yelich, who is hitting the cover off the baseball, has two home runs and a lot of confidence in his team.
âI think our expectation is always to win,â he said. âI think thatâs been pretty evident over the years. Weâve had a lot of talent come through the room and a lot of successful teams, but each year has been its own year.â
This year, he believes, also will be a success.
The promising start suggests Yelich could be right.
Brewers sweep Mets,
home opener Tuesday
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewersâ offseason losses included two of baseballâs top starting pitchers and one of the gameâs premier closers.
In addition, they also lost the winningest manager in franchise history.
Nevertheless, the Brewersâ brass still insisted they would compete to repeat as the NL Central Division champs even without Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Devin Williams and Craig Counsell.
Many Brewersâ fans werenât buying it.
Then a funny thing happened on their 162-game mope toward last place: The Brewers provided light where there was darkness in a single series.
Milwaukeeâs three-game sweep of the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, N.Y., on Easter weekend served notice to the rest of the National League.
The Brewers arenât going down without a fight. In other words, they still plan to play outstanding defense in support of quality starting pitching and the gameâs No. 1 bullpen.
Hereâs the best part: They appear better equipped to string together quality at-bats, bunt effectively and hit to the opposite field. They also steal bases, move baserunners and hit for enough power to be dangerous.
The Brewersâ tidy 4-1 victory in Sundayâs series finale capped the teamâs first opening-season sweep since 2018.
Right-hander Colin Rea (1-0) allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out two over five innings. Milwaukeeâs starters allowed just four runs over 15 innings in the three-game series.
In fact, Milwaukee (3-0) outhit, outpitched and out-defended the overmatched Mets (0-3) in each of their three wins.
Shortstop Willy Adames said the Brewers know what theyâre capable of. Now that vision is starting to take shape in the minds of their fans.
âWeâre just making a statement,â Adames said after the series. âWe’re making a statement that weâre going to compete this year.â
A rainout moved Opening Day from Thursday to Friday, but the Brewers didnât appear inconvenienced in the least. They rode Freddy Peraltaâs six-inning one-hitter to a 3-1 victory to kick off the weekend.
On Saturday, left-handed starter DL Hall gave them four decent innings and the Brewersâ bats did the rest to capture a 7-6 slugfest.
âThere are a lot of people saying we donât have it this year,â Adames continued. âAfter this series, I think the guys ⌠they know that we can make it happen.â
Adames, one of the teamâs emotional leaders, added: âWeâre going to come every day with the right energy, and weâre just going to try to win today. Weâll worry about tomorrow ⌠tomorrow. Thatâs going to be the mentality this whole year.â
On Friday, Peralta tossed the 42rd one-hitter against the Mets in their history. He walked one, struck out eight and was dominant throughout. He retired the first four hitters before Starling Marte belted a line-drive home run in the bottom of the second inning.
Peralta was untouchable after that.
Then Trevor McGill, Joel Payamps and Abner Uribe combined for three scoreless, hitless innings to close it out.
Christian Yelich had three hits, including a home run in the fourth, to tie it at 1-1. William Contrerasâ sacrifice fly in the fifth put the Brewers up 2-1 and rookie Jackson Chourio added an RBI groundout in the seventh.
Chourio, who signed an eight-year, $82 million contract in the offseason, batted leadoff in the opener and had a single, a walk and a stolen base. He is the youngest player to bat leadoff in his Major League debut since Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr was 19 years, 13 days in 1937.
Chourio, who is 20 years, 18 days, looked like a big-time big leaguer.
He went 5-for-12 (.417) with one walk and three strikeouts. Not once did he appear overmatched by big league pitching.
Newcomer Rhys Hoskins was 3-for-11 with a home run, four RBIs and mega-attitude. The slugging first baseman appears to be exactly what the Brewers needed in the heart of their lineup.
All-Star catcher William Contreras was 5-for-13 with two doubles, Adames was 4-for-12 with a double and Yelich finished the series going 5-for-11 (.455) with three runs scored and the home run.
âWhat I liked about this series was just how hard everybody played,â Yelich said. âWe played aggressive. Guys were making things happen. Thatâs what weâre going to have to do this year. The thing I took away from these three days was the way everybody competed, on all sides of the ball.â
The Brewersâ pitchers allowed 20 hits over 27 innings while yielding eight runs (a 2.67 ERA) and six walks with 23 strikeouts.
Uribe notched a pair of saves and looks like the full-time closer until further notice, or Williamsâ return, whichever comes first.
Hall, the lefty acquired from the Orioles in the Burnes trade, was effective in Saturdayâs start. Hall allowed two runs on six hits and a pair of walks while striking out one in four innings. Elvis Peguero (1-0) earned the win by tossing two perfect innings in relief of Hall.
Murphy, who replaced Counsell as the Brewersâ manager, liked what he saw from his team during the weekend.
âTheyâre game to compete,â he said. âWe stayed on it for nine innings (Sunday). I hope they understand that if they play all nine, it doesnât always matter how much experience you have, and it doesnât always matter if thereâs some pretty great players over there on the other side. It doesnât always matter. They can go ahead and compete with anyone.â
On Tuesday, the Brewers will get to compete against the visiting Minnesota Twins (2-1) who won two of three at Kansas City.
Right-hander Jakob Junis will start for Milwaukee. Heâll face the Twinsâ right-hander Louie Varland. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. at American Family Field.
Packers built to win,
Brewers open Friday
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The holes are few. The needs are obvious. And the roster is the NFLâs youngest for a second straight season, but it has an abundance of talent and meaningful playoff experience throughout.
In other words, the Packers are in a terrific place right now.
Those facts afford Packers GM Brian Gutekunst the flexibility to tie up a few loose ends going into this season while stockpiling assets at several positions to guard against unforeseen consequences.
With the NFL draft less than a month away, and a handful of second-tier free agents still available, the Packers are built to win now. To hear Gutekunst tell it they are operating on a three-year window.
The idea is to win this season while resisting the urge to go âall inâ even deeper than they already have. Itâs why they elected to let Aaron Jones leave, rather than have his contract hinder the salary cap next season.
Itâs why they also may pass on signing a second veteran safety to pair with Xavier McKinney, who commanded a four-year, $68 million deal, at free agencyâs outset. Julian Blackmon, the former Colts safety, is still available and would be a tremendous running mate next to McKinney.
But if it means shrinking the 2025 salary cap the Packers may not bite.
The wonderful thing is they have the flexibility to go either way without significantly compromising their success this season or next.
The difference between Jones and Blackmon is that former is nearing the end of his prime while the latter is just entering it.
At any rate, Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur both made it apparent that they donât just like where their team is headed.
They love it.
Running back Josh Jacobs, corner/return specialist Keisean Nixon and McKinney are all in the prime of their careers. In fact, Gutekunst said as much earlier this week at the NFLâs annual league meetings.
Gutekunst said the Packers scouted Alabamaâs McKinney heavily leading up to the 2020 NFL draft. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety is only 24 but with four years of playing in the league at a high level.
McKinney has 279 tackles, 27 passes defended and nine interceptions in 49 games (46 starts).
The Packersâ due diligence frequently amounts to nothing of substance. But in McKinneyâs case it made signing him a no-brainer.
âWe had a number of players where we said, if these guys do become available, I think we have to consider bringing them and trying to acquire them,â Gutekunst said. âA lot of those players, before we got to the actual date, were gone by that time, either re-signed or franchised and things like that and (McKinney) wasnât, so we aggressively pursued it. Weâre just really excited. His next three years should be the best football he plays in our mind and weâre excited about that.â
Itâs a similar case with Jacobs, the former Raiders running back who is just one season removed from being the NFLâs leading rusher.
The Packers wanted Jones to return but at a price that wouldnât compromise the 2025 cap. That didnât work out.
Meantime, Jacobs became available and the Packers pounced.
Jacobs, 26, is four years younger, 20 pounds heavier and presumably more durable than Jones. He also is adept at catching screens and check-downs out of the backfield in addition to being capable at blitz pickup.
Gutekunst had a difficult decision. He couldâve kept Jones and prayed for the running backâs good health. He couldâve kept Jones AND Jacobs and it mightâve been a dynamic one-two punch ⌠or not. That also wouldâve meant putting pressure on the cap next season.
So Gutekunst made the shrewd, difficult but necessary decision to move on from Jones and go with Jacobs.
âUp until that Monday, you donât really have an idea of whether (free agents) are going to be re-signed or if they were tagged,â he said. âWe never take anything off the table, even with Aaron. But once we got into Monday afternoon and realized there was an opportunity to sign a player like Josh that was something I didnât feel we could pass up.â
Gutekunst made the right call.
He also mentioned Jacobsâ youth despite plenty of NFL experience. In five seasons â two fewer than Jones â he has more carries. He also is more accomplished in short yardage and near the goal line, and he has a reputation for wearing down defenses during the course of a game.
Believe it or not itâs an upgrade.
Nixon, who turns 27 in June, was a player the Packers targeted as one they dearly wanted back.
âWeâre excited for what he can do for our defense,â Gutekunst said. âI think bringing in (defensive coordinator) Jeff Hafley and giving him some time to study Keisean and make sure that that was a fit was important. Heâs very excited to have him back as well.â
Nixon played 809 regular-season snaps as the nickel cornerback. He worked mostly in the slot and apparently impressed Hafley.
Nixon, a willing tackler, had 80 tackles and six passes defended while corralling his first NFL interception against the Chiefs.
Nixon also is the NFLâs two-time All-Pro kick return specialist.
The NFLâs new return-friendly kickoff rules should also benefit Nixon, but he was paid $18 million to do more than return kicks.
âI certainly feel really good about Keisean and what he did as a first-year (starter) with that many snaps in the nickel and where heâs headed,â Gutekunst said. âHaving some stability there is something that gives me some peace.â
In other news, the Packers are working on a long-term contract extension for quarterback Jordan Love. It may take some time, according to Gutekunst, but itâll get done.
They also reloaded by signing running back A.J. Dillon, linebackers Kristian Welch and Eric Wilson, and tight end Tyler Davis.
Indeed, the Packers are built to win ⌠and now.
** BREWERS SEASON-OPENER POSTPONED
The Brewers and Mets bowed to Mother Natureâs will and moved their Major League Baseball season opener to Friday.
Right-hander Freddy Peralta will start for Milwaukee against the Metsâ left-hander, Jose Quintana.
The highly anticipated debut of rookie Jackson Chourio will happen Friday when he starts in right field, according to manager Pat Murphy.
Also, impressive left-hander DL Hall will start on Saturday with veteran right-hander Colin Rea pitching in Sundayâs series finale.
Wisconsin flames out,
Marquette moves on
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The best version of the Wisconsinâs menâs basketball team rolled through the Big Ten Conference Tournament before bowing to Illinois in the championship game.
Unfortunately, Wisconsinâs worst version showed up for its NCAA Tournament first-round matchup with James Madison.
The outcome was predictable.
The Badgers (22-14) were scarcely competitive in a disheartening 72-61 loss to the Dukes (32-4) on Friday night in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Dukes extended their winning streak to 14 before being blown out by Duke 93-55 in Sundayâs second-round matchup.
Meantime, Wisconsin was still trying to figure out what hit them.
Wisconsin never led and really never
The Dukesâ Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points and was every bit as good as advertised. The silky smooth 6-6, 190-pounder knifed his way into the creases of Wisconsinâs defense â calling the gaps âcreasesâ is being kind â and was able to score, draw a foul or make an assist.
T.J. Bickerstaff and Julien Wooden scored 12 points each and Michael Green III added 11 as the Dukes advanced past the first round for the first time since 1983.
âIâm proud of them, but not surprised,â James Madison coach Mark Byington said of the Dukes. âThese guys compete. We kind of heard things about our schedule not being tough and who we are. And we knew we belonged. We know weâre good. We know we can compete and they showed that today from start to finish.â
The Badgers became the most recent victim of the dreaded â5-12â curse.
A No. 12 seed has upset a No. 5 seed in 33 of 39 tournaments since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
It is said âmisery loves company.â If thatâs true the Badgers werenât alone for long as Grand Canyon knocked out 19th-ranked Saint Maryâs 75-66 later on Friday night.
Max Klesmit hit 5 3-pointers in the second half while scoring all 18 of his team-high points after intermission. A.J. Storr had 13 points and Steven Crowl added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Wisconsin hasnât advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2016-17.
âThe (Dukes) are even more impressive in person than they were on film,â UW coach Greg Gard said. âAnd I was really impressed with them on film. I though their pressure bothered us, specifically in the first half, obviously, with 13 turnovers.
âThey really got after us and we didnât handle it exceptionally well. And when we did, we werenât able to finish at times around the rim and missed some easy shots.â
James Madison blitzed Wisconsin from the start.
The Dukes opened the game on an 18-5 run with seven players scoring in the tone-setting stretch. It didnât get much better for the Badgers as JMU led by as many as 17 before settling for a 33-20 lead at the half.
Wisconsinâs 20 first-half points was its fewest all season. The Badgers also committed 13 turnovers in the half, again a season high.
James Madison had 14 steals and four blocked shots. The Dukes made 23 field goals on 12 assists and out-rebounded the taller Badgers 35-33.
âPlaying with momentum (is a) really big deal in this tournament, at this time of March,â Klesmit said. âWe kind of saw how it played against us early in the first half. Obviously cutting it down to three or four would have helped us out big time, got the crowd back into it.â
Obviously, that never came to pass.
Meantime, Marquetteâs Golden Eagles advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in three seasons under head coach Shaka Smart.
Marquette fought off a pesky Colorado team for an impressive 81-77 victory on Sunday to advance.
Tyler Kolek scored 21 points and dished out 11 assists and David Joplin made a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds to play to seal the win.
The No. 2 seeded Golden Eagles (27-9) played terrific offense but had difficulty slowing down the explosive Buffaloes (26-11). Marquetteâs victory over Colorado helps wash away the bad taste of last yearâs upset loss to No. 10 seed Michigan State.
âWeâve had some adversity,â Smart said. âBut the guys have never wavered in terms of their belief in our playing and our way and they stayed connected with one another.
âAnd I think that won us the game.â
Joplin had 14 points to back Kam Jones, who scored 18 points for a Marquette team that couldnât put away the Buffs despite shooting a sizzling 61.8 percent from the floor.
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle had to give Marquette its due.
âWhen a team shoots 61 percent against you for the game, almost 62 percent, and youâve still got a chance at the end it means youâre doing something right,â he said. âWe rebounded the ball well. We fought. We battled. ⌠Iâve got a lot of respect for Marquette.â
KJ Simpson scored 20 points and Tristan da Silva had 17 for Colorado.
Simpson said the Buffaloes had not thought of conceding anything despite the score.
âWe all just had the mentality of âIâm not giving up.â Weâve done that throughout the whole year,â Simpson said.
Kolek looked good while playing in his second game back after missing six games with an oblique injury. Kolek was 10 of 14 from the floor and seemed at ease while working against the Colorado defense.
Marquette now faces North Carolina State in the Sweet 16. The Wolf Pack defeated Texas Tech and the Horizon Leagueâs Oakland to advance. Oakland, the tournamentâs upset darlings, KOâd mighty Kentucky in the first round before falling to N.C. State.
Red-hot Dukes have
Badgersâ full attention
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Wisconsinâs impressive three-win, four-game run in the Big Ten Conference Tournament didnât go unnoticed.
The NCAAâs selection committee rewarded the Badgers (22-13) with the No. 5 seed in the South. It accurately reflects a Badgersâ season that started strong, faded miserably and righted itself at the 11th hour.
That seed was the limit of selection committeeâs generosity, though, because they did the Badgers no favor in terms of their opponent.
The Badgers drew No. 12 seed James Madison as their first-round foe with tipoff set for Friday at 8:40 p.m. in Brooklyn, N.Y.
James Madison (31-3) enters the tournament on a 13-game winning streak, the longest streak in the country. It comes after the Dukes opened the season with a 14-game winning streak and a Top 25 appearance.
The winning streaks are the first- and second-longest in school history.
The Dukes defeated Michigan State in their season opener and survived a double-overtime affair to edge Kent State.
The Sun Belt Conference runners-up went 15-3 in league play to finish one game behind conference champion Appalachian State. The Dukes won their conference tournament and the automatic bid that goes with it.
It was the Dukesâ resolve, in addition to their talent, that carried them through the tough times according to Shane Mettlen, who covers James Madison for the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va.
âThis team thought it had a chance to be special going into the season,â Mettlen said Wednesday. âTheyâre a mature team that knows how to deal with adversity. Their (31-3) record also reflects their ability to adapt and overcome regardless of the obstacles in their path.â
The Dukes are a veteran team that loves to play up-tempo offense and either man or zone depending on which defense best suits the situation.
They average 84.4 points while allowing 69.2 per game. On the season, they are shooting 48 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line. They play fast, but not at efficiencyâs expense.
The fact that they realized anything less than a conference tournament title would leave them on the outside looking in didnât faze them.
Terrence Edwards and Noah Freidel, two of JMUâs top players, made a pact before the season began. Mettlen detailed the events in a recent article in the Daily News-Record.
Edwards explained the pact in Mettlenâs article.
âMe and Noah, we had an agreement before the season even started,â Edwards was quoted as saying. âWe said we were going to push each other and not let each other have any bad days. We just get on each other. He yells at me and I yell at him.
âI knew it was going to be good after that.â
The Dukes have been beyond good. Theyâve been remarkable.
Then again, the Sun Belt isnât the Big Ten, and as tough-minded as JMU appears itâs not as if the Badgers have had an adversity-free season.
Itâs been quite the opposite.
The Badgers soared to as high as sixth in the country and were leading the Big Ten with a glitzy 8-1 record. That all went up in smoke when Wisconsin lost its mojo â which is to say its shooting eye â and went a dreadful 3-7 after the impressive start.
Just when Badgers fans began questioning the programâs direction under head coach Greg Gard â yep, that same old tired refrain â Gardâs team refocused, reset and got back on track.
It sets up what should be an entertaining first-round matchup between two talented, battle-tested teams that believe anything is possible.
That includes a lengthy stay in the tournament.
Edwards is the Dukesâ lynchpin. The silky smooth 6-6 guard monopolizes the basketball and the offense runs through him.
Thatâs not a bad thing.
Edwards, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, averages 17.4 points and 3.5 assists. He likes to exploit creases in the defense and has a knack for getting great mid-range looks.
Edwards also possesses 3-point range and backs down from no one.
In some ways heâs a slightly skinnier version of the Badgersâ A.J. Storr, who is Wisconsinâs top weapon.
The Badgersâ and Dukesâ strengths suggest a hotly contested game. The odds-makers in Las Vegas made Wisconsin a 5 ½-point favorite. If thatâs accurate it is shaping up to be a one- or two-possession game down the stretch.
James Madison is ranked second in the nation defending the 3-point shot, holding opponents to 28.6 percent from long range. When the Badgers win, they shoot 37.3 percent from 3-point range. When they lose it falls off to 30.8 percent.
Creating and making 3s is going to be critical to UWâs success.
The Dukes commit 10.8 turnovers a game, but own a 12.2 percent steal rate, which is 12th best in Division I. Conversely, Wisconsin seldom turns it over. UWâs turnovers-per-possession rate is 13th in the nation.
With the Dukes defending the 3-point line as if the worldâs fate depended on it, the Badgers have to be able to penetrate off the dribble. Chucky Hepburn, John Blackwell and Kamari McGee need to create gaps for Max Klesmit, Stephen Crowl and Storr to get open 3s.
The Badgers are playing some of their best basketball right now.
Their upset win over No. 3 Purdue in the conference tournament semifinals was as impressive as any win all season. The Badgers shared the ball on offense while making a concerted effort to get everyone touches, if not shots, to keep the Boilermakers off balance.
Itâll be much the same challenge against James Madison. The biggest difference â literally and figuratively â is there wonât be a 7-foot-4 monster lurking in the lane.
In fact, the Badgers hold a significant size advantage of the Dukes.
JMUâs tallest player is 6-foot-9 post player T.J. Bickerstaff. Expect the Badgersâ 7-footer, Crowl, to hunt the 3-point shot (he was 6 of 13 from 3-point range in the Big Ten tourney). However, Crowl also should look to exploit his size advantage in the low post.
If Bickerstaff gets in foul trouble the Dukes could be in trouble.
This should be a terrific first-round matchup. Ultimately, the Badgersâ size, experience and recent surge should enable them to fend off James Madison and advance.
Prediction: Wisconsin 78, James Madison 72
Packers, Badgers and Lady Phoenix go big
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â A week ago sports fans throughout the Badger state woke up with modest, realistic expectations going into the day.
The NFLâs free agency period opened with hopes that the Packers might be a player in some form or fashion. The fondest desire was signing a quality safety in order to begin building a viable last line of defense.
An upper-tier safety such as Geno Stone or Jordan Fuller would represent a significant upgrade, but it was probably wishful thinking. The Packers typically are conservative, especially on Day One.
The Wisconsin Badgers menâs basketball team was coming off a gallant defeat at the hands of second-ranked Purdue. The Big Ten Conference Tournament awaited a Badgersâ team that was beginning to feel itself.
The question was whether it was too little, too late.
Meantime, the UW-Green Bay Lady Phoenix was eyeing the Horizon League title and the NCAA berth that goes with it.
They faced top-seeded Cleveland State in Tuesday nightâs final. A victory over the pesky Vikings was no sure thing.
Then one of the most exciting, exhilarating weeks began unfolding right before Wisconsin sportsâ fans very eyes.
The Packers went big in free agency on Day One.
It was like Jordan Love dropping back to pass on the gameâs first play and finding a wide-open Christian Watson for a 75-yard touchdown. It was like Keisean Nixon taking a kickoff 90 yards for the score.
It was magnificent.
The Packers signed ex-Giants safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $68-million contract to fill the teamâs greatest need with the top-rated free agent at that position.
McKinney, 24, instantly becomes defensive coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs âpost safetyâ in the new scheme. McKinney can do it all. Heâs as talented and versatile as they come.
McKinney, who will wear No. 29, already has met with Hafley and discussed how the Packers intend to maximize his skill set. It appears they are going to play him as a single-high safety, or in quartersâ coverage, or in the slot, or in the box.
âThatâs the plan,â McKinney confirmed. âI cannot wait.â
The Packers werenât done ⌠not by a long shot.
They signed free-agent running back Josh Jacobs, formerly of the Raiders, to a four-year, $48 million deal. Jacobs replaces Aaron Jones, the surefire Packer Hall of Famer, who declined to accept a pay cut.
Jones is with the Vikings, Jacobs is in Green Bay and itâll make for a tremendously interesting storyline when the teams meet this season.
Jacobs, 26, is 20 pounds heavier and four years younger with a history of excellent production in the NFL. He led the league in rushing yards in 2022 and despite a down year last season remained a consummate pro.
Whether fans want to believe it or not Jacobs is an upgrade.
Jacobs and McKinney were captains for their previous teams.
âOnce you earn the guysâ respect and they see the way you go about business on a day-to-day basis, thatâs kind of how you step into that role,â Jacobs said. âItâs not really something you ask for â itâs kind of something thatâs shown.â
McKinney and Jacobs said they were attracted to Green Bay because of starting quarterback Jordan Loveâs talent, potential and production. They joined the Packers with the expressed goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Thatâs the loftiest of goals, but given Loveâs performance, the Packersâ roster and head coach Matt LaFleurâs track record itâs a realistic goal.
McKinney had his best season in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.
He had 116 tackles and a minuscule missed tackle rate. He also had three interceptions and is notorious for providing tight coverage. He has a reputation for being able to defend tight ends, in particular.
âI critique myself a whole bunch,â McKinney said. âI get better at the small things. I try to perfect my craft. Thatâs always how Iâve been. I think that even six or seven missed tackles (a season) is too much for a safety. Weâre going to get that number down for sure.â
McKinney, like Jacobs, is proud of his work ethic.
âI never get complacent,â he said. âIâm trying to win at the end of the day, and I know what that takes to be able to win games and win championships.â
The 36th pick out of Alabama wants to return to the Crimson Tide glory days and move on from the Raidersâ experience.
The Packers also re-signed Nixon, running back A.J. Dillon (to many fansâ surprise), tight end Tyler Davis and cornerback Corey Ballantine.
The Packers said good-bye to future Packer Hall of Famer David Bakhtiari, as well as Jones, and right guard Jon Runyan, Jr., who signed with the Giants.
All is good in the Packersâ world right now with the NFL draft and five picks in the top 91 selections beckoning.
Life also is good in Madison, where the Badgersâ basketball team is preparing to take on James Madison in the NCAA Tournamentâs South Region later this week.
The Badgers (23-11) are coming off a most amazing Big Ten Conference Tournament run.
Wisconsin blasted Maryland, outlasted Northwestern and upset Purdue in a glorious three-day, three-game stretch.
It set up a championship final Sunday pitting the Badgers against 13th-ranked Illinois. It would be Wisconsinâs fourth game in as many days, and the Illini were coming off two draining comeback wins
Neither team looked worse for the wear.
The Illini prevailed, 93-87, but the Badgers took it to the final minute.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gardâs gritty team earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers will take on No. 12 seed James Madison in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday night. Tip is set for 8:40 p.m.
Go Badgers!
Meantime, the Lady Phoenix took care of business and Cleveland State in most convincing fashion, posting a 64-40 victory in the Horizon League final on Tuesday night.
On Selection Sunday the Phoenix (27-6) discovered they will be an 11 seed and playing No. 6 seed Tennessee (19-12) on Saturday morning. Tip is set for 11 a.m.
Go Phoenix!
Of course, none of these events guarantees future success. Signing McKinney, Jacobs and all the rest doesnât mean the Packers will be in the Super Bowl, but itâs a great step in that direction.
The Badgersâ tremendous Big Ten tournament run doesnât mean theyâll KO James Madison and perhaps reach the Sweet 16. James Madison (31-3) is a brutally difficult draw for the red-hot Badgers.
Itâll make for an exciting first-round matchup, though.
In addition, the Lady Phoenix will have all they can handle against the Lady Volunteers, one of womenâs college basketballâs greatest programs.
On the other hand, little old UW-Green Bay and head coach Kevin Borseth have been here before. Bring it on.
McKinney, Jacobs to Packers in free agency
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The NFLâs free agent signing period opened with a thunderclap Monday in a most unexpected place.
Little old Green Bay, Wisconsin, dominated the headlines on Day One.
The Packers frequently spend free agencyâs outset watching from the sidelines while the first wave of players ink mega deals elsewhere.
That wasnât the case this spring.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst had a plan and he executed it to perfection.
Gutekunstâs most grandiose maneuver was signing safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $68 million deal. The former New York Giants defender is in his prime and among the best at his position.
McKinney, 24, had three interceptions and 11 passes defended last season. He was the 36th pick in the 2020 draft but suffered a fractured foot and missed most of his rookie season.
McKinney did return in time to finish the season and notch his first career interception. It was an end zone interception with less than two minutes to play to preserve a 23-19 Giantsâ win over Dallas.
After that itâs been nothing but high-level play ever since.
McKinney is the prototypical âpost safetyâ in first-year Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs scheme.
Green Bayâs No. 1 hole has been filled. He will be the Week 1 starter alongside whichever safety the Packers select in the first three rounds.
Gutekunst began Monday by releasing perennial All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari due to chronic knee issues. The move was expected and spurred an outpouring of heartfelt respect and gratitude for Bakhtiari.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur sang the left tackleâs praises.
âDavid is one of the best offensive linemen to have played in the NFL during my time in the league,â he said in a statement. âHis consistency and approach to his craft are unmatched.â
Gutekunst then signed free-agent running back Josh Jacobs, formerly of the Raiders, to a four-year, $48 million contract. Many Packersâ fans initially thought it meant an Aaron Jones-Josh Jacobs one-two punch.
They were hovering between elated and ecstatic.
The euphoria soon faded when the Packers released Jones, the teamâs third all-time leading rusher, after he didnât accept a 50-percent pay cut.
Some fans were enraged. Others were perplexed. They didnât understand how the Packers could release Jones just weeks after proclaiming the seventh-year pro was âthe heartbeatâ of the offense down the stretch.
Itâs natural to be conflicted, especially when Jones was coming off the most dominant five-game stretch of his career.
It begged the questions: Why him? Why now?
What fans need to understand is this: Jacobs had a down season on an awful Raiders offense and he still outrushed and outplayed Jones.
Jacobs, 26, rushed for a career-low 805 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games for the Raiders. That was after an All-Pro 2022 season when he led the NFL with 1,653 yards and 2,053 yards from scrimmage.
Jacobsâ down season was an aberration. He dealt with an offseason contract stalemate that carried over into the season. He still did the little things such as blitz pickup and catching it out of the backfield, but it was nothing like the 2022 season.
Donât be fooled.
Jacobsâ 46 rushing touchdowns since 2019 rank second in the NFL behind only Derrick Henry.
Meantime, Jones played in 11 games while rushing for 656 yards and 889 total yards from scrimmage. Both were career lows dating back to his rookie season of 2017.
However, Jones did rush for 226 and three TDs in two playoff games. That final flourish remains ingrained in fansâ brains, as it should be.
Jones nearly helped carry the Packers past the 49ers and a date with the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship. But that impressive finish shouldnât cloud the overall forecast for Jonesâ future.
Heâs 30 years old. His best days â as recent as they may be â are behind him. He did do the Packers a tremendous service down the stretch by reinforcing the notion that LaFleurâs offense goes from zero to sixty in a heartbeat when it has a top-flight ball carrier.
Jacobs is exactly that: A top-flight ball carrier.
He is four years younger and 20 pounds heavier than Jones, which should provide more durability and stability in the backfield. He also is among the NFLâs top backs in terms of yards after first contact.
Logan Reever, the Raiders reporter for 8 News Now in Las Vegas, described Jacobs as a beast near the goal line.
âIf you give the football to Jacobs at the 2 or 3 yard line heâll score 11 out of 10 times, heâs that good,â Reever said.
Jacobs joins an offense with Jordan Love at quarterback and a deep, talented group of receivers and tight ends that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
All of these players are 26 or younger.
The sting of Jonesâ departure was eased for some fans by his decision to sign a contract with NFC North rival Minnesota.
The fansâ reaction went from, âHow could they?â to âHow could he?â
Hopefully, Jacobs will be the reliable, sensational back he was in 2022 for the Packers, and Jones stays healthy and plays well for the Vikings despite the rivalry. As they say, âIf you canât beat âem, tip your helmet to them.â Jonesâ exit to Minnesota should make for an intriguing storyline when the Packers and Vikings meet this fall.
Clearly, Gutekunst took no pleasure in releasing Jones. But that doesnât mean it was the wrong decision.
âIt is certainly one of the hardest decisions weâve had to make in my time with the Packers and not one taken lightly,â he said in a statement. âHe has not only had a significant impact on the field and in the locker room, but he is one of the most beloved players in the community.â
Fans shouldnât worry.
Jones will be back in Green Bay once a season to play the Packers, and eventually heâll return to be enshrined into the Packer Hall of Fame.
In seven seasons with the Packers, Jones had 5.940 yards rushing, 272 catches for 2,076 yards receiving and 63 total touchdowns.
Jones most definitely wonât be forgotten.
The Packers also made several shrewd moves by resigning All-Pro kick returner and cornerback Keisean Nixon, tight end Tyler Davis and cornerback Corey Ballentine.
The Packers quite likely will field the NFLâs youngest team for a second straight season. They also will be fielding one of the leagueâs best teams.
10 fearless predictions for state sports scene
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â March Madness presents in many forms.
There is the NCAA Tournament, its inspirational namesake, which features so many gut-wrenching moments it may induce madness.
There also is the NFL draft, which takes place in late April, but in fact is played out by Packersâ fans beginning in March right up to the moment commissioner Roger Goodell says, âand with the 25th pick (for now), the Green Bay Packers select âŚâ
March also includes the Bucksâ renewed playoff push under coach Doc Rivers, which continues Monday, March 4, at home against the Clippers.
The Brewersâ regular season begins Thursday, March 28, at the New York Mets. First pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. The mere fact that the MLB season opens in March â in and of itself â is enough to drive fans mad.
As they say, âTradition be damned … itâs all about the Benjamins.â
Last, and perhaps least, is the Wisconsin Badgersâ struggling menâs basketball team. The Badgers will be in the NCAA Tournament, but for how long?
Here are 10 fearless predictions for the Packers, Brewers, Bucks and Badgers as state sports fans bravely embark upon March Madness:
** No. 1 â Tonight the Bucks start fast, finish strong and maul James Harden and the L.A. Clippers 119-107 behind Damian Lillardâs 41 points and Giannis Antetokounmpoâs eighth triple-double of the season.
Giannis will finish with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
It extends the Bucksâ winning streak to six, a stretch that includes six straight covers against the spread. The Bucks arenât just winning. Theyâre kicking butt. Spend those winnings wisely.
** No. 2 â The Bucks (40-21) close out 16-5 to finish the regular season at 56-36, a cool 30 games above .500. They proceed to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where they upset the mighty Celtics in 7.
That sets up a most interesting Bucks-Oklahoma City Thunder Finals.
** No. 3 â Doc Rivers signs an extension to continue as the Bucksâ head coach going into the 2024-25 season. If you wonder why see above.
** No. 4 â Once upon a time the Badgers were 16-4 overall and sitting atop the Big Ten at 8-1. It earned them the No. 6 spot in the AP poll. That was in late January.
February has been most unkind.
Wisconsin has since plummeted to 18-11 and 10-8. The Badgers have gone from 6th in the nation to a projected No. 6 seed at best.
The unranked Badgers host a pesky Rutgers team Thursday night. They dropped a 91-83 decision to 13th-ranked Illinois on Saturday.
Consecutive home losses would definitely turn up the heat on head coach Greg Gard, as if his backside isnât suffering heat rash already.
I think Gard has done about as well as to be expected following in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Bo Ryan. I also think Gard should be back.
Sadly, itâs likely an early exit in the Big Ten Conference Tournament AND the NCAA Tournament will lead to his dismissal. This is one shot that I derive no pleasure in calling correctly.
** No. 5 â The Brewers are going to be just fine.
They may not match their 92-win total from last season, but they will be very competitive, highly entertaining and right in the NL Central mix.
I came to that conclusion during a pleasant Sunday afternoon drive in the country. The Brewers were playing the Diamondbacks in Cactus League play and I happened to tune in for the first pitch.
I wasnât disappointed.
Rookie centerfielder Jackson Chourio led off by lacing a fastball to left field which he promptly parlayed into a hustling double. Christian Yelich, the perfect No. 2 hitter in any lineup, singled to drive in Chourio.
It was 1-0 Brewers.
Willy Adames followed with a two-run shot to make it 3-0 before the Diamondbacks recorded a single out. Milwaukee went on to win 10-4 behind a strong spring training debut from ace Freddy Peralta.
The Brewers will win no fewer than 87 games.
Bet on it.
** No. 6 â After a slow start, first baseman and cleanup hitter Rhys Hoskins will heat up and become a Brewers fan favorite. How can Hoskins go wrong with Chourio, Yelich and Adames hitting in the lineup ahead of him? The correct answer is he canât.
Hoskins will belt a career-high 34 home runs in the friendly confines of American Family Field.
** No. 7 â Jordan Love will throw two fewer touchdown passes (30) and three fewer interceptions (8) while raising his completion percentage to 65-plus (it was 64.1 in â23) and passer rating to 100-plus (it was 96.1).
That will equate to an 11-6 season and a berth in the NFC Championship Game against a resurrected Philadelphia Eagles squad.
After that itâs on to Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Take the Packers and the points.
** No. 8 â Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy will announce at the annual shareholderâs meeting that GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur both received hefty contract extensions this offseason.
Itâs also possible this news will become public before July.
Either way, Gutekunst has proven to be a shrewd GM. He doesnât throw away future draft picks. He is willing to work the draft by trading up or down to get what he needs. And he has maintained personnel excellence. His past two drafts have been among the best in the league.
LaFleur is 59-31 (.656) including 3-4 in postseason play.
** No. 9 â The Packers sign free-agent safety Jordan Fuller from the L.A. Rams and draft Iowa safety Cooper DeJean with the 25th pick.
That would qualify as a good start for coordinator Jeff Hafleyâs defense.
** No. 10 â Where the Packersâ scouting department mightâve misjudged A.J. Dillonâs upside, theyâll take another shot in the late second round at running back by selecting Wisconsinâs Braelon Allen.
Is it the right call?
Allen didnât impress with a 9-foot, 9-inch broad jump (15th of 20) and a 32-inch vertical leap (18th out of 20). He also didnât run the 40-yard dash. He did bang out 26 reps at 225 pounds to finish second behind Michiganâs Blake Corum with 27 reps.
Allen, who allegedly runs the 40 in the 4.45-second range, has a chance to elevate his draft stock with a sub 4.5 40-yard dash at Wisconsinâs Pro Day later this month.
If Iâm the Packers Iâd think long and hard about drafting Allen.
Then Iâd probably pass on it. The Packers will, too.
Badgers host Illinois
after alarming defeat
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The fire alarm that halted play in the second half of Wisconsinâs 74-70 loss at Indiana Tuesday night was apropos.
Where thereâs smoke, thereâs fire, and I just assumed Greg Gard had set up flares along the UW bench to signal their latest roadside breakdown.
The Badgers trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half.
Nevertheless, and in spite of themselves, they clawed back to a 54-54 tie on back-to-back layups by John Blackwell with 10:31 to play. Thatâs when the fire alarm sounded, Assembly Hall was emptied and play was delayed 20 minutes before the âall clearâ was given and play resumed.
Wisconsin (18-10, 10-7) briefly held a 56-54 lead and tied it twice, first at 65-65, and again at 68-all. Tyler Wahlâs layup actually gave Wisconsin a 70-68 lead with 2:06 to play.
After that the Badgers misfired on all six of their final shots while the Hoosiers (15-13, 7-10) went on a 6-2 run to close it out.
Wisconsin forced 12 turnovers while committing just three. The Badgers also had five double-figure scorers. Hepburn had 15 points, AJ Storr had 14, Max Klesmit and Blackwell had 11 each and Stephen Crowl had 10.
And they still lost.
Hepburn was asked where it went wrong for Wisconsin.
âLetting them set the tone first,â the Badgersâ guard replied. âThatâs where we went wrong.â
Now, the Badgers will jump from the frying pan into the path of an oncoming freight train called Illinois. The red-hot Illini are coming off a wild 105-97 victory Wednesday night at home versus Minnesota.
The Illiniâs Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Marcus Domask added 22, including 18 in the second half, to capture the shootout.
Illinois (21-7, 12-5) shot a blistering 61.3 percent from the floor to eclipse the century mark in a regular-season Big Ten game for the first time since Jan., 1994.
The 13th-ranked Illini will be eager to get after the struggling Badgers.
Indiana certainly had its way with Wisconsin.
Kelâel Ware scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Indiana. The Hoosiersâ big man dominated everyone the Badgers tried to defend him with.
Ware didnât play in the Badgersâ 91-79 victory on Jan. 19 at Wisconsin.
His presence made all the difference Tuesday night.
Ware was 11 of 12 from the field while relying on an array of low post moves and a feathery fade-away jump shot.
The Badgersâ Stephen Crowl was impressed.
âJust another interior presence they have,â he said.
Gard also was obliged to state the obvious: Ware was the best center on the court.
âWare has an all-American type night,â Gard said. âTwenty points in the first half ⌠He was terrific.â
Malik Reneau made the go-ahhead layup with 55 seconds to play to seal the win. Reneau was coming off a 27-point performance and finished with 14, while Mackenzie Mgbako also added 14 points for Indiana.
The Badgersâ Blackwell played strong despite the loss.
The freshman guard showed moxie and poise down the stretch. Clearly, the Badgersâ backcourt is in good hands going forward.
âHe just gets it,â Gard said of Blackwell. âHe understands the game. Heâs a very cerebral player.â
Blackwell was 5 of 8 from the floor, including a 3-point shot, and will be critical if the Badgers are going to make a strong push here at the end.
Storr is another player who needs to find more consistency.
The Hoosiers made him work for everything and nothing came easy.
Storrâs offensive prowess is what makes him special. Itâs also what can contribute to the Badgersâ offense becoming stale. Far too often Storrâs teammates stand and watch while he tries to create his shots.
Itâs not good offensive basketball. As Indiana proved itâs easy to defend when you know who the opponentâs go-to guy is and thatâs Storr.
Storr nailed a difficult 3-pointer to tie it at 68-68 late in the game. He dialed up another 3-pointer late in the shot clock that didnât go in and Wisconsin had to settle for the loss.
Some thought Storrâs shot selection was questionable.
Gard didnât bite on it.
âHe made a tough 3, he misses a tough 3,â he said. âThose things happen. You got the ball in the playmakerâs hands, you trust his decision making.â
Now, the Badgers find themselves staggering down the stretch.
Illinois has no intention of giving Wisconsin a reason to believe it can take down the nationâs 13th-ranked team. If nothing else, weâll find out what the Badgers are made of on Saturday.
Bucks look sharp off
All-Star break reset
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Mona Lisa smiled.
Thatâs right. There is visual evidence. In fact, it occurred in plain sight, on national TV no less, during the Bucksâ game Sunday at Philadelphia.
Damian Lillard nearly cracked an ear-to-ear grin during Milwaukeeâs 119-98 blowout victory over the Joel Embiid-less 76ers. The Eastâs fifth-seeded Sixers (33-24) are trying to hang on for dear life until Embiid makes a possible late-season return from knee issues.
Not that Milwaukee cares a whit about the Sixersâ troubles.
The Bucks (37-21) are focused on fixing their own woebegone defense, and the early post-All-Star break returns are promising.
On Friday night, the Bucks outscored the Timberwolves 36-13 in the third quarter on their way to a 112-107 win at Minneapolis. The Westâs top-seeded Timberwolves (40-17) came into the game 19-5 at home.
On Sunday afternoon, the Bucks were in control from start to finish.
It made coach Doc Riversâ return to Philadelphia thoroughly enjoyable. The former Marquette star coached the 76ers from 2020-23.
âIt was awesome,â he said of coming back to the City of Brotherly Love.
âI had three good years here, and Iâm not talking about basketball; Iâm talking about life. I enjoyed my stay here. I have made friends for life. The fans were good, too. There were a couple hilarious comments. One guy told me that Larry David was looking for me to golf. I thought that was pretty funny.â
Riversâ introduction elicited boos from the crowd.
That seemed to energize the Bucks all the more, as Lillard dropped the first seven points on the 76ers, including 11 in the first quarter, as Milwaukee built a 14-point lead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Malik Beasley added 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting beyond the arc.
But it was Lillard serving as the lynchpin.
Lillard scored 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. He added seven rebounds and nine assists.
On offense, the plan appears to be Lillard-centric.
The Bucks were intent on running the offense through Lillard early and often. Then, late in the game, they went back to him to ice it.
âI thought we were consistent,â Lillard said. âWe got into the paint, we were willing to make the extra pass to find the open guy, and we got quality looks. To play good offense you find quality shots and have a lot of mix. I though thatâs what we did.â
The Bucksâ defensive plan appears to be a concerted effort to challenge 3-point shots, funnel ball-handlers into Brook Lopez while Giannis lurks on the weak-side, and limit second-chance points.
Lopez blocked five shots and Pat Connaughton added two swats. The Bucks only forced 10 turnovers but held Philly to 37-percent shooting.
âWe had been putting such an emphasis on defense,â Rivers said. âThe last few games weâve been terrific. When you have Giannis on your team, if you can get stops and get him in transition, Giannis in transition is a problem for everybody.â
The Bucks improved to 5-7 under Rivers, who replaced Adrian Griffin after an underwhelming 30-13 start. At the time of Griffinâs firing the Bucks were unorganized on offense and a sieve on defense.
The strides have been slow but steady under Rivers.
Some of that seems spawned by Milwaukeeâs own sense of urgency. There is plenty of work to do in the final 24 regular-season games.
The Bucks held consecutive opponents to fewer than 100 points earlier this month for the first time since November, 2021. They blasted the outgunned Hornets 120-84 on Feb. 9 and backed it up with a 112-95 victory over the defending champion Nuggets on Feb. 12.
Now, Milwaukee has a legitimate chance to earn a hat trick.
The Bucks have back-to-back games against Charlotte this week. They host the Hornets on Tuesday and are at Charlotte Thursday.
The Hornets (14-42) are seeded 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. They are averaging 108.3 points per game, which is the third-lowest total in the league.
Bobby Portis, who scored 17 points, was wearing a microphone during Sundayâs game. At one point, with Milwaukee surging, Portis could be heard saying, âThe Bucks are starting to look like ⌠the Bucks.â
Giannis said itâs important to keep the defensive momentum rolling.
The key to fixing their problems, he said, is pretty simple.
âPlay hard,â he said. âCarryover â thatâs got to be a key word for us. I feel like weâre feeling like ourselves. Weâre playing hard, moving the ball, and we are defending better. Weâre just playing hard.â
While Sixers fans welcomed Rivers with boos, Giannis said heâs 100 percent in his new coachâs court.
âI love him,â he said of Rivers. âItâs been incredible playing for him. He just explains to me what he wants from me. You respect him because heâs been 25 years in the league. Youâve got to respect what heâs done in the league, won a championship, won a lot of games, but when he comes into the locker room, he keeps it simple.â
Who wouldâve thought the Bucksâ problems â and Lillardâs disposition â could be so easily fixed. All it took is for Lillard to start knocking down 3-point shots with impunity, and the Bucks to start playing hard.
If the Bucks sustain it the Charlotte Hornets are in for a long week.
LaFleur hired Hafley
âTo lead ⌠to connectâ
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Matt LaFleurâs quest for the right fit at defensive coordinator has taken him down three different paths.
LaFleur retained Mike Pettine from the previous staff the first time.
He went outside the building and hired Joe Barry â despite Barryâs rather underwhelming resume â on the second go-round.
On Thursday, LaFleur introduced Jeff Hafley as his new defensive coordinator after firing Barry this offseason.
Will the third time be the charm?
Packersâ fans hope so. NFL insiders think so.
LaFleur knows so.
Or, at the least, LaFleur believes it will be a great fit based on everything he knows about Hafley, and heâs known of him for years.
It remains to be seen whether the third time is the charm, but this much is true: Hafley presented himself as an exceedingly charming, effective communicator at his introductory news conference.
Hafley, 44, conveyed a well-examined coaching philosophy.
He also displayed a sense of humor, a quick wit and a football background featuring an insatiably curious mind (Hafleyâs) that was surrounded by a think tank of NFL coaches and players.
Hafleyâs scheme â in and of itself â isnât unique to the NFL. What makes it different is that itâs Hafleyâs own home-brewed concoction. He tested it at Ohio State, and again at Boston College, to gauge its veracity.
The ingredients are basic football, but no two recipes are exactly alike.
Hafleyâs football journey began as a defensive backs coach. His acumen is considerable in terms of disguising coverages, rotating coverages to mesh with blitzes and limiting big plays on the back end.
He intends to do that without handcuffing his defenseâs aggressiveness.
âYou have to get after the quarterback,â Hafley said. âSometimes itâll look exotic and other times very simple. But itâll be matchup based. If (the offense) gets faster, we get faster. If they get bigger, we get bigger.â
If it sounds simple itâs because itâs meant to be so.
âItâs always been important to me to try to make the game simpler for players,â Hafley said. âThatâs because part of me being a coach is I have to be a great teacher, so I take all this information that I have and all these things, but I make it very simple for you to understand so you can go out and play fast and aggressive and not worry about anything.â
Hafley prefers a âvision-basedâ style of defense.
He wants his defensive backs â and the âpost safetyâ in particular â to play facing the quarterback. He often deploys press-man coverage out of a 4-3 base front. The corners may be in man coverage, but the safeties are forever lurking and looking to swoop in and make the big play.
It is clear LaFleur wants his defense to emulate the 49ers, Jets and Texans. Each has ties to San Francisco and Kyle Shanahan, and each is among the NFLâs top defenses year in, year out.
That meant switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 base defense.
LaFleur discussed the Packersâ current personnel with GM Brian Gutekunst and how it might fit into Hafleyâs preferred style. Gutekunst was convinced the Packers had enough horses to run this type of race.
Essentially, LaFleur got the best of both worlds.
Hafleyâs background is rooted in the 4-3 base defense, and his scheme is compatible with the current roster.
Itâs why LaFleur smiled when asked if he hired the man or the scheme.
âI wanted to get who I thought was the best for us,â he replied. âEvery situationâs a little bit different. I equate putting a coaching staff together to ⌠itâs like putting a puzzle together. And how does each piece fit? And thatâs an important part of it, the fit, and he just happens to run more of a 4-3 and thatâs ⌠but I felt comfortable with what we had.â
Hafley described what he looks for in a âpost safetyâ to run his defense.
The playerâs size could range from 6-0, 190 all the way to 6-2, 215. They have to be fast, instinctive and an exceptionally sure tackler.
âThey have to fly up to the line at 100 mph to tackle the running back. They have to fly up and help finish tackles. They have to be able to roam sideline-to-sideline. Theyâve got to be able to communicate. Theyâve got to be able to âpick itâ â make interceptions â and I love a guy who can play man-to-man coverage.â
Hafley paused, smiled and added, âI just described the perfect player.â
Or, he couldâve said, âI just described Charles Woodson.â
Thereâs no doubt the Packers will be on the lookout for defensive backs in general, and big, rangy corners or safeties, in particular.
When Hafley was asked about Quay Walker the uptick was noticeable.
âQuay is a talented, talented player,â Hafley said. âHeâs a player whoâs going to be put in position to make a lot of plays for us.â
Hafley was asked about his staff, which includes some fiery coaches.
âWeâll be demanding but never demeaning,â he said. âWe wonât be hollering. Weâll be coaching. We donât motivate out of fear.â
Hafleyâs ability to be creative and adapt surely was among the traits LaFleur coveted in his new defensive coordinator.
His scheme deploys a one-high shell look (one safety in the middle of the field) that actually plays like a two-high shell. It allows the defense to get extra defenders in the box at the last second before the snap.
Hafley further explained his philosophy.
âThe things I believe in defense â whether youâre playing 3-4 or 4-3, press man, which I do love ⌠it comes down to âcan you take your players who you have and put them in the best position to succeed?â he said. âCan you take your players and maximize their ability? Every player wants to get better, and thatâs our job to do. Our job is to put the players in the best position to succeed and make plays.â
While Hafleyâs wife, Gina, and their 8- and 5-year-old daughters remain in Boston, he has been on a tape-watching binge.
Hafley, 44, has been at 1265 Lombardi Avenue pulling all-nighters because, as he explained, with his family in Boston thereâs not much else to do but study film (which he loves) or sit in his hotel room.
âIâve probably got to watch more football the last week-and-a-half than Iâve gotten to watch in like four months,â he said. âAs a head coach in college, youâre pulled in so many different directions. I feel like a kid in a candy store again just sitting there and being able to watch on tape. Itâs probably one of the most refreshing and clear minds Iâve had in such a long time. Iâm having a blast doing it.â
Bucksâ Lillard is East All-Star MVP ⌠So?
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Damian Lillard made NBA history this weekend.
The Bucksâ guard became only the second player ever â and the first since 1988 when Michael Jordan won the dunk contest â to capture an All-Star Weekend event and be selected as the gameâs MVP.
Lillard won the 3-point contest Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Then, he won a second 3-point contest â also called the All-Star game â by scoring 39 points to lead the East to a 211-186 victory over the West in the highest-scoring game in All-Star history.
To that I say congratulations to Lillard, and I would add, âSo what?â
The Bucks traded for Lillard with the hope that âDame Timeâ might win an MVP trophy. Itâs just that they were hoping for an NBA Finals MVP trophy, not a piece of hardware from a glorified pickup game.
Guess what? Lillard can still shoot. Everybody already knew that.
Guess what else? Lillard canât play defense. Again, itâs no surprise.
It is difficult being happy for Lillard when all heâs been in Milwaukee is a mostly joyless soul. The last time I saw Lillard smile â in fact, one of the few times Iâve seen him smile â was during last nightâs game.
Mostly, heâs cast an unhappy and at times downright miserable shadow.
Lillard more resembles a hostage than an All-Star in Milwaukee. If only he could click the heels of his Nikes together and go back home to Portland. Some Bucks fans would be Ok with that so long as they get the hardnosed, defensive-minded Jrue Holiday in return.
For his part Lillard accepted the award with class and a nod to greatness.
âAny time youâre mentioned in the same category as Mike, itâs an honor, itâs a major accomplishment, even if itâs All-Star Weekend,â he said, before adding, âBecause if it was that simple more people would have done it.â
That much is true.
Lillard drew oohs and ahhs midway through the third quarter. Thatâs when he rebounded Luka Doncicâs failed alley-oop selfie, dribbled just past midcourt and uncorked a 41-foot bomb to put the East up 132-105.
He added six points in the fourth quarter, including a 44-foot rainbow with 22.1 seconds to play, as his walk-off shot.
Lillard was 14 of 26 from the floor (11 of 23 behind the 3-point arc) and added six assists.
This was Lillardâs eighth All-Star appearance and his first start.
âIâm a vet in the game at this point,â he said. âWhy not go and try to get an MVP? I mean Iâve been here long enough.â
Karl Anthony-Towns was the runner-up for the Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy with 50 points in 28 minutes. Anthony-Towns also finished second, along with the Hawksâ Trae Young, in the 3-point contest.
Anthony-Towns became the fourth All-Star to eclipse 50 points.
Nevertheless, Lillard captured the award to become the third player in NBA history to convert at least 40 3-pointers in All-Star play. The others are Stephen Curry with 51 and LeBron James with 41.
Now the 33-year-old Lillard is setting his sights on another award.
Clearly, he wants to capture an NBA title in Milwaukee. It just appears that he has no idea how to go about it with his new team. He and Giannis will look like Magic-to-Kareem one play and total strangers the next.
Out of sync doesnât begin to describe the Bucksâ sluggish play.
Nonetheless, nearly ever NBA fan in Wisconsin not only co-signed on the Lillard trade, they had to pinch themselves to make sure it was real. Since then that dream has slowly devolved into a nightmare.
After 11 seasons in Portland, the Bucks traded for Lillard in the offseason in search of an NBA title. The idea was to pair Lillard along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and win the Bucksâ third championship.
So far, itâs been an unmitigated disaster.
Adrian Griffin was in way over his head as the teamâs first-year coach and was fired after 43 games. Doc Rivers took over but it hasnât been any better for Milwaukee.
The Bucks (35-17) are third in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Boston Celtics (43-12) and Cleveland Cavaliers (36-17).
It isnât their current record or playoff seeding thatâs troublesome.
Itâs the eye test.
The Bucks look disjointed and out of whack.
They play defense sparingly and offense occasionally.
These days the Bucks are almost as unrecognizable and unwatchable as the NBAâs All-Star game.
Lillard didnât disagree that the new-look Bucks have struggled.
âItâs been a tough year, just the transition to a new tteam; weâve had three coaches since Iâve been there,â he said, adding interim coach Joe Prunty to the equation. âAny time you have these types of experiences where you have adversity ⌠I think thatâs the time you got to show who you really are. Keep doing what you do, keep believing, and when you do that, usually it comes back to you.
âYou just canât fold.â
The Bucks open the second half of the season at the Timberwolves on Friday night. Then they travel to Philadelphia for a Sunday afternoon affair against the Joel Embiid-less 76ers.
As for the All-Star game, Lillard admitted the obvious: There isnât going to be much effort expended, especially on the defensive end.
âI think the game could be more competitive,â Lillard said. âI think 200 (points) is a lot to be scored. It just shows that we didnât go out there and compete like I guess you would want us to or whoever would want us to. But I think thatâs just what it is. Guys are talented. They make a lot of shots. We hit a lot of 3s, and that was it.â
The NBAâs East squad sounds a lot like the Bucks.
They make a lot of 3s. They make jaw-dropping plays. They feature the greatest player on the planet â Giannis â along with one of the greatest sharpshooters in league history (Lillard).
Now they need to find a way to put it all together in time for the playoffs.
A late postseason run is still possible, but a lot has to change beginning with Lillardâs outlook and disposition. For all that bank heâs receiving, is an occasional smile too much to ask?
Brewersâ rotation top
concern going into â24
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Brewers won 92 games last season to claim the NL Central by a cozy nine games ahead of the second-place Cubs.
The Reds (82-80), Pirates (76-86) and Cardinals (71-91) were last seen in the Brewersâ rearview mirror running on fumes last September.
It was a wonderful sight to behold.
Furthermore, the Brewersâ stated intention to win the NL Central again this season must be music to fansâ ears. After seeing Craig Counsellâs Crew reach the playoffs four of the past five seasons itâs possible, right?
Well, anything is possible in a tight division, but is it realistic?
Brewersâ fans may love the optimism despite major offseason losses, but the cold, calculating Las Vegas odds-makers predict the Corbin Burnes trade and Brandon Woodruffâs injury will be too much to overcome.
That is especially true if Freddy Peralta, the staffâs ace, struggles for whatever reason this season.
There is also the reality that ex-Brewers manager Craig Counsellâs move to Chicago creates another significant question mark: Can Pat Murphy and his sidekick, Ricky Weeks, pull rabbits out of the cap like Counsell?
Itâs why the Brewers are projected to go 81-81 for a fourth-place finish.
Thatâs ok. Iâll take the âoverâ on 81 total wins.
The NL Centralâs cluster of mediocrity offers hope.
Las Vegas has the Cubs winning the division at 85-77, with the Reds (83-79), Cardinals (82-80) and Brewers (81-81) lumped together in the âclose but no cigarâ subset.
The Pirates (72-90) are penciled in at fifth.
One baseball writer cleverly called it the âthrow-a-dart division.â
Which team is going to hit the bullâs-eye?
If itâs the Milwaukee Brewers here are three things that need to happen for them to capture a second straight division title:
** No. 1 â Pat Murphy is an experienced, knowledgeable baseball lifer.
Those attributes, in addition to possessing a delightful, self-deprecating sense of humor, should serve him well. Itâll be interesting to see how witty, whimsical and glib Murphy will be if the Brewers start slowly.
More important is Murphyâs ability to manipulate baseballâs best bullpen in order to compensate for the rotationâs perceived deficiencies.
Peralta is the unquestioned lead dog.
The hard-throwing right-hander needs to be himself, which is to say, Peralta canât try to replace Burnes and Woodruff by himself. Itâs ridiculous to think Burnesâ and Woodruffâs combined 350-plus innings, nearly that many strikeouts and a minuscule ERA wonât be missed.
Then again, Peralta can at least minimize the damage.
The 27-year-old was 12-10 over 30 starts last season. He pitched 165 2/3 innings while allowing 131 hits with 54 walks and 210 strikeouts.
Right-handers Colin Rea and Jakob Junis, along with left-handers Wade Miley, DL Hall and Robert Gasser, will be in the mix.
Six-foot, seven-inch Jacob Misiorowski and his 100-mph fastball could be a viable option as a starter by mid-season.
Otherwise itâs mostly about when and how often Murphy deploys righties Joel Payamps, Elvis Peguero and Bryse Wilson in addition to a pair of 100-mph righties in Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill.
Hoby Milner remains the primary lefty out of the bullpen.
Closer Devin Williams, the air bender, is among MLBâs finest.
Murphy needs to solve the riddle that is successfully maintaining and sustaining the staff through a 162-game journey.
** No. 2 â The Brewersâ bats need to be better.
First baseman Rhys Hoskins should end the search for a cleanup hitter. Hoskins is a proven power hitter. Now he needs to deliver.
William Contreras, an All-Star catcher who hits for power and average, should be more comfortable after a season under his belt. Veteran Gary Sanchez offers pop at DH and Eric Haase should be the backup catcher.
Newly acquired infielder Joey Ortiz could be the starting second baseman, but heâll also see time at third base and shortstop. He has a chance to add home-run power as he matures and gets stronger.
Slick-fielding Brice Turang needs to find his bat in order to play, while Andruw Monasterio and Owen Miller offer infield depth.
Tyler Black is expected to be first up at third base. If Black can handle the bat as well as he plays defense he should start on Opening Day.
Willy Adames, the teamâs heartbeat, is a first-rate shortstop who possesses legit 30-home run power.
Christian Yelich will be the leadoff hitter. Heâll see time in left field, but mostly heâll be the everyday DH. Jackson Chourio and his $82.2 million albatross will have every chance to be the everyday centerfielder.
That leaves Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Blake Perkins and Joey Wiemer to sort out the rest. All are excellent defensive outfielders, but as the saying goes, âThe bat plays.â
** No. 3 â The Brewersâ plate discipline, which means drawing walks and delivering opposite-field hits, hopefully will lead to more traffic. The idea is to turn solo home runs into two- and three-run shots.
Patience at the plate also should help the Brewersâ odds of getting into the opposing teamâs bullpen. That is the one place Milwaukee has a distinct, undisputable advantage over everyone else.
Whatâs more all that speed â from Yelich to Mitchell to Frelick and the rest â should equate to better base running and more stolen bases.
Theoretically it should put more pressure on opposing defenses. Again, thatâs where the Brewers â who had one of MLBâs top defenses in 2023 â own a distinct and significant edge over other teams.
The Brewersâ âBig Threeâ used to be Burnes, Woodruff and Peralta.
It has been replaced by great defense, a lights out bullpen and timely hitting with improved pop. It should be enough to exceed 81 wins.
The question is whether it will be enough to claim the NL Central.
Pitchers and catchers reported Wednesday. Today is the Brewersâ first practice. Milwaukee takes on the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 2:10 p.m.
This will be among the Brewersâ most interesting spring trainings in recent memory. There is reason for optimism amid many unknowns.
Itâs time to âPlay ball!â
Chiefs, Packers fueled by love stories in 2024
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Chiefsâ fingerprints were still fresh on the Lombardi Trophy when Travis Kelce made his teamâs intentions clear.
After exchanging a soulful kiss and hug with his world-famous pop star girlfriend, Taylor Swift, Kelce grabbed the mike and shouted out sweet music to Chiefsâ fans ears.
âWell, you know the goal has always been to get three,â he hollered from the stage. âBut we couldnât get here without getting that âtwoâ and having that target on our back all year ⌠How about that?
âWe get a chance to do it three times in a row.â
Chiefsâ fans responded with a roar of approval following Kansas Cityâs 25-22 victory over San Francisco in overtime Sunday to claim Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
While the Chiefs were celebrating the victory and looking ahead to a three-peat, the defeat left the stunned 49ers in abject misery.
The 49ersâ loss, which came with a scarcity of big plays, sowed seeds of doubt surrounding San Franciscoâs Brock Purdy. The 49ersâ second-year QB was good, but not nearly good enough to mortally wound the Chiefs.
The 49ersâ loss also makes the mountain that much more difficult to climb given their hefty payroll, shaky QB and the defection of their own free agents who will be overrated and overpaid by other teams.
San Franciscoâs got plenty of work to do this offseason.
That leads to Green Bayâs love story.
Only a fool would compare Jordan Love to Mahomes, especially this early in Loveâs career, but it should be painfully obvious to 49ers fans that the Packersâ quarterback is a superior play-maker to Purdy.
Furthermore, the Packers have an ascending roster, a first-rate GM, a top-notch head coach, a new defensive coordinator and ⌠Love.
The Packers beat the Chiefs at Lambeau Field last season and narrowly lost to the 49ers, 24-21, in the NFC divisional playoffs.
While Green Bayâs future is bright, San Franciscoâs is a bit murky.
Four years ago, the 49ers blew a 20-10 lead going into the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV before falling to Kansas City, 31-20.
This time they led 19-16 late in the fourth quarter, and again 22-19 in overtime, before seeing coach Kyle Shanahan lose a third Super Bowl. His first came as offensive coordinator for the Falconsâ team that blew a 28-3 halftime lead and lost in overtime to the Patriots and Tom Brady.
Now Shanahan has felt the sting of Patrick Mahomes for the second time in four years.
âWhen you go against guys like Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes, you never feel comfortable with a lead,â he said. âThose guys are two of the best to ever play the game.â
Shanahan should hear himself talk.
The 49ersâ head coach is among the NFLâs finest.
Nevertheless, he deserves criticism for questionable decision-making in the gameâs biggest moments.
First, he shouldâve kicked off when he won the coin toss in overtime. The advantage is with the second team to get the football given the NFLâs new overtime rules for the postseason. He should know this.
Second, Shanahan shouldâve gone for the touchdown on the opening drive in overtime. Instead, he capped the 13-play, 66-yard drive by kicking a 27-yard field goal.
So why go for it on fourth-and-4 at the Kansas City 9-yard line?
Hereâs why: If the 49ers get the TD the best the Chiefs could do is tie it with a touchdown, unless head coach Andy Reid elected to go for two points and the win. If the 49ers failed on fourth down, the Chiefs wouldâve had to go 50-plus yards to get into field goal range. And they wouldnât have been in four-down territory the entire drive.
The 49ersâ field goal gave the Chiefs the opening they were looking for, and Mahomes took it from there.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP led Kansas City on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman for the victory.
âWith all the adversity weâve been through this season to come through tonight ⌠Iâm proud of the guys,â Mahomes said.
âThis is awesome ⌠Legendary.â
It is all of that and more.
Mahomes, 28, became the fifth starting quarterback to win three Super Bowls, joining Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman.
After an underwhelming first half, Mahomes relied on his arm and his legs to overcome the 49ersâ stalwart defense. He finished 34 of 46 for 333 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 99.3 passer rating.
Mahomesâ scrambles, including a 22-yard jaunt, kept the Chiefsâ offense moving against San Franciscoâs salty defense.
Ultimately, an incredibly well-designed play by Reid and his staff enabled Mahomes to hit a wide-open Hardman for the game-winner. Furthermore, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo neutralized the 49ersâ offense with an impressive array of blitz packages.
In Reid, Spagnuolo and Mahomes the Chiefs have what the Packers are trying to establish: True offensive and defensive balance.
Itâs interesting to note that Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has discussed designing defenses to stop running quarterbacks in college. He also pointed out that itâs just as important to do so in the NFL â especially in the playoffs â when opposing QBs will do whatever it takes to win, including tucking it and running like Mahomes did Sunday night.
Perhaps Hafley and the Packers will have an opportunity to put Mahomes to the test next February. Super Bowl LIX is scheduled for a Feb. 9, 2025 kickoff at Caesarâs Stadium in New Orleans.
This much is certain: The Packers and Matt LaFleur arenât going to take the 49ers for granted. Thereâs too much respect for Shanahan to allow it. In addition, the Packers are never going to take the Chiefs lightly.
âThe Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs. Just know that,â Mahomes said.
Trust me. The Packers know it.
Badgers canât hit 3s, Bucks canât play âDâ
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â As their seasons stretch beyond the midway point, the Badgers and the Bucks are sputtering rather than excelling.
With anxiety rising and expectations falling concern is through the roof at the Kohl Center and Fiserv Forum. Where their seasons lead remains to be seen, but the Badgersâ prospects are better than the Bucksâ.
Shooting slumps come and go. Itâs a fact of life in college basketball and itâs nothing the Badgers havenât worked through before. In fact, overcoming offensive inadequacy is part of Badgersâ folklore.
The Bucksâ awful defense is an entirely different matter.
Replacing Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers as coach amounted to little more than rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
Milwaukee (33-18) is third in the NBAâs Eastern Conference behind the Celtics (39-12) and Cavaliers (33-16) and just ahead of the surging Knicks (33-18) and slumping 76ers (30-20).
The Bucks are 1-4 since Rivers took the reins (all on the road). They have lost two straight and are a middling 5-5 in their last 10 games.
More disturbing is Milwaukeeâs dismal 12-13 road record. The Bucks are the ONLY team among the top five teams in each conference with a losing road record.
Unless the Bucks pull off a stunning turnaround they arenât going to be the No. 1 seed, which means theyâre going to have to win on the road at some point in the postseason to reach the Finals.
As it stands the Bucks will be fortunate to advance past the first round.
When the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard most NBA observers had them penciled in for greatness. Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo would deliver the Bucksâ third NBA title in franchise history.
Thatâs because at crunch time, with the game on the line, Lillard would find the nearest phone booth and become his alter ego, âDame Time.â
The narrative went like this: If the Bucks didnât blow out opponents early, Lillard and Giannis would close them out late. The Bucks and the word âunstoppableâ were routinely used in the same sentence.
Then a not-so-funny thing occurred on the way to the trophy ceremony.
A necessary evil known as defense â or rather the Bucksâ inability to play it â has cluttered up the championship landscape.
Lately, I have missed Jrue Holiday more times than the Badgers have missed wide-open 3-point shots, which is saying a lot.
Holiday, along with P.J. Tucker and Wes Matthews, provided proven, hardnosed defenders necessary to win playoff games. Inevitably, postseason games become half-court bump-and-grind affairs.
The Bucks are ill-equipped as currently constituted.
Itâs no wonder Milwaukeeâs Jon Horst is searching for trade partners in the hopes of acquiring defensive help. The Bucks have been linked to Mavericksâ power forward Grant Williams, the Netsâ Dorian Finney-Smith and the Warriorsâ Andrew Wiggins.
Williams is a rugged rebounder and defender.
Finney-Smith and Wiggins are solid perimeter defenders who are capable of sticking 3-pointers.
The Bucks looked weary and played like it in a 114-106 loss to at Phoenix on Tuesday night. Devin Booker scored 32 points while Kevin Durant added 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Suns.
Star guard Bradley Beal had 25 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals, and big man Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bucks were outclassed by a Suns squad that is 16-6 after falling below .500 with a Christmas loss to the Mavericks.
To complicate matters, Giannis is dealing with a chronic sore right knee and desperately needs to play fewer minutes down the stretch. Lillard missed the Suns game with a sprained ankle, and Mr. Bad Luck â aka Khris Middleton â exited the game with a sprained ankle.
The Suns shot 50.6 percent from the field. They were 8 of 28 from beyond the arc. Durant scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, otherwise known as âDurant Time.â
Fixing what ails the Bucks isnât going to be easy.
Right now Milwaukee fails the eye test miserably on defense. Itâs either target practice from beyond the 3-point arc or a layup line for opponents.
If Rivers can transform the Bucks into a serious threat he should win the âCoach of the Yearâ award.
The Badgers are only an ophthalmologist away from the Sweet 16.
If they can correct their shooting eye they should make a strong tournament push. They have experience, size, talent and a willingness to play for and with each other.
What they donât have is a tried-and-true sniper.
Connor Essegian was supposed to be that guy, but he has tailed off. John Blackwell was shooting 3âs at a 50-percent clip but also has slowed.
The Badgers (16-7, 8-4) are third in the Big Ten behind Purdue (21-2, 10-2) and Illinois (17-5, 8-3).
Wisconsinâs 3-point field goal percentage is 34.6 for the season, which ranks a respectable sixth in the Big Ten. However, the Badgers are only ninth in the league in made 3-pointers (157). No team in the leagueâs top five has made fewer 3-point shots.
In Wisconsinâs 72-68 loss at Michigan on Wednesday night A.J. Storr led the Badgers with 20 points and Chucky Hepburn added 17.
But Wisconsin committed 11 turnovers and hit just 5 of 19 3-point tries, including a disastrous 0-for-11 stretch.
The Badgers are at Rutgers on Saturday before returning to the Kohl Center to host Ohio State on Tuesday night.
Look for the Badgers to get their 3-point shooting straightened out and ultimately advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
As for the Bucks, itâs all about what player or players they can acquire before the trade deadline. And here Bucks fans thought the acquisition of Lillard was going to be the final championship piece.
As they say, even the best-laid plans âŚ
Brewers trade Burnes,
still expect to compete
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â It isnât often a big-league general manager trades one of the greatest pitchers in team history and says, with a straight face, âI wouldnât look at this as any kind of a rebuild at all.â
Thatâs Matt Arnoldâs story and heâs sticking to it.
The Brewersâ GM met with the media Thursday night after it was made official: Milwaukee traded ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and a first-round draft pick.
âThe overarching theme is weâre excited about the players weâre getting back,â Arnold said. âThe reality of our situation is that we had one year left with Corbin.â
After 2024 the Brewers wouldnât have received any compensation.
It is counterintuitive to believe any team could be as good after trading away one of the most dominant right-handed starters in all of baseball.
Nevertheless, thatâs the plan in Milwaukee.
The Brewers have been to the playoffs four of the past five seasons. They won the NL Central by nine games last season. They finished a tidy 92-70 which was 10 ½ games better than their projected win total.
Milwaukee is a perennial overachiever.
Arnold expects that to continue despite Burnesâ departure to Baltimore.
âCorbin was nothing but a warrior for us,â he said.
Burnes was 45-27 with a 3.26 ERA during six seasons in Milwaukee. He made 106 starts and pitched 709 1/3 innings while allowing 542 hits, 206 walks and 870 strikeouts. He struck out 200 in 193 2/3 last season.
Burnes is amazing.
The reality, though, is the Brewers needed to recoup something for one of baseballâs top pitchers, even if it meant trading him with one year remaining on his contract.
Arnold noted that this is precisely the âbalancing act (the Brewers) are trying to walk hereâ as a small-market club in terms of competing for division titles and retaining a well-stocked minor-league system.
The Brewers also enter the season without Craig Counsell as their manager for the first time since 2015.
Pat Murphy, his former bench coach, and Ricky Weeks, his former second baseman, replace him as the Brewersâ co-managers.
There is some uncertainty regarding the everyday lineup â and itâs possible shortstop Willy Adames, for example, could be traded â but as it stands a few things are solid bets.
** The Brewersâ defense was among MLBâs finest last season.
There is no reason to think that wonât continue this season. In fact, it is possible Milwaukeeâs defense will be better. Catcher William Contreras will have a full season under his belt with the Brewers. The comfort level alone should help, not to mention his own self-improvement, which saw him develop into one of the gameâs top defensive backstops.
Adames, the newly acquired third baseman/shortstop/second baseman Joey Ortiz (Arnold said heâs a gold glove defender) and Brice Turang all are exceptional middle infielders.
Andruw Monasterio, Owen Miller and Ortiz all are solid defenders at third base, and Rhys Hoskins is a capable first baseman.
In the outfield, Christian Yelich is a solid defender while Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio and Joey Wiemer all grade out as well above average. Mitchell, Frelick and Chourio are all speedsters, and Blake Perkins may be the best defender of them all.
** The Brewersâ bullpen is one of MLBâs finest.
Right-handers Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe routinely unleash fastballs in the upper 90s into triple digits. Joel Payamps, Elvis Peguero and Bryce Wilson all were outstanding last season.
The newly acquired Hall, a hard-throwing left-hander, joins soft-tossing but effective Hoby Milner as another left-handed option.
Closer Devin Williams is dynamite.
** The offense should produce more runs.
The Brewers will have Yelich as the primary leadoff hitter and Hoskins as the cleanup hitter from Opening Day on. Hoskins is expected to provide 30-plus home run power from the right side.
Cruz or Monasterio at third base will add little pop to the attack, but the outfielders should be better for having nearly a full season under their belts. Chourio, Frelick and Mitchell are expected to be offensive threats by utilizing their speed, ability to get on base and timely hitting.
Itâs a formula that has worked before to World Series success.
Of course, Wade Miley, Freddy Peralta, Aaron Ashby and Colin Rea are going to have to stay healthy and effective as the heart of the rotation.
I expect the Brewers to be a competitive team that finishes above .500 and challenges the Cubs for the NL Central title.
LaFleur hires Hafley
to build Packersâ âDâ
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â If Jeff Hafley disguises defenses as well as Matt LaFleur conceals coaching hires the Packersâ new defensive coordinator just might be the right person for the job.
Hafley, 44, was hired to replace Joe Barry on Wednesday.
As of Monday, multiple media outlets were reporting that LaFleur had interviewed six candidates, none of whom were Jeff Hafley.
It appears LaFleur had his guy all along, but chose to use the hiring process to collect info on everyone from Broncosâ defensive backs coach Christian Parker to Cowboysâ defensive line coach Aden Durde.
LaFleur and Hafley have never worked together, but theyâve been longtime acquaintances and admirers of each other. In addition, they have various coaching connections across the football landscape.
Hafley was the head coach at Boston College for four years before leaving for Green Bayâs defensive coordinator position. He was hired at B.C. after spending 2019 as Ohio Stateâs co-defensive coordinator.
Before that he spent five seasons in the NFL.
Hafley was the Cleveland Brownsâ defensive backs coach under Mike Pettine in 2014 and 2015. He left in 2016 for San Francisco to work for Kyle Shanahan as the 49ersâ defensive backs coach.
The Packers introduced Hafley on Wednesday.
âWeâre excited to welcome Jeff, his wife, Gina, and their daughters, Hope and Leah, to the Packers and the Green Bay community,â LaFleur said in the statement. âJeff has had success at every stop of his coaching career with an impressive track record of developing players at every level. We look forward to him leading our defense.â
Hafley expressed his thoughts on a variety of football-related topics in an excellent Jan. 25 interview on the âNext Upâ podcast with ESPN college football analyst Adam Breneman.
Hafley presented himself as quick-witted, self-deprecating, intelligent and confident. His exceptional communication skills are evident.
He spoke of getting huge breaks along the way, such as being hired by Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt as defensive backs coach in 2006.
Hafley was 24.
âWe had Darrelle Revis,â he said, âso I thought I really knew how to coach corners. I realized early on youâve got to have good players.â
Hafley said he learned more about the NFLâs ânickelâ position from cornerback Ronde Barber than he did from any coach. It was the same with cornerback Richard Sherman in terms of zone coverage.
Hafleyâs ability to be creative and adapt surely was among the traits LaFleur coveted in his new defensive coordinator.
Hafleyâs scheme deploys a one-high shell look (one safety in the middle of the field) that actually plays like two-high shells. It allows the defense to get extra defenders in the box at the last second before the snap.
Hafley prefers to play a 4-3 base defense similar to the 49ersâ defense under current coordinator Steve Wilks, who inherited the 4-3 from DeMeco Ryans (now the Texansâ head coach) and Robert Saleh (the Jetsâ head coach) before him.
The Packersâ current defensive personnel played a 3-4 base defense under Barry, but Iâve got to believe that will change under Hafley.
Packersâ fans also will love this tidbit: Hafley prefers to play press coverage, disrupt routes and get after the quarterback in the process. He also is adept at playing defenses that can stop a running quarterback.
Hafley has no intention of allowing a Tommy DeVito to run for mega yards, or of allowing a Baker Mayfield to stand in the pocket all day.
In the âUp Nextâ podcast Hafley was asked what he learned about working for and with people such as Shanahan.
âThey grind. They study. Theyâre demanding,â Hafley said of the really good coaches heâs been around. âThey hold people accountable. Theyâre not afraid of confrontation.â
Hafley has been criticized by some for leaving Boston College just months after professing to love it there.
The truth is he got burned out by everything college football entails.
âHe wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football,â a source told ESPN. âCollege coaching has become fundraising, NIL (name, image, likeness) and recruiting your own team and transfers. Thereâs no time to coach football anymore.
âA lot of things that he went back to college for have disappeared.â
Hafley is described as a âlongtime friendâ of LaFleurâs and a âlongtime admirerâ of the Packersâ franchise.
He becomes LaFleurâs third defensive coordinator in six seasons.
The Packersâ entire defensive staff under Barry remains under contract. It is likely Hafley will retain all or most of the existing staff.
Here are a few other nuggets regarding Hafley:
** Boston College defeated 24th-ranked SMU 23-14 in the Fenway Bowl last month. The Eagles lost to No. 3 Florida State 31-29 in the regular season. The Seminoles went 13-0 in the regular season.
** Adam Stenavich, the Packersâ offensive coordinator, worked for two seasons with Hafley in San Francisco.
** Hafley was a receiver in college despite going on to a career as a defensive backs coach and now a defensive coordinator.
Packersâ fans should
relish Lionsâ collapse,
KC-SF Super Bowl
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â All things considered it was a terrific NFC-AFC Championship Sunday afternoon. That is unless youâre Lamar Jackson, Dan Campbell or a Ravensâ or Lionsâ fan.
On the other hand if youâre a Packers fan it was a terrific day all around.
Here are three reasons why:
** No. 1 â The Lionsâ epic collapse at San Francisco may provide the motivation needed to get Detroit head coach Dan Campbell and his team into the Super Bowl next year.
Detroit became the first team to hold at least a 17-point halftime lead and lose in the conference championship. The previous 21 teams in that situation all sealed the deal and advanced to the Super Bowl.
The Lions flamed out spectacularly. Theyâll be seeking redemption.
Then again, it could trigger doubt, especially in the biggest moments. The hangover undoubtedly is going to be severe and apt to linger.
The Lionsâ collapse is the most recent in the long-suffering franchiseâs decades-long futility. Whoâs to say it will be the last?
The Lions havenât won a championship since 1957. When the Lions are awful, which is frequent, their fans just shrug their shoulders, support their team and say, âMaybe next year.â
I hate to break the news to them, but this year WAS next year.
Detroitâs reward for being close-but-not-quite includes a first-place schedule and the realization that success means having some of your top assistants pilfered and your best players poached.
The Lionsâ offense without coordinator Ben Johnson wonât be the same. I say that because I believe Detroitâs media when it insists Johnson is a play-calling savant.
Jared Goffâs improvement, the O-lineâs stoutness and the emergence of running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta support it.
Johnson is likely to be swooped up sooner than later. Itâs a big hit.
Furthermore, pro personnel departments throughout the league are taking a second look at the Lionsâ roster to identify hidden gems for the purpose of luring them away in free agency.
It happens all the time to rising teams. The Lions are no exception.
It also sets up a delightful battle featuring the Lions and Packers for NFC North supremacy. Itâs been decades since the Green Bay-Detroit game has carried so much cache.
Best of all, the Packers have the better coach and quarterback with defensive help (allegedly) on the way.
** No. 2 â A San Francisco-Kansas City Super Bowl LVIII matchup should be fun for Packersâ fans for several reasons.
The Andy Reid connection is priceless.
Big Andy cut his football teeth in Green Bay under Mike Holmgren. He and his wife, Tammy, raised their family here for several years. The connections still run deep after all these years.
Then there is Patrick Mahomes.
He carved up the Ravensâ defense like a Thanksgiving turkey with a near-flawless first half. The Chiefs may have produced the most exciting 17 points EVER in an NFL playoff game.
Every time Packersâ fans see Mahomes playing in a championship game or a Super Bowl they should thank their lucky stars that once upon a time the Chicago Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky over Mahomes.
Some say, yeah, it was bungled, but that was a long time ago. To which Iâd reply, âThatâs exactly the point. Packersâ fans still would be waking up every day to the reality that Mahomes resides in the NFC North.â
Packersâ fans also should take delight in the way Reid and Mahomes incorporate the tight ends, led by the amazing Travis Kelce. Green Bayâs young, talented tight end group has the potential to rival Kelceâs crew.
Thatâs saying a lot.
The Packers also saw the need to draft the next Gibbs if heâs available, and if heâs not draft the next Isiah Pacheco. Green Bay needs to develop the âtwoâ behind Aaron Jones and Player X as the âone-two punch.â
** No. 3 â The 49ers are a tremendous team.
Their defense held the explosive Lionsâ offense to just seven points in the second half. It was what the situation required and they delivered.
It is true 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan wasnât pleased at halftime.
Itâs also true that Shanahan didnât blink.
San Francisco felt it was the better team so they stayed with Christian McCaffrey and the running game, incorporated tight end George Kittle a bit more in the passing game and enabled Brock Purdy to settle down.
So how would any of that please Packersâ fans?
Itâs simple. By advancing to the Super Bowl, the 49ers have put a ton of pressure squarely on Purdyâs shoulder pads. If he fails miserable Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the 49ers may be in search of a QB.
That sounds crazy, but with that much talent San Francisco canât allow an above-average but not great quarterback undermining the operation. As amazing as it seems, Purdy may become one of the rare quarterbacks who leads his team to the Super Bowl, loses badly and finds himself in serious jeopardy of being replaced.
That type of turmoil canât help the 49ers going into 2024.
All in all, it was a terrific championship Sunday that couldâve been perfect if I hadnât picked the 49ers to cover and the Ravens to win.
Oh well, as Lionsâ fans know, thereâs always next year.
LaFleur fires Barry in
move to improve âDâ
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Matt LaFleur made the difficult but correct decision to fire Joe Barry this week.
Now, LaFleur steps into the batterâs box down 0-2 in the hiring count. He took a called strike one when he elected to retain Mike Pettine as the Packersâ defensive coordinator in 2019.
Continuity was one of his big reasons for keeping Pettine.
The problem with that logic is what exactly was LaFleur hoping would continue on Pettineâs watch? That Pettine would persist in trotting out a mediocre defense all but guaranteed to break Packers fansâ hearts?
Strike two was a swing-and-a-miss with Joe Barry.
It was a total whiff.
In 2021, the first red flag with Barry was his willingness to take over as the Packersâ defensive coordinator while agreeing to retain the staff. At the time, it may have seemed like a good idea for continuityâs sake. The fact is Barry wanted the job so badly heâd have agreed to anything.
Any self-respecting NFL defensive coordinator would have required an assurance that he would be in charge of assembling his staff.
Not Joe Barry.
Barryâs three seasons in Green Bay were a rollercoaster ride. There were some ups, some downs, and a lot of queasiness in between.
The Packers yielded four 200-plus rushing games in 2023.
That is unacceptable. It put the Packers behind the 8-ball in four games. Thatâs nearly 25 percent of the schedule in which that 200-plus yard rushing game makes it incredibly difficult to prevail.
It wasnât just the 28th-ranked run defense.
They made the Giantsâ Tommy DeVito and the Bucsâ Baker Mayfield look like surefire All-Pros in consecutive weeks. While DeVito was scrambling wild on the Packersâ defense, and Mayfield was throwing with impunity to wide-open receivers, Barry looked on from the booth.
His expression was blank.
His inability to make in-game changes was staggering.
So was his defenseâs lack of communication.
It is speculated that Mayfieldâs four-touchdown, perfect passer rating game in Tampa Bayâs 34-20 win at Lambeau Field was the final straw.
I think Barryâs fate was already sealed by then.
Either way it dropped the Packers to 6-8 and seemingly out of the playoff hunt. Nevertheless, LaFleur didnât fire Barry but instead got more involved on the defensive side. Green Bay responded by winning three straight to reach the postseason.
Once there, the Packers walloped Dallas 48-32 and took San Francisco down to the final drive before succumbing 24-21. LaFleur was right not to fire Barry in early December, as it turns out, just as he is right to fire him now that the season is finished.
Clearly, there was nothing pleasant about LaFleur having to fire Barry. On the other hand it goes with the job. Barry couldnât cut it. Heâs out.
Reports that Barry might be retained in a different role in Green Bay have surfaced. I hope they go back underwater, the sooner the better, because the Packers donât need Barry in the building.
No good can come of it.
Perhaps one role Barry might be suited to fill is team chaplain. Lord knows he got Packersâ fans praying to the football gods most Sundays.
LaFleur offered the anticipated kind words for Barry.
âWe want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons,â LaFleur said in a statement. âThese decisions are extremely difficult and Joe is one of the best men Iâve had the opportunity to work with in this league.â
Now, LaFleur needs to deliver a first-rate defensive coordinator despite being down 0-2 in the count.
My top choice would be the Panthersâ Ejiro Evero. He has coached in Green Bay, he interviewed with LaFleur for the defensive coordinator job that went to Barry, and he has an incredibly sound proven record.
Everoâs defenses are known for being among the best at getting offenses off the field on third down. His defenseâs third-down stop rate has been among the NFLâs best the past several seasons. That includes seasons in Denver and Carolina in which the offenses were dreadful.
Imagine what Evero could do with a top-notch offense backing his play.
After that itâs a whoâs who among Brandon Staley, the fired L.A. Chargersâ head coach, and Wink Martindale, whose time had come with the Giants in New York.
Beyond that Aubrey Pleasant is another strong candidate. Pleasant joined LaFleurâs staff for the back end of the 2022 season after the Detroit Lions fired him.
Clearly, the Packersâ talent on defense is better than the results.
In addition, Green Bay has five of the top 100 picks in the draft. The most pressing needs are a ball-hawking safety and a hard-hitting off ball linebacker to replace DeâVondre Campbell.
At any rate, LaFleur should have a quality list of candidates in part because of the great job heâs done building up the Packers. Itâs a really tantalizing job considering the history, past and present, in Green Bay.
The next move is LaFleurâs.
Packersâ fans had better hope he gets it right.
Packers test 49ers but
fall in gritty 24-21 loss
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â After a one-year postseason absence and the departure of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have re-established themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
The Packers traded blows with top-seeded San Francisco in Saturday nightâs NFC divisional playoff game before falling 24-21 in 50-degree temperatures and a light, steady rain at Leviâs Stadium.
The dreary weather mirrored the Packersâ mood after the loss.
The NFLâs youngest team â and one of its hottest â wasnât ready for what became a magical season to end.
Kenny Clark, the veteran defensive tackle, offered perspective.
âI think with any game, you always think about you couldâve done, what plays you left out there,â Clark said. âIt sucks. I feel like we played a really good game for the most part ⌠(we) let it get away from us.â
The Packers trailed 7-6 at halftime before scoring 15 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.
It looked like a Green Bay upset was in the making.
Then the 49ers rallied for 10 fourth quarter points and the Packers couldnât respond.
âWell, I think any time thereâs a finality to the season, itâs always tough unless youâre the last team standing,â LaFleur said. âFor us to lose this game certainly stings, and Iâm sure itâs going to sting for a long time. I told the guys part of the reason it stings so bad right now is we fully believed and fully expected to win this game.â
The opportunity was there for the taking.
San Francisco pulled to within 21-17 after a Jordan Love interception led to a field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Packers missed numerous opportunities to salt away the game, including a dreadful 2-5 in the red zone, and the 49ers pounced.
Brock Purdy led them on a 12-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead at 24-21 with 1:07 to play. All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey delivered the go-ahead score on a 6-yard touchdown run.
It was San Franciscoâs best drive of the night against a Joe Barry-coordinated defense that kept the Packers close, but couldnât seal the deal in the final minutes.
The 49ers converted 10 of 16 third downs (62.5 percent) for the game, including three straight on the game-winning drive.
On the Packersâ final possession Loveâs second interception of the half â both were pilfered by 49ersâ linebacker Dre Greenlaw â came on first-and-10 at Green Bayâs 36 and allowed the 49ers to run out the clock.
The Packersâ miscues along the way were daggers:
** Darnell Savage dropped an easy interception and sure-fire âPick 6â in the first half. Keisean Nixon dropped what appeared to be a catchable interception in the second half. A play by either Savage or Nixon wouldâve likely altered the outcome.
** The Packers turned it over on downs early in the second quarter at the 49ersâ 14 after twice failing to gain a yard on third- and fourth-down tries when Jones was stuffed and Loveâs sneak came up just short.
** Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal with 6:18 to play that wouldâve given the Packers a chance to win in overtime.
Lafleur was disappointed in his teamâs inability to capitalize.
âI felt like we had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach and unfortunately just didnât do enough,â LaFleur said. âThere were a lot of plays out there. If one play goes different, we probably have a different result right now.
âWe just didnât make enough plays. Iâm mad about a couple of play calls. Itâs unfortunate.â
The Packersâ final four possessions were a punt, an interception, a missed field goal and another interception.
Love completed 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He wasnât sacked but was hit six times and pressured on at least another eight pass attempts for a 72.4 passer rating.
Jones posted his fifth straight 100 yard-plus game by gaining 108 yards on 18 carries (a 6-yard average) with a long of 53 yards. Jones became the first running back to eclipse 100 yards against the 49ersâ defense in 50 straight games.
Jones took the loss hard and not just for himself, but for his teammates.
âI feel like this is the hottest weâve been in my time here, going into the playoff stretch,â the seventh-year pro said. âI feel like we caught lightning in the bottle. The chemistry, how all the guys came together, bought in. I felt like we were playing for each other.â
Romeo Doubs (four catches for 83 yards) and Jayden Reed (four for 35) led the Packersâ young receiving corps. Bo Melton added a 19-yard touchdown catch on his only target and reception of the game.
Tight end Tucker Kraft had three catches, including a 2-yard touchdown grab to help Green Bay to its 21-14 lead.
The Packers got some juice from the return game with Nixonâs 73-yard kick return to set up Loveâs 2-yard touchdown pass to Kraft. Nixonâs 73-yard return was the second-longest in Packers playoff history behind Desmond Howardâs 99-yard touchdown return in Super Bowl XXXI.
Nixon fumbled on the play, but a hustling Eric Wilson scooped it up ala Willy Adames at the 49ersâ 20-yard line. Four plays later Love hooked up with Kraft and it was 21-14 Packers going into the fourth quarter.
Still, it wasnât enough.
The Packersâ offense took a hit when right tackle Zach Tom exited with a possible concussion in the second half. Yosh Nijman took the final 26 snaps at right tackle. Nijman didnât allow a sack but did yield pressures.
Green Bay was held scoreless in the fourth quarter despite decent field position and the fact that they had moved the football against the 49ers.
Meantime, the 49ers came to life before it was too late.
McCaffreyâs 39-yard touchdown run and George Kittleâs 32-yard touchdown catch put San Francisco in position to win. Green Bayâs failure to respond sealed their fate.
âItâs going to be tough to win a game going against a good offense when youâre not putting up enough points like that,â Love said.
Love guaranteed the Packers will learn from the experience.
âYouâve got to understand how small the margin is and how important every play is and how locked in you have to be to take advantage and win,â Love said. âBut there are so many areas and lessons learned for me â and my teammates â going ahead.â
Love and his receivers already are talking about lining up informal offseason practices. In fact, the focus was all about going forward and improving and realizing their tremendous potential.
LaFleur was asked if heâll be able to look back and process all that the team has accomplished in its final 11 games, including two playoff games that saw 14 rookies get significant playing time.
âI donât know. I canât tell you,â LaFleur said. âItâs hard right now to kind of see through everything. I am proud of these guys, but itâs more just the ability to keep competing, to stick together. There some tough moments in our season, we lost some tough games, and this is one of them, quite frankly, to be honest with you.
âBut Iâve got the utmost confidence in the guys in that locker room, our staff. Weâll stick together.â
Upset-minded Packers
anxious to tackle 49ers
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The 49ers had two unanimous All-Pro selections in addition to three others voted to The APâs 2023 All-Pro first team, plus another two that earned second-team recognition.
The Packers didnât have any first- or second-team All-Pros on offense or defense, although left guard Elgton Jenkins did receive one vote. Keisean Nixon was named the All-Pro kick returner, and he drew a handful of votes as a punt returner, but that was it.
On Saturday night weâll see if the All-Pro disparity is reflected on the field when the Packers (10-8) face the 49ers (12-5) in an NFC divisional round matchup. Kickoff is 7:15 p.m. at Leviâs Stadium in Santa Clara.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur realizes the challenge ahead.
In fact, the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan have been something of a stumbling block for the Packers, and itâs a trend they want to change.
âI think we just continue to take it one day at a time and try to get better each and every day and attack the process the right way,â LaFleur said this week. âCertainly, we know weâre going against one of the elite teams in the National Football League, certainly the class of the NFC.â
Running back Christian McCaffrey and linebacker Fred Warner â the 49ersâ unanimous All-Pros, join a host of 49ersâ players who have earned every ounce of recognition theyâve received this season.
Left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and tight end George Kittle were named first-team selections, and cornerback Charvarius Ward and receiver Brandon Aiyuk were second-team picks.
Pass rusher Nick Bosa, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Deebo Samuel didnât even earn All-Pro honors. Nevertheless, they rank among the finest players at their positions.
âTheyâve got a lot of the same players theyâve had for a few years now, and theyâve added some other freak shows over there,â LaFleur said of the 49ersâ lineup. âWe know itâs a great challenge, but itâs a great opportunity, as well. Thatâs exactly how weâll approach it.
âAt the end of this thing, thereâs only one happy team, period. So youâve got to approach it the same way each and every day. Weâre going out there to win a football game and we know weâre going to have to play our best ball.â
The 49ersâ lynchpins are McCaffrey and Warner.
McCaffrey, 27, led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards. He outgained the Titansâ Derrick Henry by almost 300 yards. He joins O.J. Simpson, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton as the only wire-to-wire NFL rushing champions since 1970, according to PackersSI.com.
He also is a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield or in the slot.
McCaffrey puts massive pressure on any defense and in particular a Packersâ defense that ranked 28th (128.3 yards per game) in the league. They also allowed 4.42 yards per carry (23rd).
Obviously, coordinator Joe Barryâs defense has buttoned things up a bit during the Packersâ second half of the season. That includes limiting Tony Pollard to just 3.7 yards per carry in the blowout win over Dallas.
The Packersâ defense isnât likely to shut down McCaffrey, but theyâll be pleased if they can limit him to a mild roar. McCaffrey is talented enough to break tackles and wreck defenses by himself.
Purdy is an excellent facilitator when given time to throw and itâs a given that the 49ersâ Samuel and Aiyuk are going to gain chunks of yards. So will Kittle, who remains one of the leagueâs top tight ends.
Obviously, the 49ers are loaded, but if McCaffrey runs with impunity itâs difficult to see much, if any, chance for a Packersâ upset.
Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks are going to have to be stout at the point of attack. In fact, Iâd give the Packersâ interior defensive line an edge over the 49ersâ interior O-line.
In addition, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness are going to be required to play both the run and the pass. The loss of Kingsley Enagbare to a season-ending ACL injury is bad news because he was among the Packersâ top outside linebackers against the run.
Van Ness is going to get an opportunity to flash that first-round promise.
The âDreâ and Quay Showâ of inside line backers Quay Walker and DeâVondre Campbell also need to be on top of their game.
Meantime, the Packers are confident their offense can do some damage.
Jordan Love has been playing as well as any quarterback in the league since midseason. He was near-perfect in a 48-32 dismantling of Dallas in last weekâs NFC Super Wild-Card Game.
Love has played with poise and purpose for weeks.
He also has flashed the first-round arm talent that initially drew Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to Love in the 2020 draft.
LaFleurâs message to his young quarterback isnât going to change.
âMy only advice to him â and itâs been this way, I would say, once we hit a certain spot during the season â is just go out there and be aggressive,â LaFleur said of Love. âTrust what you see and let it rip.
âWeâre here now. You canât hold anything back. I think he went out there and played exactly like that.â
Loveâs 20-yard laser to Dontayvion Wicks at Dallas still stands out in LaFleurâs mind.
âThat cover-zero play that he ripped that post to Wicks, that was one of those plays that you could sit there and watch that all day long.â
How many times did LaFleur watch it?
âA lot,â the Packersâ coach said with a gleam in his eye.
When Love has time he can carve up a defense. When he has only a split-second to release it or be sacked, heâs almost as deadly. Love was 5-for-7 for 152 yards and two touchdowns when Dallas pressured him. When he was blitzed, he was 6-for-8 for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
That must continue if the Packers hope to keep pace with the 49ersâ diverse and dangerous attack.
Purdy is similar to Love in that he cares not a whit about style points.
âI think it comes down to, if youâre in the NFL playing quarterback, thereâs little room for error,â Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. âAnd so if youâre getting criticized for making the right decisions and not making a lot of flashy plays but winning, I feel like you really have to start looking at your judgment on football and stuff.â
It was well said.
Purdy has been good all season, but especially so at Leviâs Stadium, where his 115 passer rating was second to Dak Prescottâs 120 at Dallas. Purdyâs 11 yards per attempt at home ranks No. 2 in league history among all quarterbacks with at least 125 attempts.
âYou look at the greats, (such as) Tom Brady and (Peyton) Manning, there are so many games where theyâve made consistent plays and decisions,â Purdy added. âAnd it may not be flashy but, at the end of the day, they protect the ball, they allow their defense to play and they win games. So itâs a team sport for a reason, and thatâs part of our position.â
So whatâs it going to take for the Packers to prevail Saturday night?
Hereâs a quick checklist:
** The defense canât allow the 49ersâ offense to run wild early on. If McCaffrey gets off to a fast start on the ground it will open up numerous options for Shanahan and Purdy to attempt to exploit.
** Big plays are going to occur against the Packersâ defense. Itâs how they respond that will go a long way toward deciding the outcome. Green Bayâs red zone defense needs to turn at least one, if not two, of the 49ersâ red zone opportunities into field goals, rather than TDs.
** Green Bayâs running game with Aaron Jones is going to have to produce enough yards, and just as important enough positive âdown-and-distanceâ situations for the passing game to be unleashed.
I expect Love to play well if heâs given enough time to read the defense.
I also expect the Packersâ young group of receivers and tight ends to play fast and loose while making big plays of their own.
In all of this, it always comes back to the 49ersâ running game, first-rate defense and a quarterback (Purdy) who rarely takes chances and seldom turns the football over.
On the other hand, if Green Bayâs offense shows life Iâd look for the Packersâ defense to respond with great energy as it has all season.
The Packers are the rare NFL team in which the offense sparks the defense, and the young players instill hope and confidence in veterans.
All of that might lead up to an epic upset of the 49ers.
Itâs not only possible. Itâs time.
Prediction: Packers 35, 49ers 34 in a down-to-the final gun finish.
Love rolls in Packersâ 48-32 rout of Cowboys
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Green Bay registered a win for the ages.
Relying on a roster loaded with talented, tough-minded youngsters and resilient, rugged veterans, the Packers rode into Dallas and routed the Cowboys 48-32 in Sundayâs NFC Wild-Card game at AT&T Stadium.
Aaron Jones rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns while Jordan Love directed an aggressive attack that came ready to roll. Green Bay won the toss, took the football, drove for a TD and never looked back.
The Packers (10-8) bolted to leads of 27-0 late in the first half and 48-16 with 10:23 to play in the fourth quarter. Dallas (12-6) mustered up 16 unanswered points to make the result more misleading than the reality.
The Packers became the NFLâs first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game in the four years since the league changed its format.
Green Bayâs stunning domination in âBig Dâ means it will advance to an NFC divisional round matchup with top-seeded San Francisco (12-5) at 7:15 p.m. Saturday night at Leviâs Stadium in Santa Clara.
Both the Packers and 49ers are 7-2 in their last nine games.
It is heady stuff for the Packers, who became the NFLâs youngest team since 1970 to win a playoff game.
Jordan Love led the way with a near-flawless performance.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur couldnât have heaped more praise on his quarterback if he had a front-end loader.
âMan, Jordan Love, wow, thatâs about all I can say, is wow,â LaFleur said afterward. âWhat he did and the poise he shows and the command he shows ⌠Heâs a dude.â
Love was 16 of 21 for 272 yards, three touchdowns and a 157.2 passer rating. His final incompletion came on a dropped pass by Tucker Kraft after the Packers reinserted their offensive starters late in the game. If not for Kraftâs drop Love would have had a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Instead, Love will gladly settle for perfection in the form of victory.
âWeâve been counted out a lot of the season, but everybody keeps battling, keeps competing,â Love said. âI think itâs just noise on the outside. Weâre not worried about it. We keep coming out here and showing what weâre about, and thatâs what weâre going to do.â
The Packers are all about growing younger and better.
It is the most difficult trick to pull off in pro sports, but everyone from Packers president Mark Murphy to GM Brian Gutekunst to LaFleur and his staff to Love and the team has played a major role.
The Cowboys looked and sounded fairly astonished by Green Bayâs dominance from start to finish.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had presided over 16 straight wins at AT&T Stadium. Their most recent home loss going into Sundayâs game occurred in the 2022 season opener against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Prescott was 41 of 60 for 403 yards, three touchdowns and an 89.8 passer rating on Sunday. He also was sacked four times and threw three interceptions that proved to be killers.
CeeDee Lamb, one of the leagueâs premier receivers, had to work hard for almost everything he got against Green Bay. He caught nine passes (17 targets) for 110 yards including a long catch of 47 yards.
Ex-Badgers tight end Jake Ferguson had a career day with 10 catches (12 targets) for 93 yards and three touchdowns although most of his production came after the game was out of reach.
Much-maligned defensive coordinator Joe Barry put together a game plan that relied primarily on man coverage with the occasional man-zone combo coverage. The Packers generated enough pressure to make Prescott uncomfortable throughout the game.
Jaire Alexanderâs interception late in the first quarter set up the Packersâ second touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Darnell Savageâs interception and 64-yard return for a touchdown made it 27-0 late in the first half.
Savageâs âpick sixâ was a measure of redemption in what had been an injury plagued up-and-down season for the veteran safety.
Alexander played despite a sprained ankle that required 24-hour care and made him a true game-time decision. He stepped up and intercepted a slant pass intended for Brandin Cooks at Dallasâ 19-yard line.
A few plays later the Packersâ Aaron Jones blasted in from the 1-yard line to make it 14-0 Green Bay.
Fellow veteran defender Kenny Clark sang Alexanderâs praises.
âJa is elite,â he said. âJa is one of the best corners in this game. The story ainât changed with him. Every time heâs out there, heâs making an impact and helping our team get better. We love him. We love having him out there for the team.â
With veterans such as Jones, Alexander and Savage balling out, the youthful Packers played fast and free.
âI think thereâs a little bit of freedom with that, in terms of how you go out and play,â LaFleur said. âThese guys, they went for it, and thatâs exciting to see.â
Romeo Doubs led the Packersâ young receiving corps with a career day.
Doubs caught six passes on as many targets for 151 yards including a nifty 3-yard touchdown to close out the Packersâ scoring.
âRome, he was on one tonight,â LaFleur said. âYou could see it. Man, heâs got great hands. Heâs got an unbelievable mindset, and it was really cool to see that come to fruition.â
“Rome, he was on one tonight,” LaFleur said. “You could see it. Man, he’s got great hands. He’s got an unbelievable mindset, and it was really cool to see that come to fruition.”
Instead, he finished 16-of-21 for 272 yards with three TDs and a 157.2 rating.
“It started up front, started with the run game, pass protection, the O-line stepped up big,” Love said. “Guys were out there making plays.”
None more than Love, who was making the Cowboys pay anytime they blitzed, selling play fakes to get throwing lanes on the edges, and timing his passes as his receivers broke into open spaces downfield.
“Man, Jordan Love, wow, that’s about all I can say, is wow,” LaFleur said. “What he did and the poise he shows and the command he shows ⌔
The Packers went 14 games this season without a 100-yard rusher, and now Aaron Jones has four 100-yard outings in a row. He had 21 carries for 118 yards and three scores, continuing an absolutely stellar run of games in his career against the Cowboys, especially in Dallas.
The Packers also went 14 games this season without a 100-yard receiver, and now three different pass catchers have hit the mark in the last four games, the latest being Romeo Doubs.
The second-year pro found openings all game, particularly over the middle, in catching six passes for 151 yards and a TD. He was the team’s second-leading receiver in the regular season behind rookie Jayden Reed, but Doubs was Love’s go-to guy in this one.
“It was awesome, just how locked in Rome was this whole week,” Love said. “Obviously with the performance he put on ⌠I’m proud of Romeo and the way he’s continued to battle. He’s probably not getting as many completions or balls his way as he wanted to, kept working and made some plays tonight.”
It was the first 100-yard game of his career, and it came in the playoffs. His touchdown provided the Packers’ last points of the game, which tied the franchise record for scoring in a postseason contest (2010 NFC Divisional at Atlanta, also 48).
LaFleur also called a timeout in the second quarter prior to a key third down after Doubs had subbed out. He wanted to run a particular play for him and made sure he was in the game for it. The result? A 39-yard reception.
“Rome, he was on one tonight,” LaFleur said. “You could see it. Man, he’s got great hands. He’s got an unbelievable mindset, and it was really cool to see that come to fruition.”
This was my dadâs team,â Jones, who shared a moment with Smith before the game and now has 488 yards in four career games against the Cowboys, said of his late father. âYou always want to be like your father, so thatâs how it became my team. Dallas is a special place to me, so itâs a full-circle moment. It feels like home.â
Packersâ D and Joe B
face tall task in Dallas
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â A fair number of Packersâ fans give their rising young team a puncherâs chance Sunday afternoon at Dallas.
Although when they say âa puncherâs chanceâ theyâre not referring to Green Bayâs defense entering this NFC Wild Card matchup. They realize by know â or at least they ought to â that defensive coordinator
Joe Barryâs crew is likely to surrender yards and points at a high rate. Dallasâ offense is that good and Green Bayâs defense is that untrustworthy based upon its entire body of work.
Packersâ fans also know their team has won six of eight games coming into this most recent Packers-Cowboys extravaganza, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m., and that Jordan Love is THE MAN at quarterback.
The Packersâ offense isnât apt to lose Sundayâs game, but if the 7-point underdog visitors expect to pull off an upset, odds suggest itâll be because Love, Aaron Jones, etc., will outscore Dak Prescott and Co.
While Cowboysâ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, pass rush demon Micah Parsons and Mr. Pick Six â DaRon Bland â will have plenty to say about it, the Packersâ offense is legit.
It begins with Love.
In the past eight games, the Packersâ back-to-back NFC Offensive Player of the Week has completed 196 of 279 passes (70.3 percent) for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception.
His passer rating is 112.7 in that stretch.
Packersâ defensive tackle Kenny Clark told reporters of the high degree of respect he has for Love.
âHeâs always had the talent since he first got here and he figured it out,â Clark said. âHe sat behind Aaron (Rodgers) and learned from one of the best to ever do it and itâs been awesome to see him do this.
âWeâve got a lot of young guys on this offense and a lot of young guys on this team. For him to lead us like this says a lot about him, a lot about his character and a lot about his work and a lot about the man. Iâm excited for Jordan and happy heâs our quarterback.â
Obviously, it hasnât all been on Loveâs shoulder pads.
The offensive lineâs coming together is an underrated aspect.
Itâs also directly at the heart of the offensive ascension.
Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan/Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom have improved individually and collectively. Walker has plenty of room to grow, but he has exceeded all expectations. He is a second-year, seventh-round draft pick surviving at left tackle.
The tight end group of Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims are likely to play a big role against the Cowboys. Musgraveâs return from injury opens the door to multiple double-tight end formations that balance up the defense and afford terrific pass or run options.
The Packers have four rookie receivers with at least 30 receptions. Itâs the first time that has happened in team history.
Jones has been incredible during his three-game, 100-yards plus stretch. He has a history of big games against Dallas, and especially in Texas, so it would shock no one if Jones turned in a monster game.
The Packersâ young receivers are the real deal.
Christian Watson can blow the doors off any DB when heâs healthy.
Romeo Doubs is a sure-handed target who is willing and able to out-duel a cornerback for the football. Jayden Reed is an instinctive, gifted talent whose ceiling is unknown. Dontayvion Wicks looks and plays more like a second-round draft pick than a fifth-rounder, but in whatever round the Packers wouldâve gotten him, theyâre glad they did.
Bo Melton is an example of dogged determination â and 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash â combining to pay off. Malik Heath is a tough dude who is equally comfortable catching the football or flattening a cornerback.
Love is the facilitator extraordinaire.
âIf your quarterback can be that guy for everyone to lean on, it just makes it even easier for everybody,â Watson said. âObviously, Jordan is that catalyst and that center-point of the offense and honestly even the team. Heâs done a great job at just owning that role right away and bringing us all together. Through the good and the bad, heâs always been there.â
The Packersâ offensive linemen know if they can provide Love with enough time to survey the secondary itâs going to be a good day.
âEverybody looks to (Love) as a leader,â Runyan said. âHeâs got complete control of this offense, and what he does. We trust him, and youâre able to see it on the field. Heâs a great guy, a great person in the locker room, and the stuff heâs done for us is unbelievable, and hopefully we can sustain it and keep it going forward in these playoffs.â
The Packersâ offense is averaging 25.3 points per game on the road, which is third-best in the NFL. Green Bay has eclipsed 30 points on four occasions on the road. Itâs apt to take a fifth 30-plus game to win Sunday because the Cowboysâ offense is explosive.
Dallas is 8-0 at home. The Cowboys are the NFLâs only team to be undefeated at home this season.
Prescott is the NFLâs top passer at home. His passer rating (120), completion percentage (72.3) and touchdown passes (22) are No. 1. His 2,470 passing yards at AT&T Stadium rank second.
Itâll be a tall task for a Packersâ defense that has played better of late.
Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Karl Brooks, Lukas Van Ness and Preston Smith have provided some serious pass rush. Quay Walker has been
allowed to blitz more often, and DeâVondre Campbellâs healthy return has helped solidify the heart of the defense.
Cornerbacks Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine and Keisean Nixon will be tested mightily by CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup on a variety of deep routes, and tight end Jake Ferguson (Barry Alvarezâs grandson) is a tough, rugged and reliable pass catcher.
Tony Pollard is willing in blitz pickup and remains explosive in the open field despite a down season.
The Packersâ safety tandem of Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens has played better in recent weeks, in large part due to Savageâs experience. When Owens and Rudy Ford were paired together it was a disaster.
Fortunately, Savage is back.
The question is whether Jaire Alexander will be available. Alexander stepped on a teammateâs shoe during Wednesdayâs walk-through and rolled an ankle. He didnât practice Thursday and his status for Sundayâs game remains up in the air.
Either way, the Packersâ defense will have its hands full.
Nevertheless, Iâm going with the LaFleur-Love connection and a Packersâ upset victory.
Green Bay 28, Dallas 27
Packers maul Bears to
capture playoff berth
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers traveled a long and winding road to reach their postseason destination.
The journey began with a 2-5 start that included a four-game losing streak. It continued with a glint of hope at 6-6 followed by a relapse to a dreadful 6-8. It ended with a flourish that featured a three-game winning streak and culminated in the Packersâ first postseason berth since 2021.
The Packers capped their regular-season run with a 17-9 victory over Chicago on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Then they celebrated in style with smiles all around.
It is heady stuff for the NFLâs youngest team â a team that is led by its impressive first-year starting quarterback, Jordan Love.
Advancing to the playoffs, Love said, âmeans everything.â
âThis was an opportunity that we worked for all season long,â he said. âWith our backs against the wall, Iâm just proud of this team.â
Packers coach Matt LaFleur wasted no time celebrating the win. As soon as Love took the final kneel-down to end the game, LaFleur ran onto the field to give his quarterback a heartfelt hug.
âItâs rewarding in the fact that everybody counted us out, and we were struggling,â LaFleur said. âAnd we held it all together. And to get here (the playoffs) was ⌠special.â
The Packers (9-8) earned the NFCâs No. 7 seed and will travel to Dallas (12-5) to face the second-seeded Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy, who coached the Packers to their last Super Bowl win in 2010.
Green Bayâs victory over the Bears (7-10) was among its most complete games, if not its most aesthetically pleasing.
The Packersâ offense racked up yards, if not points, and the defense stayed strong from start to finish. Defensive coordinator Joe Barryâs much-maligned unit dominated for a second straight week. Green Bayâs defense has given up just 19 points in the past two games, which bodes well considering the high-octane Cowboysâ offense that awaits it.
On Sunday, the Bearsâ Justin Fields led each of the offenseâs six drives either to midfield or into Packersâ territory. All Chicago had to show for it was a trio of Cairo Santos field goals that yielded nine measly points.
Fields finished 11 of 16 for 148 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a 97.9 passer rating. Fields ran eight times for 27 yards with a long of only seven yards.
The Packers outgained the Bears 432 to 192. They had five sacks to Chicagoâs one. They converted 7 of 10 third-down tries compared to the Bearsâ 3-for-11 disaster. Green Bay had 24 first downs to Chicagoâs 13.
The Packers punished the Bears by any measure.
LaFleur couldnât have been more pleased with his defense.
âAny time you hold anybody under 10 points, you better find a way to win that football game,â he said. âThose guys (on defense), theyâre playing their butt off right now.â
Quay Walker and DeâVondre Campbell led the way with nine and eight tackles, respectively, while Walker also notched one of Green Bayâs five sacks. The others were registered by Lukas Van Ness, Karl Brooks, Devonte Wyatt and Kenny Clark.
Rashan Gary didnât have a sack, but he did draw a lot of attention which allowed the others to repeatedly beat one-on-one blocking.
The Bears ran for an inconsequential 75 yards while Fields struggled to buy time to find open receivers. He completed four of six targets to his go-to receiver, D.J. Moore, for a modest 64 yards with a long of 33.
The Bearsâ other receivers combined to make two catches for 30 yards.
That was the extent of a Bearsâ offense that endured 10 tackles for loss.
Meantime, the Packersâ offense moved the football almost at will but couldnât finish drives with touchdowns.
Rookie placekicker Anders Carlson misfired from 41 yards in the first half. The Packersâ offense also drove to the Bearsâ 22-yard line with less than a minute to play in the first half but failed to score. Love completed a 3-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks who was tackled as time expired.
Love also lost a fumble after a promising drive in the second half.
Still, the Packersâ offense controlled the game.
Love was 27 of 32 for 316 yards, two touchdowns and a 128.6 passer rating. He was sacked just once and was in command start to finish.
In fact, Love directed a 12-play, 61-yard drive that consumed the final 6:08 of the fourth quarter. It ended with a kneel-down at Chicagoâs 32. The crucial pass was a 15-yard dart to Tucker Kraft on third-and-7.
âThe way the game was going we were in a mode that the (Chicago) defense wasnât going to stop us,â Love said. âThatâs just that killer mindset that everyone in the locker room and on the offense has.
âWhen we get in that position, we want to take advantage and finish with the ball.â
Earlier, Love rebounded from his fumble to hit Jayden Reed on a 59-yard crossing pattern to open the next series. It led to Carlsonâs 25-yard field goal and a 17-9 Packers lead.
âThose are things you cannot coach,â LaFleur said of Loveâs mental toughness and play-making ability. âYou can sit there and talk about it âtil your blue in the face. His ability to stay even-keel, to battle through adversity, to lead our team ⌠Heâs certainly proved himself over the back half of the season. I donât think there are many questions left, to be honest with you.
âI think great things are in store for him.â
The same can be said of the Packers.
Aaron Jones eclipsed the 100-yard mark for a third straight game. He finished with 111 yards on 22 carries (a 5-yard average) and also caught five passes for 30 yards.
Wicks led the receivers with six catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Bo Melton added five for 62 and Reed finished with four for 112. Christian Watson wasnât active but it didnât matter.
Love makes it work with whatever he has to work with.
âI think everyone knew what we were capable of,â Love said. âAll the games we lost were close games that we knew there were little things we could fix that would put us over the hump to win those games.
âI think we were always right there in every game, so that was the thing that was easy for us to keep believing.â
Packers one win away
from postseason play
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers hear the postseason beckoning.
Theyâre close enough to see it off in the not-so-far distance. The only thing obstructing their view is an improving Chicago Bears outfit that would like nothing better than to rain on the Packersâ playoff party.
The Bears (7-9) will get their chance Sunday when they take on the Packers (8-8) in Sundayâs 3:25 p.m. matchup at Lambeau Field.
If Chicago manages to pull off the upset it wonât be because the Packers took them lightly. In some ways Chicagoâs late-season surge should add another layer of focus and urgency as the Packers brace for the Bears.
Furthermore, the Packers were in the same season-ending scenario last year. A win over the Lions wouldâve sent Aaron Rodgers and the Packers into the postseason.
Green Bay lost in disappointing fashion.
That also could add another measure of motivation for Green Bay, although the Packers â to a player â declared themselves locked and loaded for what they expect to be a four-quarter battle.
âThe Bears would love nothing more than to come in here and beat us,â Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said.
Clearly, the Bears have several sources of motivation coming in.
Then again, so does Green Bay.
In fact, quarterback Jordan Love said his team doesnât need to use last yearâs season-ending loss, or the Packers-Bears rivalry, to be ready to roll into Sundayâs game and beyond.
âI donât even think we need to use that (last seasonâs loss) for motivation,â Love said. âI think this team is motivated enough â just the situation we have to get in the playoffs â and how bad we want that.
âLike I said, just with the season weâve had â bumps along the road â weâve put ourselves in a position (to reach the playoffs). I think everybody is very motivated.â
The Packers have won five of seven games coming into Sunday. They are fresh off back-to-back 33-point offensive explosions. They are at home, in front of the Green Bay faithful, and they are armed with one of the NFLâs best and brightest young quarterbacks.
Loveâs first season as the full-time starter has been a revelation.
Love has thrown for 30 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while leading an offense that ranks third in the NFL in third-down conversation rate (46 percent) and third in turnovers lost with 17.
The receivers and tight ends are made up entirely with rookies and second-year players. Despite the utter lack of experience, those two units have overcome injuries and youthfulness to put up really good numbers.
The Packersâ offense is averaging 22.9 points per game which ranks 11th in the NFL.
Jayden Reed (59 catches, an 11.4 average and eight touchdowns) and Romeo Doubs (60 catches, an 11.4 average and eight touchdowns) have posted nearly identical numbers.
Christian Watson has 28 catches for a 15.1 average and five touchdowns. The other deep threat â Dontayvion Wicks â has 33 catches for a 15.8 average and two touchdowns.
Tight end Tucker Kraft has also produced since fellow rookie Luke Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney. Kraft has 28 catches for an 11.6 average and two touchdowns. Musgrave (33 for a 10.3 average and one touchdown) is healthy and eligible to return to the active roster.
It will be interesting to see if LaFleur springs Musgrave on the Bears or keeps him in his back pocket should they win and advance.
A healthy Aaron Jones has been the tip of the spear for the Packersâ offense the past two weeks. Jones has gone over 100 yards in each of the past two wins and has enabled the offense to control the football.
Jones had a big day in the season-opening 38-20 victory over the Bears at Chicago. There is no reason to think he canât match that effort despite the fact that the Bearsâ defense is on the rise.
The Bears have 16 takeaways and allowed fewer than 20 points four times in the past six games. The Bears lead the NFL in interceptions, but Love has been exceptional at protecting the football.
LaFleur has never lost to the Bears during a stretch that has been extended to nine straight wins by the Packers.
In order to make it 10 straight, the Packersâ defense must keep Justin Fields and the Bearsâ offense in check.
Fields has 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. He also has thrown for 2,414 yards in addition to running for four touchdowns.
Fieldsâ top weapon is wide receiver D.J. Moore, who is one of the NFLâs most dangerous players. Fields has a 119.5 passer rating when targeting Moore. He has an 82 passer rating targeting everyone else.
Moore has 1,300 receiving yards and eight touchdowns â both career highs.
Fields said he is excited to take on the Packers in Green Bay.
âItâs going to be a fun environment to walk into their home field,â Fields said. âI know their fans are going to be loud â because thereâs not much to do in Green Bay except watch football â but itâs going to be a great environment for us to play in and hopefully have a great game and get the win.â
The Bearsâ defense may be without its top cornerback, Jaylon Johnson, who is dealing with a shoulder injury and hasnât practiced all week. Johnson, a Pro Bowl corner, would be a big loss if he canât play.
Ultimately, the Packers have the better quarterback, the better offense and the home-field advantage. It should be enough to carry the day.
Prediction: Packers 27, Bears 16.
And itâs on to the playoffs.
Packers toast Vikings 33-10 to ring in 2024
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers rang in the New Year in style.
Jordan Love and Aaron Jones donned top hats with âHappy New Yearâ scrawled above the brim and hoisted champagne glasses filled with sparkling water to toast a most impressive victory.
Green Bayâs playoff hopes were alive and well after a convincing 33-10 victory over Minnesota on New Yearâs Eve at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jones slashed the Vikingsâ defense for 120 yards to surpass the 100-yard barrier for a second straight week.
Love threw for three touchdowns, ran for a fourth and scarcely resembled the harried quarterback who generated a measly 10 points against the Vikingsâ defense two months ago.
Matt LaFleur was pleased with Jones and the rest of his offense and in particular his young quarterbackâs exceptional performance. He looked calm and cool â like usual â on the road in the playoff atmosphere.
âHeâs playing at an incredibly high level,â the Packersâ head coach said of Love. âIâm super happy for him because heâs put in a ton of work to get to this point. I really think the sky is the limit for us. Heâs just showing a glimpse of what he can ultimately be.â
Love was 24 of 33 (72 percent) for 256 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 125.3 passer rating. He wasnât sacked. Itâs the seventh time in nine games Love has posted a 100-plus passer rating.
He has thrown 19 touchdowns to only three interceptions since the Packersâ 24-10 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 29 at Lambeau Field.
Loveâs progress is incredible, but he hasnât done it alone.
He was sacked 29 times through the first seven games. In the past nine games heâs been sacked just 15 times. The offensive lineâs improvement in both their run- and pass-blocking efficiency has been impressive.
Jonesâ healthy return added another dimension since he came back from a knee injury last week.
âAt the beginning of the season everybody tried to count us out,â Jones said. âIn the middle of the season everybody tried to count us out. I think that speaks to a lot of these guys in this locker room, tuning out the noise and just getting to work.â
The Packersâ receiving corps is a thing to behold ⌠and fear.
Bo Melton is the latest unheralded receiver to grab the reins.
Melton, 5-11, 190, was signed off Seattleâs practice squad one year and four days before posting his first 100-yard receiving day and hauling in his first NFL touchdown against the Vikings.
Melton had six catches for 105 yards (on nine targets) for a 17.5 average and a touchdown. Injuries to Christian Watson (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) going into the game, and Jayden Reedâs chest injury during it, forced Melton to step up.
Reed added six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end Tucker Kraft came up big again with six catches for 48 yards.
But it was Melton who personified the ânext man upâ mentality Sunday.
âHeâs stepped up huge,â Love said of Melton. âBoâs been a guy working every week, finding ways to get better. Itâs not a surprise to anybody he goes out there and does what he does.â
Meltonâs performance when thrust into action was similar to the way Malik Heath has delivered at an injury-racked position.
LaFleur couldnât say enough good things about Melton.
âFrom Day 1 that Bo got here, just an unbelievable attitude, unbelievable approach,â he said. âHeâs been team first all the way.â
The Packersâ defense and beleaguered coordinator Joe Barry turned in a strong performance â start to finish â against Vikings quarterbacks Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens.
Hall started and played poorly. His fumble and interception led directly to the Packersâ 17-3 lead at halftime. Mullens took over at halftime and was worse.
Together, the Vikingsâ quarterbacks were a combined 18 of 32 for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a 69.8 passer rating. Barryâs defense notched four sacks and an incredible 14 QB hits.
âHats off to Joe Barry and the defensive staff,â LaFleur said. âThey came up with a great game plan. I know (Barryâs) taken a lot of heat lately, and I know itâs just one game, but I was happy for him, our staff and our players to go out and put on a performance like that.â
The Vikings couldnât give their quarterbacks time to get the football to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson and his rookie sidekick, Jordan Addison. Minnesotaâs run game was non-existent, due in part to the Packers forcing the Vikings to play from behind.
The Packers (8-8) now have a chance to make the playoffs with a victory over the Bears (7-9) on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Itâs a âwin and advanceâ mindset for the Packers.
Itâs also a repeat of the 2022 season-ending scenario when the Packers couldâve clinched a playoff berth with a victory but fell short against the Lions. That disappointment still lingers in the Packersâ locker room.
âItâs an awesome vibe in the locker room,â Love said, âbut at the same time everyoneâs focused on what weâve got in front of us.â
Love mentioned that most of the Packers knew the Seahawks lost before the Vikingsâ game, so they knew they controlled their own fate.
âThe whole team is focused on making sure we get that win and moving on,â Love said. âWe know whatâs in front of us and weâre trying to make the playoffs.â
LaFleur added a final thought.
âItâs a great win tonight,â he said. âBut it means nothing if we donât take care of business (against the Bears).â
The Packers will be open for business at 3:25 Sunday when the NFLâs oldest rivalry resumes.
Itâs enough to give Packersâ fans goose bumps.
The fairytale ending lives on.
Packers look to toast
Vikings in NFC North
New Yearâs Eve game
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â One team has lost its quarterback for the season. The other has found its quarterback of the future.
Thatâs just one storyline when the Packers face the Vikings in a prime time New Yearâs Eve matchup set for 7:20 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings (7-8) and Packers (7-8) are vying for an NFC wild-card berth with two games to play. The winner of Sunday nightâs game will inch that much closer to the postseason. The loser will be eliminated.
That much is black and white.
Most everything else isnât as clear cut.
For example, how will the Packers respond after All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander received a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team? Rookie Carrington Valentine will start in his place.
It could be a rallying cry, of sorts, for Joe Barryâs beleaguered defense. Barry is all but gone after the season as the Packersâ defensive coordinator. That much is obvious. What isnât so apparent is how a defense with prideful players such as Preston Smith, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary will respond with a season on the brink.
The Packers are a 2-point underdog according to the odds-makers, but Green Bayâs edge at quarterback, running back and on the offensive line gives the Packers reason to think they can avenge a 24-10 loss to Minnesota earlier this season at Lambeau Field.
As for the Vikings, how will their offense function without one and perhaps two of its top weapons? Terrific tight end T.J. Hockenson suffered a season-ending knee injury in last weekâs loss to Detroit.
Hockenson had 95 catches on 127 targets for 960 yards (a 10.1 average) with five touchdowns and 48 first downs converted. Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt will try to pick up the slack in Hockensonâs absence.
Oliver, a third-round pick by Jacksonville in 2019, has 19 catches on 23 targets for two touchdowns. He has the ability to get downfield and make big plays. Given the Packersâ problems in the secondary in general, and at safety in particular, Oliver canât be taken lightly.
The Vikings also may be without standout rookie receiver Jordan Addison, who is dealing with a knee injury. Addison is second on the team with 63 catches for 826 yards (a 13.1 average), nine touchdowns, 35 first downs converted and 13 plays of 20-plus yards.
The Vikings will have All-World receiver Justin Jefferson available to torment the Packersâ defense. Jefferson has played in only eight games due to injury, but heâs been amazing when heâs on the field.
Jefferson has 51 catches for 823 yards (a 16.1 average) with four touchdowns. Whatâs amazing is that 19 of his 51 receptions have gone for 20-plus yards. That means 37 percent of his catches are big plays.
The Packersâ offense hasnât produced a 100-yard receiver all season. Jefferson is averaging 102.3 receiving yards per game.
The question going into the week was: Who will be throwing to him?
The answer is rookie Jaren Hall, a fifth-round pick out of BYU, who lasted two drives in his only other start before exiting with a concussion. Hall led the Vikings on a drive against the Falcons in that Week 9 matchup before being blasted at the 5-yard line.
Joshua Dobbs took over after that and played well before ultimately struggling and giving way to Nick Mullens, who has been benched in favor of Hall.
So the QB carousel continues in Minnesota.
It will be interesting to see if Hall can continue the trend of Barryâs defense making mediocre quarterbacks look All-Everything.
In the past three games, quarterbacks Tommy DeVito, Baker Mayfield and Bryce Young have combined for a perfect passer rating in the second halves of those games. The trio has completed 36 of 45 second-half passes for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception.
Vikings coach Kevin OâConnell has had to juggle QBs ever since Cousins went down with a torn Achilles at Green Bay.
âSince weâve kind of lost Kirk, weâre trying to work through what we feel gives us the best chance to be explosive like we were moving the football the other day ⌠but we have to find a way to possess the football and not set our team back,â OâConnell said.
OâConnell was referring to Mullensâ 411 passing yards â which was great â but also was negated by four interceptions. Turnovers have killed the Vikingsâ offense. On the other hand, the Packersâ defense has been among the leagueâs worst at forcing turnovers.
Meantime, the Packers are high on Jordan Love, their first-year starting quarterback who keeps improving on a weekly basis.
In 15 starts, Love is 321 of 514 (62.5 percent) for 3,587 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has a 91.8 passer rating.
By comparison, Aaron Rodgers was 320 of 505 (63.4 percent) for 3,730 yards, 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions through his first 15 games.
Love has posted a passer rating of 100-plus in six of his last eight games. He understands whatâs at stake and is up for the challenge.
âWe all know whatâs in front of us, and we know what weâre capable of,â Love said. âWeâre just going to go finish this thing off.â
Love threw for two touchdowns and ran for another when he audibled to a sneak at the 1-yard line. The Packers put up 33 points and scored on their first four possessions at Carolina. That type of production may be required on New Yearâs Eve if theyâre to get past the Vikings.
It wonât be made easier without Alexander.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst announced Alexanderâs one-game suspension in a statement earlier this week. Alexander became a self-appointed game captain when he ran onto the field for the coin toss and proceeded to say, âWe want to go on defense.â
It was the most recent in a litany of missteps for the talented corner.
âUnfortunately, Jaireâs actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,â Gutekunst said. âAs an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first.â
At least this much is clear going into Sunday nightâs game: It will require an entire team effort if the Packers are to knock off the Vikings even without Kirk Cousins.
Prediction: Packers 27, Vikings 23
Call me crazy. Call me a âhomer.â But Iâve got to call it like I see it.
Green Bay has no excuses for not going to Minnesota and getting the win. Their offensive line is playing better, Aaron Jones is healthy and the receiversâ ânext-man-upâ mentality is amazing.
Happy New Year!
Packersâ âDâ awful in
33-30 win at Carolina
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Matt LaFleur has the unenviable task of preparing for not one but two defenses each week: His own and the opponentsâ.
Green Bayâs offense is a work in progress and the improvement has been laudable. The Packersâ defense, however, has been laughable. It has taken its substandard play under defensive coordinator Joe Barry to a new low the past three games, forcing the Packersâ head coach to play with one defense tied behind his back.
Itâs LaFleurâs own fault for retaining Barry, but that doesnât make it any easier to watch.
Fortunately, Jordan Love and the offense were able to overcome the Packersâ defensive foibles, foul-ups and foolishness to capture a 33-30 victory against Carolina on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
The Packers (7-8) currently sit in the No. 10 spot in the NFC playoff chase for one of two wild-card berths. They have a 24-percent chance of making the playoffs, but if they win out it skyrockets to 96 percent.
Green Bay is at Minnesota (7-8) in a prime time New Yearâs Eve matchup before closing out against Chicago (5-9) on Jan. 7 at home.
âWe know exactly whatâs out in front of us, and weâve got to go finish the season off,â Love said. âWe know to keep those hopes alive and give ourselves a chance weâve got to win these last two. We know whatâs in front of us and what weâre capable of.â
The Packers know it wonât be easy.
Several key offensive weapons are injured and may be unavailable.
Christian Watson (knee), Dontayvion Wicks (chest) and Jayden Reed (ankle, chest) are all questionable at best. The good news is that Reed has had a week to recover, and Wicks didnât break any ribs Sunday.
Wicks had two catches for 29 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown grab, before exiting with a chest injury.
Despite all of those obstacles, the Packers still built a 30-16 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Love made it work Sunday with a pair of rookie tight ends (Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims), second-year receivers Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure, and rookie receivers Malik Heath and Bo Melton.
Aaron Jones also provided a big lift.
Jones became the Packersâ first ball-carrier to surpass the 100-yard mark this season. Jones finished with 127 yards on 21 carries (a 6.0 average) and a 39-yard gallop that suggests he has recovered from his knee injury.
Kraft continues to develop into a really promising tight end. He had four catches for 60 yards as the Packers relied on a healthy dose of double-tight end formations to kick-start the running attack.
Meantime, Melton hauled in four catches for 44 yards to complement Doubs, who had four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. He also made a critical 36-yard catch to sustain what ultimately became the game-winning drive via Carlsonâs field goal.
Still, it almost wasnât enough.
In the span of eight minutes of game time, Carolina rookie quarterback Bryce Young led the Panthers on touchdown drives of 60 and 70 yards to tie it at 30-30 with 4:12 to play.
âThat was definitely frustrating,â LaFleur said. âBut it wasnât just on the defense. Offensively youâve got to give them a breather, especially if weâre bleeding a little bit defensively.
âMomentum is a crazy phenomenon. They got momentum in the second half and they were rolling in every phase.â
Love did answer with a clutch 9-play, 61-yard drive that resulted in Carlsonâs 32-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play. Doubsâ 36-yard catch along the sideline was critical. So was Loveâs 20-yard completion to Kraft that allowed Green Bay to run all but 19 seconds off the clock before Carlson kicked the eventual game-winning field goal.
Nevertheless, the Panthers nearly managed to tie the game.
The Panthers got the football at their own 25 with 19 seconds to play.
Young hit D.J. Chark for a 22-yard gain to the Panthersâ 47 where he got out-of-bounds with 13 seconds to play. Young then hit Adam Thielen for another 22-yard gain over the middle.
By the time the Panthers raced to the Green Bay 31, lined up and spiked the football there was no time on the clock.
The Panthers (2-13) missed a chance to kick a tying 38-yard field goal by a half-tick of the clock.
Whew! The Packersâ defense got lucky.
In no way does the outcome excuse one of their poorest performances of the season. When Green Bayâs defense isnât surrendering 200-plus yards rushing, itâs transforming mediocre QBs into first-rate signal callers.
The Panthers posted numerous season-highs on offense:
** Total yards: 394
** Passing yards: 298
** First downs: 26
** Plays of 20-plus yards: Five
The Packersâ defense has had three straight bad games, a fact that is magnified because it includes three straight second-half collapses.
Barryâs crew has made the Giantsâ Tommy DeVito (who was benched on Christmas), the Bucsâ Baker Mayfield and the Panthersâ Young look like Eli Manning, Tom Brady and Cam Newton in their prime.
In six second-half quarters DeVito, Mayfield and Young have combined for a perfect second-half passer rating of 158.3 by completing 36 of 45 passes for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions.
The Packersâ defensive communication is so poor it nearly led to the Panthers receiving both the first- and second-half kickoffs.
Jaire Alexander, one of the Packersâ captains, declared âweâre going on defense,â after winning the coin flip. The problem is that technically it meant Carolina wouldâve had the choice, and the ball, in the second half.
LaFleur said he makes it a point to tell the gameâs referee before kickoff his preference should the Packers win the toss.
Fortunately, the referee heeded LaFleurâs pre-emptive strike, rather than causing a ruckus by making the technically correct ruling.
Barryâs defense doesnât even wait until kickoff before allowing the miscommunication to begin.
At any rate, the Packers got out of Charlotte with a much-needed win, and they now have a chance to reach the postseason in spite of their incompetent defense.
âEverythingâs at stake,â LaFleur said. âWeâre going into a great environment next week in Minnesota, against a really good football team. Itâs going to be a great challenge. This is what we prepare for all year.â
Or in Barryâs case, itâs what the defense has inadequately prepared for all year.
Panthersâ Evero a top
pick to replace Barry
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Matt LaFleur was asked the typical questions leading up to the Packersâ game Sunday at Carolina.
Invariably his responses circled back to how well the Panthersâ defense has played despite the teamâs dismal 2-12 win-loss record.
Carolina head coach Chris Tabor took over as the interim replacement when Frank Reich was fired earlier this season. Reich hired ex-Denver defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to run that side of the football.
One of the few bright spots in Carolinaâs downtrodden season is its defense, which ranks among the NFLâs top units despite having to do all the heavy lifting.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young has legit first-round talent, but he has looked and played like a first-year starter. In other words, there has been some good but an awful lot of bad.
Running back Chuba Hubbard and receiver Adam Thielen provide Young with a couple of weapons, but the Panthersâ 30th-ranked offense has struggled to consistently move the football and score points.
Meantime, Everoâs defense ranks third in yards allowed overall and third in passing yards allowed. The Panthers also are seventh in third-down conversation rate (34.1 percent) and 11th in rushing yards per play.
It is little wonder LaFleur is impressed with Evero.
Then again, LaFleur thought highly enough of him to interview him for the defensive coordinatorâs job in Green Bay before the 2021 season. Ultimately and unfortunately, as it turns out, LaFleur hired Joe Barry.
For comparisonâs sake, Barryâs defense ranks 28th in rush yards per play, 23rd in pass yards per play, and 25th in third-down conversation rate.
The numbers suggest itâs not even close.
LaFleur all but said so this week.
âHeâs done a hell of a job,â LaFleur said of Evero. âYou saw it a year ago in Denver, and you see the carryover this year with a whole new group. Iâve got a lot of respect for Ejior. Heâs a great communicator, heâs demanding, he holds guys accountable. Iâve just got a ton of respect for what heâs been able to accomplish.â
Itâs a foregone conclusion â in my mind â that Barry is fired after the season. Heâs been given talented players, two-plus seasons and an offense that generally doesnât put the Packersâ defense in bad spots.
And still he canât get the job done.
Clearly, Evero would be among LaFleurâs top candidates for the job.
In fact, Everoâs stock has risen so much lately that heâs being talked about in terms of getting the head coaching job at Carolina. LaFleur may not have the opportunity to hire him.
Nevertheless, it adds another layer of interest to Sundayâs game.
âYou see it on tape,â LaFleur said of Carolinaâs defense. âTheyâre very well coached. Heâs got a really good scheme ⌠nice wrinkles to it. They play very competitive on all three levels. You definitely see how hard they play. It jumps off the tape. I think theyâre third in total yards right now. I know theyâre Top 10 in a lot of categories.â
Evero worked in Green Bay in 2016 as the defensive quality control assistant under Dom Capers. He was hired by the Ramsâ Sean McVay the following offseason, joined their staff as the defensive backs coach and helped them beat Cincinnati 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
Joe Burrow and the Bengalsâ vaunted passing attack never got on track against Everoâs secondary and the Ramsâ defense.
On Sunday, LaFleur will match wits with Evero.
It will be interesting to see if Jordan Love and the offense get back on track at Carolina. Love wasnât sharp in a 24-22 loss to the Giants, but he did bounce back in a 34-20 loss to the Bucs last week.
Love was 29 of 39 for 284 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 111.5 passer rating.
The Packers (6-8) likely have to win out to reach the postseason.
âItâs all about how we finish the season at this point with these three games that weâve got,â Love said.
The Packersâ two-game losing streak followed a three-game win streak. The loss to the Giants didnât seem to shake them out of their doldrums.
âYouâre being introduced to adversity and thereâs two ways youâre going to respond to it,â Packers linebacker Quay Walker said. âYouâre either going to lie down or youâre going to get up.â
The Packers better be up for the Panthersâ game or risk a disaster.
Green Bayâs problem in the Tampa Bay loss was that their offense couldnât keep pace with the Bucsâ Baker Mayfield, who threw for four touchdowns and finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Barryâs defense had absolutely no answers for the Mayfield.
Now weâll see what he draws up to try and trip up Young.
The Panthers are in âspoilerâ mode coming off a 9-7 win over Atlanta in which they didnât score a touchdown.
LaFleur isnât taking the Panthers for granted. Weâll find out if his team, and in particular the defense, is going to follow suit.
âWeâve got three games and every game is a playoff mentality,â LaFleur said. âWho knows what will happen, but we canât get it all back at once.â
The Packersâ defensive implosion against the Bucs further fueled speculation that Barry will be fired after the season. His unit already has surrendered four 200-plus rushing yard games this season.
LaFleur was visibly displeased with his defenseâs lack of communication during and after the game.
âIâve seen us execute this stuff before,â he said. âItâs unfortunate that it happened at this time of the year. Every guy plays off one another and when thereâs any type of miscommunication, you get gashed.
âAnd thatâs what happened. They gashed us.â
To use LaFleurâs description of his defense, the Packers are down to their final gashing. Another subpar performance by Barryâs defense will put the proverbial nail in the Packersâ coffin.
The vibe isnât good right now, but I believe the Packersâ offense will do enough good things to escape with the win.
Prediction: Packers 19, Panthers 11
Packersâ defense lame in 34-20 loss to Bucs
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â It should be painfully obvious to Matt LaFleur that Joe Barry isnât qualified to coordinate a church picnic.
Itâs too important to the churchâs financial well-being, and parishionersâ faith only goes so far.
And yet LaFleur is willing to live in âsinâ â the sin of omission â by not firing his defensive coordinator. He should have done it after last season. It wouldâve been best for his team and merciful for his coordinator.
He didnât.
LaFleur should do it now in the wake of a 34-20 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday in front of 77,275 Joe Barry non-believers at Lambeau Field.
He wonât.
In fact Iâll be surprised if LaFleur fires Barry in-season, but whenever he does it canât happen soon enough.
The Bucs scored 31 points on five of six series after the first quarter. It couldâve been worse except the Bucsâ seventh and final drive bled four minutes before Baker Mayfield took a knee at Green Bayâs 12 to end it.
Mayfield completed 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He was sacked five times, but didnât throw an interception and overcame four of the sacks with long completions.
Eighteen of Mayfieldâs 22 completions went for first downs. The Bucs ran 12 plays that covered 18 or more yards. The Bucsâ offense currently ranks 23rd in yards and that includes Sundayâs 452-yard effort.
Barry is sinking into an abyss of incompetence. Whatâs worse, heâs taking an entire team and a lot of really good players down with him.
In his postgame news conference, LaFleur sounded resigned to the fact that Barry has to go. He also sounded like heâs trying to decipher whatâs best for his 6-8 Packers with three games to play.
âRight now weâre looking for solutions,â he said. âSo I want to go back to it. As soon as we leave here, Iâm going to go right into my office and get to work on that.
âItâs extremely disappointing to have a home game against a team thatâs right in the thick of it in their division when youâre holding onto one of those (playoff) spots, and you get manhandled in the second half of a tight ballgame.â
The Packers slipped from seventh to 11th in the NFC playoff race. They play at Carolina (2-12) and at Minnesota (7-7) before the regular-season finale against Chicago (5-9) on Jan. 7 at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay went from a dreadful 2-5 to a promising 6-6 before relapsing into a disappointing 6-8.
Now the Packers must win out to have any shot at postseason play.
Green Bayâs defense isnât the only problem, but itâs the most glaring. Hereâs the litany of dirty laundry:
** Mayfield hit a wide-open Mike Evans for a 19-yard touchdown on third-and-6 to take a 10-7 second-quarter lead.
** He hit Godwin for 24 yards on second-and-29 to set up a field goal late in the first half.
** He found Godwin again for 15 yards on third-and-12 before hitting running back Rachaad White for a 26-yard touchdown to push the Buccaneersâ lead to 20-10 early in the third quarter.
But wait ⌠the Barry-led Packersâ defense wasnât finished.
** Mayfield hit Godwin again for 21 yards on second-and-18 and then found David Moore for a 52-yard catch-and-run to make it 34-20 to close out the Buccaneersâ scoring.
âItâs all concerning, right, when it looks like thereâs some confusion going on back there (on defense),â LaFleur said. âYouâve got to be so coordinated and so in tune, really on all three levels. Every guy plays off one another and when thereâs any type of miscommunication, you get gashed and thatâs what happened.â
LaFleur was asked if Barryâs approach was flawed. Barry played mostly zone coverage behind a four-man rush. Blitzes were sparse. Creative personnel groupings were non-existent.
âHindsightâs 20-20,â LaFleur said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Barry used a similar scheme in last Mondayâs loss against the Giants. Barry made Giants QB Tommy DeVito look like a Pro Bowler on Monday night. He made Mayfield look like a Hall of Famer Sunday.
What Barry lacks in creativity he makes up for in redundancy and opposing offenses are reaping the rewards.
âYouâve got to be willing to challenge, especially if youâre getting gashed, just changing it up,â LaFleur said.
LaFleur should hear himself talk.
Heâs no more willing to make a change at defensive coordinator than Barry is willing to make a change in the way he does business.
Doesnât LaFleur realize the hypocrisy in his own statement? Perhaps a five-game losing streak to totally incinerate a once-promising season will be enough for LaFleur to pull the rug out from Barry.
Hey, whatever it takes.
LaFleur should be embarrassed the way the Giants and Bucs took it to his Packers in back-to-back games.
At least heâs willing to admit that much of the obvious.
âTheyâre beating us. Theyâre outcoaching us. Theyâre out-scheming us and outplaying us, ultimately,â he said. âWe havenât found solutions that are good enough, in particular in a game of this magnitude. Because we all know whatâs at stake at this time of the year. Iâm proud of the guys in terms of our ability to fight our way back into this thing but (Iâm) obviously very disappointed with the outcomes of the last two weeks.â
There were some bright spots.
Jordan Love completed 29 of 39 passes (74 percent) for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a 111.5 passer rating. It was the fifth time in seven games Love has eclipsed a 100 passer rating.
Aaron Jones, Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed played through painful injuries â and played well doing it â because they are consummate pros.
Jones rushed 13 times for 53 yards (4.1 per carry) and caught four passes for 16 yards. He also had a 20-yard gallop during which he flashed a glimpse of his former explosive self.
Wicks hauled in six passes for 97 yards (16.2 per catch) including a 22-yarder to keep a touchdown drive alive.
Reed added six catches for 52 yards and a 17-yard touchdown.
The Packersâ top four receiving yards leaders were all rookies. Wicks (97), Reed (52), Tucker Kraft (four for 57) and Malik Heath (three for 29) combined for 19 catches, 235 yards and two touchdowns.
Again, it all comes back to an unqualified defensive coordinator being allowed to keep running an unsuccessful unit for reasons known only to God and the Packersâ head coach.
This much is known: If Barry isnât gone by mid-January odds are LaFleur will be after the 2024 season.
Packers better beware of Bucsâ WR Evans
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The NFC race is a four-game sprint featuring three legit contenders and a handful of flawed but determined also-rans.
The NFCâs top teams â the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys â are replete with high-level playmakers. They also have a starting quarterback who is healthy, effective and no stranger to winning big-time games.
San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas are the most complete teams among the NFCâs true Super Bowl contenders.
The 49ers are a strong bet to win the Super Bowl, especially given the AFCâs rash of horrible injuries at the quarterback position. Itâs Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa and not much else still standing. It may not make for a great Super Bowl representative, although the trivia possibilities â name the AFCâs seven starting QBs in the playoffs in 2023 â ridiculously difficult and endless.
Then there is the top-heavy NFC and a mish-mash of mediocrity.
The Lions (9-4) have been sabotaged by an injured, undermanned defense and an offense thatâs former top-of-the-line, uh, lines has been unable to adequately protect the immobile Jared Goff.
The split-second between âGood Goffâ and âGood Griefâ is an O-line that canât give him enough time to prevent him from being pressured, hit, harassed and sacked repeatedly despite the opponent.
The Vikings (7-6) arenât going anywhere with Nick Mullens as their QB1 and thatâs even if Justin Jefferson can get healthy and stay healthy.
The Packers (6-7) are dealing with significant injuries on offense to running back A.J. Dillon, whose broken thumb makes it doubtful heâll be able to play Sunday against a feisty Tampa Bay (6-7) squad.
The good news is receivers Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks (both with ankle sprains) were cleared to return to practice Thursday. Wicksâ return was especially surprising in that he believed his ankle was â(blanked) upâ after the Giantsâ game and the MetLife turf menace.
Aaron Jones said âI feel Iâm confident for Sundayâ but nobody can be quite certain what that means. The Packersâ running back has been close but not quite for a while now. Jonesâ return would bolster a running back position that might be down to Patrick Taylor and Kenyan Drake. After all there is a limit to the number of reverses Reed can run in a given day.
Kickoff between the NFC wannabe Bucs and Packers is set for noon at Lambeau Field. The forecast calls for mild conditions with the dayâs high at 41 â 10 degrees above the average high â with 9 mph winds.
Itâs not Tampa Bay balmy but it is unseasonably wonderful for Titletown, USA, in mid-December.
The Buccaneers come to Green Bay seeking a third straight win, although the Panthers and Falcons arenât exactly the NFLâs elite. Nevertheless, the Bucs will take any win they can get given the NFC South logjam between Tampa Bay, Atlanta and New Orleans.
The Bucs believe they are going to reach the postseason.
Itâs likely given the soft-as-tissue conference, and especially their dreadful division, but that doesnât mean Tampa Bay isnât capable of upsetting the Packers this week.
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David told reporters, âThereâs certainly some of that feeling (a playoff run) around here. Everybody understands if we just stay focused, thereâs still time on the clock in this season.â
The Packers are singing a similar tune, although they were as tone deaf as could be in a 24-22 last-second loss to the New York Giants at the aforementioned MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Green Bayâs disappointing loss snapped a three-game winning streak and nudged talk of a playoff run a bit closer to the back burner. The Packersâ defense has been a chronic problem all season. It has allowed four games of 200-plus yards rushing to opposing offenses. Thatâs exactly 20 percent of the league-wide total of 20 200-plus games.
Itâs ridiculous and defensive coordinator Joe Barry most certainly will not be back in 2024. That doesnât mean the Packers canât finish strong in spite of their defensive shortcomings and win four straight to close out.
That would put them in the playoffs, yet another important step in the ongoing growth process for Jordan Love and his young teammates.
Love had a tough night against the Giants â in fact, one of his worst this season â but sounded as resilient as ever this week.
âI think weâve got a great team,â he said. âObviously, weâre a team that has been in this situation. (Weâve) lost some tough games and been able to bounce back.â
Tampa Bay will look to quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has passed for 2,934 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 starts this season, to extend the winning streak.
The Bucsâ greatest weapon is receiver Mike Evans, who can be nearly unstoppable at times. He has 62 catches for 1,020 yards and 10 touchdowns this season with no sign of letting up.
Chris Godwin is second with 58 catches for 659 yards and one touchdown, but a knee injury could keep him out.
Mayfield is closing in on the fifth 3,000-yard season of his career.
Rachaad White is the Buccaneers’ top rusher. He has racked up 745 yards and five touchdowns this season as the teamâs primary running back. No doubt White is hoping to be the catalyst of a fifth 200-plus yard rushing day against Joe Barryâs defense.
If that happens itâs going to be a very long, incredibly disappointing Sunday afternoon for the Packers and their fans.
Still, Iâm willing to believe the Packers will pay off on this shot at scoring a critical victory and a dose of redemption in a single game.
PREDICTION: Packers 23, Buccaneers 19
Improved Packers aim
for 4th straight at NYG
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packersâ sharp uptick in execution during their three-game winning streak has catapulted them into the NFCâs seventh seed.
If the season ended today ⌠yes, the Packers (6-6) would be in the playoffs, but no, they would be a longshot to advance. The lesson amidst the Packersâ terrific trifecta versus the Chargers, Lions and Chiefs is that effort and execution lays the foundation for success.
On offense, the Packersâ drops, pre-snap penalties and blown assignments have sharply decreased in the past month. Itâs a byproduct of playersâ growing confidence being reflected in more reacting and less thinking. Itâs as if Jordan Love and the huddle can predict with a high degree of accuracy what play coach Matt LaFleur is dialing up next.
Theyâre on the same page, so to speak, in the playbook.
They also appear to be running plays during games that theyâve practiced during the week. It sounds basic, if not remedial, but itâs true. Early in the season the preparation and the rollout were different things.
Now that the offensive line has settled in â rotations and all â it has allowed Love the confidence to let the play develop as he surveys the field. It also allows LaFleur to trust that his play will be blocked up effectively, and that his quarterback will deliver given time.
The Packersâ defense also is in need of improvement despite the fact that it has been exceptional during the three-game winning streak.
The run defense remains a problem smoldering beneath the surface. The Packers allowed the Chiefs to score a mere 19 points, but feisty Isaiah Pacheco ran 18 times for 110 yards, a 6.1 yards-per-carry average.
The New York Giants (4-8) bring in one of the NFLâs worst offensive lines when they host the Packers on Monday Night Football at East Rutherford, New Jerseyâs MetLife Stadium.
Injuries, questionable personnel decisions and quarterback Daniel Jonesâ regression after a strong finish to 2022 have been disastrous.
The Giantsâ offense averages 150 yards per game. Thatâs right â total yards per game, not just passing yards, or running yards.
Tommy Devito should be the Ramsâ Brett Rypien all over again, meaning the Packersâ defense should be all over Devito.
Devito isnât going to scare NFL defenses, but he did throw for 246 yards and three touchdowns two weeks ago in a win over the Commanders. He threw for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 10-7 win over New England leading up to their just-completed bye week.
The Giants are on a two-game winning streak in spite of themselves.
Saquon Barkley remains their No. 1 threat on offense. He is talented enough to go off on any given week, given at least a bit of help from his offensive mates.
If Barkley has a monster game against the Packersâ defense, and the Giants threaten to eclipse the 200-yard barrier, Barry might have to find his own transportation back to Green Bay.
But I donât see that happening.
On paper, Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark and the rest should be in âseek and destroyâ mode Monday night.
The Giants are a minus-133 in point differential.
New York has won consecutive games for the first time this season and is coming off its bye week.
âDon’t want to make any excuses,â Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters this week. âWeâve had some injuries. Weâve just got to continue to build the depth and we’ve got to continue to build the team all around so when injuries do occur, we can overcome those and still be competitive when injuries happen.
âIt’s going to happen every year. Itâs football. Itâs a contact sport. Thereâs going to be injuries, and weâve got to be able to overcome any type of adversity that presents itself.â
The Packersâ recent success has media and fans wondering if it might go to the heads of such a young roster. The fact is Love and his teammates are saying all the right things. They realize they havenât accomplished anything, aside from clawing back to .500 against top-notch teams.
âAs soon as you start feeling yourself and feeling like youâve arrived, this league has a way of knocking you out,â LaFleur said. âThe bottom line is weâre a .500 football team.â
Green Bay has been much more than that as of late.
Love has thrown for eight touchdowns to zero interceptions while averaging 285.7 yards passing during the win streak. He wonât have Christian Watson (hamstring) and most likely wonât have Aaron Jones (hamstring) on Monday night.
The Packers have figured out ways to win without either or both. They will have to do that once again at MetLife Stadium.
Prediction: Packers 23, Giants 13
Green Bay moves to 7-6 and further entrenches itself in the NFC playoff race as it sets its sights on the No. 6 seed and perhaps a rematch with NFC North foe Detroit.
Packers handle Chiefs
27-19 with great effort
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers are ascending, their fans have visions of the postseason dancing through their heads, and their head coach remains unbeaten in December.
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year in Green Bay.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur improved to 16-0 in the month as Green Bay delivered a statement-making 27-19 victory over Kansas City on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
The Packersâ statement: âWeâre a good team.â
Jordan Love offered that modest but true assessment after he outplayed Patrick Mahomes, LaFleur outcoached Andy Reid and Joe Barry â yes, Joe Barry â dialed up enough red zone pressure to secure the victory.
Love directed back-to-back touchdown drives to start the game while the Chiefs settled for field goals as Green Bay opened a 14-6 lead against the NFLâs defending Super Bowl champions.
Then they staved off a late Chiefsâ rally to secure a third straight win, much to the delight of the 78,000 fans on a gorgeous wintry night.
The Packers believed in each other Sunday night, just the same as they believed in each other going into the season. Now they are reaping the rewards of unity, trust and hard work while still looking to improve.
âEverybody just trusted it, stayed together, no oneâs wavered,â Love said. âObviously it wasnât easy the beginning of the year. It wasnât exactly how weâd planned or how we wanted it to go, but we just stuck together and kept our heads down, kept working every week, showing up with the mindset that weâve just got to take it one week at a time and know that weâre not a bad team.
âWeâre a good team.â
The Packers (6-6) are the NFCâs No. 7 seed.
If the regular season ended today â and Packers fans are in no hurry for that to happen with five winnable games remaining â Green Bay would travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers in the wild-card round.
It is heady stuff for a team that went from 2-5 and growing talk as to who and where the Packers might draft next spring.
April can wait.
The Packers are living in the moment and looking good doing it.
LaFleur never wavered from his belief in this team.
âAny time youâre struggling, it is hard to stay positive, but you have to. You have to,â he said. âI knew we had a young group. Everybody in this league is going through their own set of circumstances and nobody cares at the end of the day. All anybody cares about is the result.
âBut you continue to stay resilient, because I do believe, if you can fight through the tough times, youâre better for them.â
But when asked about currently being the NFCâs No. 7 seed, LaFleur channeled his inner Jim Mora: Playoffs? Youâre talking about playoffs?
âNope, nope, nope,â he said. âItâs one game. The guys got to understand you start winning games and people start gunning for you now. Weâre a .500 football team, thatâs where weâre at. Thatâs the reality of it.â
Thatâs true.
Itâs also true that the Packers are among the NFLâs hottest teams right now with plenty of room for improvement.
Hard-charging A.J. Dillon embraced the concept.
He swapped out his wifeâs handpicked game-day wardrobe, sweet as it was, in exchange for an orange-and-black camouflage jacket. He did so to reinforce the Packersâ âhunterâs mentalityâ and teammates noticed.
He also stressed that the goal is to keep improving on a weekly basis.
âWeâre not full ⌠weâve still got a lot more room (to improve),â he said. âWe still got a lot more to do and itâs all about the hunt. Itâs one game at a time.â
On Sunday night the Packers played like theyâve been there before.
Love completed 25 of 36 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked twice and posted a 118.6 passer rating.
Love completed 23 passes for 255 yards and the three TDs to seven players who are either rookies (five) or second-year pros. With rookie tight end Ben Simsâ 1-yard touchdown catch, the Packers became the first team in the Super Bowl era to have three rookie TEs catch TDs. Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft are the other two.
Itâs a credit to the Packersâ coaching, LaFleurâs play-calling and Loveâs patience and perseverance. Of all the things Love may have learned from his predecessor, one of the most important is that the histrionics, finger-pointing and blame-placing donât sit well with teammates.
In addition to Loveâs beautiful TD tosses to Christian Watson, he also made an unbelievable 33-yard completion to Romeo Doubs. It came on fourth-and-1 at the Chiefsâ 44 and set up Loveâs 12-yard TD to Watson.
It was a critical throw-and-catch in a game where the Packersâ offense was able to answer every time Kansas City put points on the board.
Dillonâs 18 rushing attempts for 73 bruising yards combined with a clever variety of end arounds provided just enough in the run game.
Love, his merry band of receivers and the Packersâ defense did the rest.
Barry has been under fire this season, particularly for a subpar run defense, and Isiah Pacheco gashed the Packers for a career-high 118 yards on 18 carries (6.1 per attempt) and a touchdown.
But the Packersâ defense hunkered down in the red zone.
Lukas Van Ness had one sack and Devonte Wyatt/Preston Smith and Rashan Gary/Kenny Clark tag-teamed Mahomes for the other two. It forced two early field goals and gave the Packers some breathing room.
There were only six total possessions in the first half, including the Chiefsâ kneel-down on the final play.
âIt was just a wild, crazy first half in terms of very long, sustained drives,â LaFleur said. âBut youâve got to give it up to our defense, our red-zone defense, keeping them out of the end zone obviously was a big-time factor in the game.â
Keisean Nixonâs fourth-quarter interception on a beautiful read-and-react also was a pivotal moment. The Chiefs were at the Packersâ 49 and driving when Mahomes lofted a pass toward Sky Moore on a pick play. The problem for Mahomes is Nixon sniffed it out, avoided the screen and ran the route better than Moore could have for the interception.
Instead of driving for the go-ahead touchdown with five minutes to play, Mahomes and Co. were forced to sit and watch as seconds ticked by.
Clark was thrilled for Nixon.
âIt was huge,â he said. âIâm happy for Kei. Heâs another guy whoâs been putting in a lot of work. Heâs been playing that nickel position and he did a great job of making the play on the ball. Pat threw it up there and he made an over-the-shoulder catch. That was huge for us. We needed that turnover.â
LaFleur agreed.
âWe told the guys that it was going to come down to the ball, that whoever gets a takeaway is going to win the game,â LaFleur said. âAnd it happened to be us. It happened to be a great play by Keisean and certainly that was a pivotal moment in that game.â
Not to be lost in all of that is Anders Carlsonâs 48- and 40-yard field goals in the fourth quarter. The rookie kicker stayed calm and cool as he split the uprights on both.
Carlsonâs 40-yarder was critical in that it made it an 8-point game.
âI knew it was a big one, and I knew the wind was a little right to left, maybe a little bit in my face,â he said. âThe guys up front did an amazing job. The snap, the hold, they were on point, and I was able to put it through.â
The Chiefsâ last-ditch drive ended with a failed Hail Mary in the end zone. It came after what appeared to be pass interference on Carrington Valentine against Marquez Valdes-Scantling at the Packersâ 11.
When asked afterward, Valentine gave the perfect answer with a wry grin: âWhat penalty? I didnât see any flags out there.â
Just like so many NFL observers didnât see THIS coming. The NFLâs youngest team is endeavoring to become one its best teams. The old saying goes that kids grow up too fast. Once upon a time, or about four weeks ago, the talk was the Packers werenât growing up fast enough.
The fact is theyâre growing up right before our eyes.
And itâs a beautiful sight.
Packersâ future is now
in 6-game stretch run
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Green Bayâs three wins in its past four games offers Packersâ head coach Matt LaFleur and Co. a rare opportunity to seize a pivotal moment in franchise history.
The Packers (5-6) sit a mere half-game behind the beleaguered Vikings (6-6) led by a trio of QBOâs (Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, etc.) â a group also known as the Journeymenâs QB Club.
The NFCâs eighth-seeded Packers also sit within shouting distance of the conferenceâs sixth-seeded Seahawks. Seattle (6-5) faces a terrifying trio of games: at Dallas (8-2), at San Francisco (8-3) and at home versus Philadelphia (10-1).
The Packers could be sitting in the NFCâs sixth slot when the Eagles and Seahawks wrap it up in Philly.
Green Bayâs potentially course-charting six-game stretch run begins against defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City (8-3) on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be going for his 125th win at Kansas City. Heâll set out to get it with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, all-world tight end Travis Kelce and an outstanding defense keyed by Chris Jones.
The Packers are 6 ½-point home underdogs for a reason.
The reason is Kansas Cityâs head coach, QB and blitz-happy defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.
Itâs a tall order to expect a Packersâ victory, but it is reasonable to expect them to play a smart, fast, competitive brand of football.
The Packersâ defense is getting healthier with the possible return of linebacker DeâVondre Campbell, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander (back) and Eric Stokes, and safeties Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford.
Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Karl Brooks, Preston Smith and the rest of the front seven is generating a formidable amount of pass rush.
Meantime, the offense and Jordan Love have shown significant progress in each of the past four games. Loveâs play in a 29-22 Thanksgiving Day win at Detroit was superb. He was 22 of 32 for 268 yards, three touchdowns and a 125.5 passer rating. He wasnât sacked and each of his three TD tosses went to a different receiver.
Love is making exponential leaps-and-bounds at this stage.
So is a receiving corps whose sum total is greater than its individual parts. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath represent a bright future at receiver.
The fact that they are learning, and growing, with Love is a bonus. Their time together is important, and itâs maximized by their time together specifically in LaFleurâs offense.
The tight ends also are receiving first-rate coaching.
Tucker Kraftâs back-to-back performances against the Chargers and Lions were impressive. With Luke Musgrave (lacerated kidney) sidelined and the tight end room shorthanded, Kraft stepped up and played 54 of 56 snaps at Detroit. He caught two passes in as many targets, including a nifty touchdown grab.
The offensive line also has been significantly better of late.
Their game of musical chairs at left tackle (Yosh Nijman and Rasheed Walker) and right guard (Jon Runyan Jr. and Sean Rhyan) hasnât diminished performance while heightening competition.
I suspect Walker to prevail as the teamâs future swing tackle, and Rhyan to win the right guard job by seasonâs end.
The trick is for the Packers to keep improving throughout the stretch run.
The best NFL teams take care of business in most winnable games.
Green Bay is at the New York Giants for a Monday Night Football matchup â unless it is flexed out â on Dec. 11. The Giants (4-8) are dealing with infighting between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, according to reports.
The Packers follow that up by hosting Tampa Bay (4-7) on Dec. 17 before games at Carolina (1-10) on Dec. 24 and at Minnesota (6-6) on Dec. 31. Green Bay closes out at home against Chicago (4-8) on Jan. 7.
Thatâs five winnable games to finish.
Anything less than a 4-1 record would be disappointing.
The Packersâ challenge isnât their opponents so much as itâs their ability to sustain the focus necessary to prepare for and win four of five games.
If the Packers make that happen they will be in the postseason.
That would be the reward for a well-traveled regular-season journey.
Imagine the anticipation going into the postseason facing a road game at San Francisco to open it up. It would be a significant step in the process of Loveâs development, the offenseâs growth and this teamâs legacy.
And to think the fuse may never have been lit if not for the Chargersâ Asante Samuel Juniorâs pass interference penalty on third-and-20 with the Packersâ odds to win flailing between slim and none.
A terrific touchdown run later and the Packers may be off to an incredible 6-2 finish and a playoff game to boot. Speaking of kickers ⌠ah, never mind.
Bears help Packers by beating Vikings 12-10
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The NFLâs postseason hunt can make for strange bedfellows. Consider Packers fans in the rare position of rooting for the Bears to upset the Vikings on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Fortunately the circumstances for such bizarre alliances are infrequent, but it happens.
In this latest iteration the Bears claimed a 12-10 victory on Cairo Santosâ fourth field goal, a 30-yarder with 10 seconds to play, in a sloppy game that featured six turnovers, including four Joshua Dobbs interceptions.
The Bearsâ win snapped a 12-game losing streak against NFC North opponents and also halted a six-game losing streak to the Vikings.
More important for Packers fans it nudged their team a half-game closer to qualifying for the NFCâs seventh and final playoff slot.
The Packers (5-6) trail the Vikings (6-6) by a half-game entering their Week 13 encounter with Kansas City on Sunday night. The AFCâs No. 2-seeded Chiefs (8-3) are led by head coach Andy Reid, who is seeking his 125th win in Kansas City, MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and all-world tight end Travis Kelce.
Kansas Cityâs underrated defense has allowed 24 or fewer points in 11 straight games, just three shy of the franchise record.
Upsetting the Chiefs is a tall order, but itâs not impossible.
The Packers have won two straight, including a dominant 29-22 victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, and are playing their best football. They also are getting healthier during this 10-day gap between games.
Green Bay waived receiver Bo Melton and running back James Robinson on Monday. The roster spots pave the way for the return of cornerback Eric Stokes and safety Darnell Savage from injured reserve.
Melton played six snaps and Robinson none at Detroit.
Now, Stokes and Savage join Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine, Anthony Johnson, Jr., and Jonathan Owens in the Packersâ secondary. In addition, cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Rudy Ford also returned to practice Monday. Both were questionable but didnât play Thursday.
Linebacker DeâVondre Campbell also was back at practice Monday, meaning the Packersâ defense is as healthy as itâs been all season.
Itâll be up to defensive coordinator Joe Barry and secondary coach Greg Williams to divvy up the snaps, but itâs a good problem to have.
Itâs likely to be Alexander and Valentine at the corners, Keisean Nixon in the slot and Savage and Ford at safety to open against Kansas City. The Packersâ secondary has shown exceptional quality depth all season, though, so look for Owens to continue seeing playing time.
Meantime, the Packersâ pass rush ate up the Lionsâ first-rate O-line.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff was under constant duress while being sacked three times. He also lost a career-high three fumbles, including a 37-yard scoop-and-score by the Packersâ Owens for a touchdown.
Rashan Gary had seven tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery at Detroit. Gary also had plenty of help.
Rookie defensive tackle Karl Brooks had a QB hit, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Brooks, a sixth-round pick from Bowling Green State University, has proven to be a disruptive interior pass rusher.
Kenny Clark, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare each had two quarterback hits to make it a long day for Goff.
The Packersâ shorthanded offense also is on the rise.
Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon didnât practice Monday, but Dillon is expected to play against the Chiefs. Jonesâ return date remains unclear, but receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) returned to practice.
Jordan Love has shown significant improvement each of the past three games, with his best performance of the season coming at Detroit.
Love was 22 of 32 for 268 yards with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He wasnât sacked and posted a 125.5 passer rating. His touchdown tosses came to three different receivers.
Christian Watson caught five passes for 94 yards on seven targets. It was his best game of the season. It began with a 53-yard bomb to set up the Packersâ first touchdown â a 10-yard laser from Love to Jayden Reed â and it ended with a nifty 16-yard touchdown grab to make it 29-14.
Rookie Malik Heath hauled in four passes on as many targets for 46 yards, including several key third-down conversions. Rookie tight end Tucker Kraft played 54 of 56 offensive snaps with fellow tight end Luke Musgrave on injured reserve with a lacerated kidney. Kraft caught two passes for 15 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown catch.
On a day when the Packersâ running game was limited to Loveâs 37-yard scramble-and-slide in the second half, the offense still found a way to churn out first downs and move the football.
The Packersâ remaining schedule is favorable beyond the Chiefs game.
Green Bay is at the New York Giants for a Monday Night Football matchup â unless it is swapped out â on Dec. 11. The Giants (4-8) are dealing with infighting between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, according to reports.
The Packers follow that up by hosting Tampa Bay (4-7) on Dec. 17 before games at Carolina (1-10) on Dec. 24 and at Minnesota (6-6) on Dec. 31. Green Bay closes out at home against Chicago (4-8) on Jan. 7.
Thatâs five winnable games to finish.
Meantime, the sixth-seeded Seahawks (6-5) have a rugged row to hoe down the stretch. It begins with a Nov. 30 game at Dallas (8-3) and a Dec. 11 game at San Francisco (8-3) before hosting the NFCâs top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) on Dec. 17. Thatâs as difficult a three-game stretch as there is in the NFL.
The stretch run sets up nicely for Green Bay. Now weâll see what head coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers can do with it.
A playoff berth for the Packers â the NFLâs youngest team â would be a resounding endorsement of LaFleur, Love and the plucky young supporting cast on offense.
It also would strongly suggest GM Brian Gutekunst has the team moving in the right direction while accomplishing one of sportâs most difficult feats: Getting young AND better at the same time.
Packers tame Lions in
impressive T-Day win
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Vince Lombardi was no fan of having to play the Lions every year on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, so much so that he convinced the NFL to rotate the opponents annually.
The Packersâ tremendous 29-22 victory over the Lions on Thursday may not have changed his mind, but rest assured on this Thanksgiving Day Lombardi was flashing that gap-tooth grin from high above Ford Field nonetheless. This was a victory the great coach could only admire.
On a short week on the road against the NFC North-leading Lions the injured but undaunted Packers put a big-time hurt on the home team.
It was Green Bayâs most complete game of the season.
The offense, defense and special teams each played exceptionally well and put points on the scoreboard. The Packers started fast, finished strong and dominated in between.
When Green Bay won the Madden-Turducken coin toss Packers coach Matt LaFleur elected to take the football and kick butt.
âHopefully we gave Packers fans a lot to cheer about today,â he said after the win. âThat was a hard-fought win against a really, really good football team.
âI canât say enough about our guys in terms of their belief in one another. Guys were juiced up and ready to play. Theyâve supported one another through all the ups and downs, and hopefully weâre starting to catch our stride a little bit.â
Speaking of catching and strides, Packers receiver Christian Watson blew the doors off the Lionsâ secondary on the opening play of the game to make a terrific 53-yard tone-setting catch.
Four plays later, Jordan Love paid it off with a 10-yard laser to Jayden Reed to cap the 75-yard touchdown drive.
LaFleur and Love liked the idea of starting with a deep shot to Watson all week, but when the coach had second thoughts before kickoff the quarterback convinced him to stick with it.
Then Love and Watson delivered.
âSomething we put in this week that we thought was going to work, and we were confident in it,â Love said. âCame out and obviously put the ball up there, and Christian went up there and made a great catch.â
Love and Watson each had their best games of the season.
Watson had five catches on just seven targets for 94 yards including a 16-yard touchdown grab to make it 29-14 late in the third quarter.
Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 125.5 passer rating.
He wasnât sacked and hit just four times.
Meantime, Lions quarterback Jared Goff spent most of the afternoon trying unsuccessfully to elude a relentless Packers pass rush. Goff was hit on 12 dropbacks and sacked three times. He also had a career-worst three fumbles, one of which resulted in safety Jonathan Owensâ 27-yard recovery and return for a touchdown late in the first quarter.
The Packers (5-6) entered the game having scored 20 first quarter points. They matched that total in the gameâs first 13 minutes on Thursday.
The Lions (8-3) looked like they never knew what hit them.
âI think the game was won up front today on both sides of the ball,â LaFleur said. âAny time you drop back against Detroit and throw 30-plus passes and come away with zero sacks ⌠and conversely, what we were doing up front on the other side of the ball ⌠that was really the difference.â
In Week 4 at Lambeau Field, the Lions raced to a 27-3 halftime lead and never looked back on their way to a 34-20 win.
The difference between then and now is staggering.
Loveâs outstanding play is a credit to the quarterback, but itâs also a reflection of the offenseâs overall improvement. The drops, pre-snap penalties and blown assignments have abated.
Loveâs stellar performance, which featured pinpoint passing, a critical 37-yard scramble and quiet confidence, was outstanding.
âI think itâs night and day,â LaFleur said of Loveâs development since Week 4. âI mean, I donât know how you guys feel. I have to go back and look at it, but certainly, it appears that way. And itâs given us a lot of confidence to be a little more aggressive with some of the calls.
âWhen you trust your offensive line (to block it up) ⌠when you trust your quarterback to facilitate and get the ball where it needs to go and throwing on rhythm, that allows you to do that. And we had a lot of â I would say deeper developing plays â and hit a lot of intermediate throws for some chunk plays that ended up being big for us.â
LaFleur was quick to praise Loveâs supporting cast.
âI think (Love) has done a tremendous job,â he said. âHe canât do it alone. I think a lot of guys made plays for him. I think the story was the offensive line just to provide the protection for him.â
Left guard Elgton Jenkins, center Josh Myers and right tackle Zach Tom played all 56 snaps. Rasheed Walker (29) and Yosh Nijman (27) essentially split snaps at left tackle, while Jon Runyan Jr. (43) and Sean Rhyan (13) time-shared at right guard.
Defensively, Rashan Gary was making life miserable for Goff.
Gary had three sacks â his second three-sack game of the season â and wrecked perhaps a dozen of Detroitâs 84 offensive snaps.
For Gary, who starred at Michigan, it was a homecoming of sorts.
Kenny Clark had an inkling Gary would come up big.
âWe were just telling him weâre ready for him to come back and put on a great performance and thatâs what he did,â Clark said of Gary. âHe came back and got three sacks, disruptive all game, disruptive in the run game. He balled out today.â
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell was his predictable âgo for itâ self, but was repeatedly stymied by the Packers. The Lions finished 1-for-5 on fourth down tries, including an ill-advised fake punt that was blown up by Lucas Van Ness.
Van Ness said the Packersâ punt cover team was ready in anticipation of some Thanksgiving Day shenanigans.
âWe practiced it all week,â said Van Ness, who had three tackles (one for loss) and two quarterback hits. âGiven that it was Thanksgiving, we knew a lot of that (trick) stuff comes out. So be ready for it. Coach Rich (Bisaccia) stressed be aware right before we went out there. I was rushing but right away I noticed something was up and got my eyes up and was able to make the tackle.â
The stuffed fake punt epitomized the Packersâ success.
They came in well-coached and they played like it.
Four weeks ago the Packers were 2-5 and seemingly going nowhere.
Today, theyâre 5-6 and right in the mix for a postseason berth.
Lombardi would be proud.
Love, young WRs help Packersâ resilient âDâ
thwart Chargers 23-20
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â Jordan Loveâs development and improvement has been steady and apparent throughout nine challenging starts.
Now that progress is being reflected in the results.
In just Loveâs 10th start as the heir apparent to greatness, his future â and the teamâs â is as bright as Sundayâs blinding sun at Lambeau Field.
Green Bayâs offense and defense each delivered multiple big plays in critical moments to rally the Packers to a thrilling 23-20 victory over the L.A. Chargers in front of 77,432 fans on a gorgeous autumn day.
Love hit 27 of 40 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns, including the 24-yard go-ahead score to Romeo Doubs to make it 23-20 with 2:24 to play. Love was calm and cool on the six-play, 75-yard winning drive.
Loveâs big moment came with 5:24 to play trailing 20-16 thanks to a missed 52-yard field goal and a missed PAT. It was eerily similar to the Pittsburgh game in Week 10 except for the outcome.
Down by four points and needing a touchdown to win, Love didnât waste time. Faced with third-and-20 at Green Bayâs 15, Dontayvion Wicks drew a 24-yard pass interference penalty on Asante Samuel Jr.
Wicks then caught a short pass over the middle, bounced off a would-be tackler, and raced 35 yards before Eric Kendricks made the touchdown-saving tackle.
Two plays later Love found Doubs in the back of the Chargersâ end zone for a 24-yard touchdown that proved to be the game winner.
The Packersâ defense did the rest.
Rashan Gary ended the Chargersâ first comeback bid with a 10-yard sack. Kenny Clark stymied Los Angelesâ final drive by batting down Justin Herbertâs fourth down pass.
Gary took pride in the defense doing its part to seal the win.
âThe past two games the offense has been doing great, catching their rhythm, and the defense has got to match their energy,â said Gary, who stuffed the stat line with two QB hits, a sack and a fumble recovery. âUs being able to do that helped the team and helped us get this win today.â
Clark also chimed in.
âThis team, weâve been fighting all year,â he said. âWeâve been on the other side of these games, so for us to come out on top of this one is huge for us, huge for our confidence, and weâve got to keep it rolling.â
The Packers (4-6) wonât have to wait long.
Green Bay travels to Detroit (8-2) to tangle with the NFC North-leading Lions in a Thanksgiving Day matchup. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was pleased with the comeback win.
âWell, it certainly feels good to be on the other side of one of these tight ballgames,â he said. âI think just the guys made plays. That was evident in the second-to-last offensive series and then defensively to hold them there on the fourth down.â
Some viewed the Packersâ win as a âgiftâ from the Chargers, who dropped four critical passes and were 1-for-4 in the red zone, including an Austin Ekeler fumble at Green Bayâs 5-yard line.
Thatâs fair so long as the Packersâ missed opportunities arenât ignored. In addition to the missed kicks, the Packersâ offense also had chances to make it a two-possession game down the stretch.
Injuries to Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson left the Packers with only one healthy running back, A.J. Dillon, for much of the second half.
Even before the injuries the Packersâ running game amounted to rookie receiver Jayden Reed gaining big yards on end-arounds, of all things. Reed gained 46 yards on three carries, including a 32-yard gallop for a touchdown. The big play was aided by a great Luke Musgrave block.
âThere were definitely a lot of opportunities that we didnât capitalize on,â Love said. âIt could have been a completely different game if we did. Itâs something weâve got to continue to grow and learn from and move forward.â
Loveâs first career 300-yard passing day â the Packersâ first in almost two seasons â showcased the young receiversâ talents.
Tied 10-10 at halftime the Packersâ mission was clear.
âWe finished it off,â Love said. âThe message in the second half was itâs a 0-0 ballgame, letâs go finish.â
The Packers had one possession sandwiched between the Chargersâ final two drives and went three-and-out on three straight runs by Dillon.
The Packers punted and the Chargers had a final shot with 1:38 to play, whereas a first down wouldâve sealed the victory right there.
LaFleur said he gave Love a run play with directions to call a timeout if the Chargersâ defense had it read. Indeed, the Chargers had it read correctly, but Love didnât call a timeout and instead handed it off.
âThat was on me,â said LaFleur, who admitted he shouldâve called a timeout to go over it in detail with his quarterback.
âIâve just got to be better in that situation and pop the timeout. I think thatâs too much to put on (Loveâs) plate at this point in time where it wasnât even something in the game plan. That was a bad deal.â
The outcome was a great deal, though, and itâs more success to build on.
It wonât be easy, though, trying to hang with the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Detroit handled the Packers 34-20 in their Week 4 matchup.
Much has changed in Green Bay since then.
Reed and the receivers speak excitedly about how much further along they are from then to now. The offensive line also has managed to hold it together the past few weeks, and the rookie tight ends are making leaps. Tucker Kraft actually did his first âLambeau Leapâ on a nifty 39-yard touchdown catch-and-run in which replay showed he stepped out at the Chargersâ 12-yard line.
Kraft still enjoyed making the play, and the âLambeau Leap,â especially because the Packers scored two plays later on a 9-yard Love-to-Watson pass. That put the Packers up by a score of 16-13.
It also set the stage for a terrific comeback win.
Packersâ pass rush key to short-circuiting
L.A. Chargersâ offense
By Chris Havel
Special to The FAN
GREEN BAY, Wis. â The Packers and Chargers are surprisingly similar in many ways regarding their strengths, weaknesses and win-loss record.
If the home underdog Packers pull off an upset in Sundayâs noon kickoff at Lambeau Field â and I think itâs likely to happen â Green Bay and Los Angeles would be sitting at 4-6.
The difference is that the Chargers and their outstanding quarterback, Justin Herbert, would be viewed as failures while the Packers and Jordan Love would be seen as taking a significant step forward.
Both teams are coming off losses.
The Chargers (4-5) fell to the Lions 41-38 in a shootout last week in Los Angeles. The Packers (3-6) held a 19-17 second-half lead before falling to the Steelers 23-19 at Pittsburgh.
It was Loveâs finest performance of the season.
When the Steelersâ running attack throttled the Packersâ defense to the tune of 17 points on their first three possessions, Love didnât blink.
He led the Packersâ offense to within 17-13 at half by making several big plays from the pocket. He only rushed twice for 7 yards, but threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Loveâs two fourth-quarter interceptions riled up some in the fan base, but the fact is it was Loveâs resiliency that proved Green Bay with an opportunity to win on the road against one of the NFLâs top defenses.
Now itâs the Chargers, a potent but underperforming outfit whose defense can be had and whose offense can be sporadic or explosive.
Herbert has thrown for 2,349 yards with 17 touchdowns to five interceptions. The numbers are good especially given that receivers Mike Williams and Josh Palmer are on injured reserve, and tight ends Gerald Everett and Donald Parham Jr. are both banged up. Neither of the Chargersâ top two tight ends practiced Thursday. If one or both canât go itâll be a hit to the passing game AND the running attack.
Herbert, the sixth overall pick in 2020, tries to focus on the positives.
He wasnât pleased with the 3-point loss to Detroit, but he was encouraged by the offenseâs season-highs in points and yards.
âI think you just have to build off it,â he said. âYou have to understand that when things are going well and when things are going the way we want them to, we can play pretty good offense.
âWe can move the ball pretty well and we can get things rolling. As long as weâre dialed in, weâre eliminating those mental errors and those missed assignments and weâre focused on our job, I think thatâs huge for our offense. When weâre able to do that, good things happen. Itâs just something to build off of for sure.â
The Chargersâ Austin Ekeler is a wonderful running back, but he has encountered tough sledding behind an average offensive line. If the tight ends arenât available, itâll make run blocking that much more difficult.
The Packersâ pass rush is critical to winning this game. Thatâs provided their run defense can keep the Chargers out of positive down-and-distance situations.
Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark and Preston Smith need to be on top of their games. Herbert has been hit a lot this season, and as great as he is, thereâs no doubt his accuracy and production wane under pressure.
The Packersâ defense needs to tackle better than it did at Pittsburgh, where Green Bay missed 16 tackles while yielding 205 yards on 36 carries. Ekeler is also a major threat out of the backfield.
The Chargersâ top weapon, Keenan Allen, caught 14 passes for 157 yards against the Lions. He leads the NFL with 73 catches. He is dealing with a shoulder injury, but is expected to play.
The Packersâ offense needs a big game from Aaron Jones. The veteran running back has been underperforming by his standards. He has dropped passes, fumbled and averaged a career low in yards per carry.
Jones is as healthy as heâs been all season.
Itâs time to unleash him, and follow up with a heavy dose of A.J. Dillon once Jones has put the Chargersâ defense back on its cleats.
Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa are among the NFLâs premier pass-rushing tandems and are capable of blowing up an entire game plan.
Yosh Nijman/Rasheed Walker at left tackle and Zach Tom at right tackle will have their hands full all game long. That will be especially true if the Packersâ offense self-destructs with penalties, drops, missed assignments and turnovers.
I donât see that happening. In fact, the emergence of Jayden Reed, in addition to several solid games from tight end Luke Musgrave, raises hope that the Packersâ passing game can eclipse 300 yards for the first time in forever.
The Packers are showing signs of steady improvement.
That should continue against an overrated Chargersâ team, especially if Keisean Nixon can shake loose for a big return or two.
Prediction: Packers 24, Chargers 23