Packers Slip Past Bengals In OT After Many Missed Kicks Late

By Adam Roberts – 10/11/2021

I’ve taken to calling Packers kicker Mason Crosby the Silver Fox over the years (I mean just look at that hair!), and have always appreciated the man’s consistency over the majority of his career.

Yesterday was NOT one of those consistent days, but when it came down to brass tax Mason did just enough for the Packers’ fourth win of the season.

Crosby missed three consecutive game-winning field goal tries before nailing his fourth chance as the Packers outlasted the Bengals 25-22 in overtime in Cincinnati. He had missed two late in the fourth quarter and another in OT, but his 49-yard field goal with just 1:55 left in overtime lifted Green Bay to its fourth straight victory.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 344 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception for the Packers, who lead the NFC North at 4-and-1. A big run play late for Aaron Jones pushed him to 103 yards on the day. The big offensive star though was receiver Davante Adams; Rodgers’s #1 target hauled in 11 catches for 206 yards and a score.

Green Bay will visit the Bears on Sunday, who defeated the Raiders 20-9 yesterday.

Badgers RB Jalen Berger Dismissed From Team

By Adam Roberts – 10/11/2021

Wisconsin football made it a clear point of emphasis to run the football Saturday against Illinois.

In case you weren’t keeping track, the Badgers ran the ball 61 total times for 391 yards and three scores. 145 of those yards came on 21 of those carries for junior Chez Mellusi. The commitment to the run helped the Badgers dictate time of possession in the 24-0 one-sided win.

While eight different Badgers contributed to those rushing yards, one name that did not was Jalen Berger. He once again did not play on Saturday, and by Sunday a lot of things became more clear. Head coach Paul Chryst announced yesterday that the New Jersey four-star recruit had been dismissed from the team, but did not go into specifics.

Berger finishes his Badger career with 84 carries for 389 yards and three touchdowns.

Wisconsin is back at Camp Randall this Saturday night to take on 4-1 Army; coverage begins at 5pm on ESPN La Crosse 105.5, your official Badger station!

P Brent Suter Not On NLDS Roster

By Adam Roberts – 10/8/2021

As the Brewers and Braves get ready for first pitch today from American Family Field, one Brewers bullpen arm has been left off the NLDS roster.

Brent Suter will not be a part of the Brewers’ pitching staff this series. Manager Craig Counsell says Suter is dealing with a right oblique strain.

This season Suter put up a 12-5 record with a 3.07 ERA; his 73.1 IP was the most since 2018.

The Milwaukee bullpen is of course also dealing with the absence of Devin Williams after he punched a wall following the team’s NL Central-clinching win against the Mets.

High School Football Preview: Week Eight

By Adam Roberts – 10/7/2021

Bubble Watch has begun for Wisconsin high school football, with a number of teams already securing their postseason spot while others need to get some work done these next two weeks. There will be a number of teams with sub-500 conference records making the playoffs this year since the number of 11-man football teams is a bit down, but not everybody will make the party and we don’t know how the WIAA will make that determination this year.

What we DO know is that a lot is still to be determined as far as the playoffs go, and teams like Holmen, Onalaska, Blair/Taylor, and others that would normally already be a lock for the postseason are still trying to get there in 2021.

So for this week’s edition of the High School Football Preview, I’m going to shift the format a little bit. I’ll still include some game predictions in the article, but the bulk of things this week will be focusing on teams that are still on the outside looking in for the postseason and if they will or will not, in my opinion, make the playoffs. Think of it as a watered down version of what Joe Lunardi does for ESPN every February. Let’s dive in!

Week Seven Predictions: 15-4   Season Predictions: 74-30

 

DIVISION 2

HOLMEN   Conference Record: 2-3   Games Remaining: 10/8 @ Logan (ESPN La Crosse 105.5); 10/15 vs West Salem (ESPN La Crosse 105.5)

Holmen is an interesting case to begin the list, as they currently sit 2-3 in the MVC and 2-5 overall. However, Wissports has them in the postseason by virtue of predicting they’ll finish with a 3-4 conference record. This I assume means they are predicted to beat Logan and lose to West Salem. This seems like the most likely path in my eyes as well, and given the quality of Holmen’s losses this year to team’s like Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, Onalaska, River Falls, and Central (that does factor into postseason eligibility for 3-4 conference teams by the way) it seems as long as they beat Logan this week they should be in. Add in that the Vikings will want to bounce back this week after letting the game against the Riverhawks slip away last week, and this seems a fairly safe bet to make.

Prediction: Makes Postseason

 

DIVISION 3

ONALASKA   Conference record: 3-2   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs River Falls; 10/15 @ Tomah

This feels like another pretty easy call to make. Onalaska looked dominant last week against Sparta, and they’ve already locked up at worst a 3-4 conference record. While the River Falls game this week will be a challenge, that Tomah game at the end of the season has to make Tom Yashinsky and the rest of the Hilltopper staff secretly feeling comfortable enough with where they currently sit. Ona’s three losses are all quality ones to Baraboo, Central, and West Salem, all of which were by a single possession.

Prediction: Makes Postseason

 

SPARTA   Conference Record: 2-3   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs Central; 10/15 vs River Falls

Every game for Sparta has been a must-win in my eyes since their victory over Tomah back on September 10th. I knew the schedule for the Spartans would be very difficult the second half of the season, and that has unfolded in front of our eyes with big losses to West Salem, Holmen, and Onalaska in that order. I mentioned in the Holmen and Ona segments above that each team has quality losses by small margins, that is not really the case with Sparta. Each of those three losses since the Tomah win were by multiple possessions, and their loss Week One was to a currently 3-4 Baldwin-Woodville team. The only real quality win for the Spartans was against Mauston in Week Two; the Golden Eagles are likely going to play Wisconsin Dells for the South Central title in two weeks. The geographic scarcity of Division 3 teams in the area could play into Sparta’s favor should they be able to defeat either Central or River Falls, but if they play the way they’ve done the last three weeks that task seems unlikely. This week appears to be their best shot against a Riverhawks team that the Spartans always get riled up to play.

Prediction: Misses Postseason

 

LOGAN   Conference Record: 1-4   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs Holmen (ESPN La Crosse 105.5); 10/15 vs Central

I remember the long, long ago when the Rangers had defeated Eau Claire Memorial and some had wondered if after their big win to end the year against Central in the spring and this victory whether or not Logan would be a contender this fall. It appears that talk was premature as the Rangers would go on to lose their next five. But Logan is still not completely out of the playoff mix with two games to go, although they will need to make some serious noise to reach the postseason. With games remaining against a hungry Holmen team and an objectively tough Central squad and needing wins in both to be considered, it appears the task will be too much to accomplish. The difference will be seeing if the Ranger offense can keep up the numbers they put up against Tomah last week.

Prediction: Misses Postseason

 

DIVISION FOUR

BLACK RIVER FALLS   Conference Record: 1-4   Games Remaining: 10/8 @ Viroqua; 10/15 vs Altoona

The Tigers are an interesting football team this year to say the least. They have the stats that would indicate they should be at least 3-2 in conference to this point, but unfortunately a number of those stats came in a handful of games. The ones that haven’t gone the Tigers’ way have been losses by fairly large margins. There is a small chance they can pick up a couple of nice wins to end the year, but the finale against Altoona will be a tall order. The Railroaders have scored an average of 32 points a game this season while Black River’s defense has surrendered an average of 46.8 a game during this four game losing streak.

Prediction: Misses Postseason

 

G-E-T   Conference Record: 1-4   Games Remaining: 10/8  vs Arcadia; 10/15 @ Aquinas

The first year for Jeff Wiseman at G-E-T has been one filled with growing pains from the beginning not unlike other first year situations. The Redhawks offense has been down considerably from years in the past, with a handful of guys getting time and reps at the quarterback position. Justice Valeer has been the primary go-to at that spot, throwing 26 of the 32 G-E-T passes in a loss to Westby, but Will Mack and Cody Schmitz have also gotten an opportunity under center. Mack and Schmitz will both be back for next season, giving Wiseman a decision to make next summer. As for this season, the playoffs seem out of reach for G-E-T, with difficult games against Arcadia and Aquinas remaining and already a 1-4 Coulee record.

Prediction: Misses Postseason

 

DIVISION 5

WESTBY   Conference Record: 3-2   Games Remaining: 10/8 @ Altoona; 10/15 vs St. Croix Central

This one will be tricky. Westby has proven this season the ability to take care of business against teams they should beat like G-E-T last week, Black River Falls the week before, and Viroqua in Week Three. Outside of those games they have close losses to Black Hawk, BSMS, and Arcadia and a blowout defeat against Aquinas. If we’re looking at a 3-4 in-conference Westby team I think they get in, but if you root for the Norsemen I think you’d much rather have them beat either Altoona or St. Croix Central and lock up a guaranteed spot. Of course it won’t be easy; Altoona is high-quality this season while St. Croix Central traditionally is a challenge for teams regardless of season. That being said, I actually feel Westby can take care of business against the Panthers next week; they’ve shown me enough of an ability to hang with the best competition that Andy Hulst can find and I have a feeling in my gut they’ll win on Senior Night.

Prediction: Makes Postseason

 

DIVISION 6

LUTHER   Conference Record: 3-2   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs Necedah; 10/15 @ Brookwood

The Knights took a BIG step forward towards the postseason last week with what might be one of the bigger regular season upsets we’ve seen in the area for a while. Defeating Bangor will go a LONG way towards securing a postseason berth should Luther drop their final two games against Necedah and Brookwood. The finale against the Falcons should be the game that clinches an automatic above-500 record for Luther, but even if they don’t win either game I still like their chances based on both the Bangor win and some of their other victories over teams like Blair-Taylor and New Lisbon.

Prediction: Makes Postseason

 

DIVISION 7

BLAIR/TAYLOR   Conference Record: 2-3   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs Pepin/Alma; 10/15 vs C/FC

I think I mentioned in last week’s preview that it hasn’t been too often the last few years that Blair/Taylor hadn’t yet secured a football postseason berth by Week Eight of the season. Yet with last week’s shutout loss to a very good #7 (D7) Augusta team the Wildcats find themselves needing to grab a win the final two weeks to put themselves into playoff consideration. This week they face arguably the best offense in the Dairyland when Pepin/Alma comes to town (how they’re not ranked in D7 with just a two-point loss to Augusta is a travesty btw). I don’t see the Wildcats winning this one, which means their playoff fate will come down to defeating C-FC and hoping they can grab one of the available 3-4 conference record playoff spots. This one is tricky to call, since a 3-4 Dairyland Blair/Taylor’s best win would likely be against Elmwood/Plum City back in Week Two. What could help their cause is the scarcity of Division 7 programs in general as more schools of their size transition to 8-man football. An upset win this week would do wonders for the Wildcats, but assuming they take care of C/FC I think they’ll get in JUST barely.

Prediction: Makes Postseason

 

C/FC   Conference Record: 2-3   Games Remaining: 10/8 vs #7 Augusta; 10/15 @ Blair/Taylor

The Pirates offense has had to outliers against Necedah and Eleva/Strum where the offense was firing on all cylinders, but outside of that it’s been a tough task keeping that offense consistent week to week. They’ve put up just eight points these past two weeks, and are averaging under 20 a game for the year with 36 and 48 point games factored in. Much like G-E-T who has to beat Arcadia and Aquinas to qualify, the path to the postseason will not be kind these last two weeks for C/FC with #7 (D7) Augusta and a Blair/Taylor team that will be giving it their absolute all on the docket.

Prediction: Misses Postseason

Additional Brewers/Braves Game Times Released

By Adam Roberts – 10/7/2021

If you’re a fan of afternoon baseball, do I have good news for you!

The Brewers and Braves will begin their Divisional Series tomorrow at American Family Field with the unique first pitch time of 3:37 in the afternoon. Today we learned that the theme of afternoon baseball will continue into Games Three, Four, and Five. Start times will be 12:07, 4:07, and 4:07 respectively, with those final two only being if necessary of course.

It should also be noted that, as Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy reported, those final two games could be bumped into prime time if the San Francisco-Los Angeles series is already wrapped up.

Corbin Burnes will get the Game One start tomorrow against 14-6 Charlie Morton.

Packers Finalize One-Year Deal For LB Jaylon Smith

By Adam Roberts – 10/7/2021

It was predicted yesterday evening and officially confirmed by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky earlier this morning.

After a week of constant talk surrounding the injuries on the defensive side of the ball and losing out on Stephon Gilmore, the Packers did bring in a notable name in former-Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith. Demovsky reports the deal is for one year and that it will be favorable to Green Bay from a financial perspective since Dallas is on the hook for the rest of Smith’s current salary.

The 26-year-old had a diminished role with the Cowboys this year after the addition of Micah Parsons, but with Green Bay he could slide into the role currently held by Krys Barnes. He suffered a concussion against San Francisco and didn’t play against Pittsburgh last week.

Smith has some familiarity with Packer head coach Matt LaFleur; the two were at Notre Dame during the same time period. “He’s a veteran guy who’s played at a high level,” LaFleur said earlier this morning.

Green Bay takes on the Bengals this Sunday in Cincinnati.

 

Bucks Fall To Grizzlies in Preseason 87-77; Game Called in Fourth Quarter

By Adam Roberts – 10/6/2021

A bizarre situation unfolded late in the Bucks’ preseason opener against Memphis.

Between the third and fourth quarters, fire alarms went off inside FedExForum. While no fire was detected, fans in the arena were evacuated and players were sent to their locker rooms in a scene somewhat reminiscent of when fans were exited from games on March 11th last year when the league suspended the 2019-20 season. After an extended period of no action, the game was called off.

As for the game itself,  Milwaukee lost the game 87-77. Jordan Nwora scored 16 points to lead all Bucks players on a night when most Bucks starters did not play and Giannis didn’t even make the trip.

Milwaukee will visit the Nets for a preseason game on Friday and host Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Packers Add CB Rasul Douglas

By Adam Roberts – 10/6/2021

Nope, it’s not Stephon Gilmore, but the Packers did add some help to their secondary today in a likely sign that Jaire Alexander will be out for an extended period of time if not the remainder of the season.

Green Bay today signed cornerback Rasul Douglas, who is in his fifth year in the league and was last on the Arizona practice squad. Douglas is a product of West Virginia selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. In 60 games with 29 starts, Douglas has totaled 178 tackles (144 solo), five interceptions and 34 passes defensed as well as two special teams tackles.

We will hear from head coach Matt LaFleur later today on the long-term status of Alexander this season, who is currently receiving multiple opinions on a shoulder injury he sustained during the win Sunday against Pittsburgh.

The Packers travel to Cincinnati this week to face Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

Vikings Add DT TJ Smith

By Adam Roberts – 10/6/2021

The Vikings are bringing some depth to their defensive tackle position.

The team announced yesterday that they have signed TJ Smith. Smith was on the Chargers practice squad in 2020 but was cut from the team on August 25th.

Minnesota needed to add depth after starting nose tackle Michael Pierce injured his elbow against the Browns on Sunday. The team isn’t sure when Pierce will return.

The Vikings host the Lions this Sunday.

Plenty of Movement By Area Football Teams In Latest Poll

By Adam Roberts – 10/5/2021

I’ll give you a free tease of this week’s High School Football Preview due out on Thursday: I’ll be diving into Bubble Watch mode for each team that hasn’t yet made the postseason. This past week saw a number of highly interesting results, namely a huge upset in the Scenic Bluffs Conference as Luther took down Bangor on the road.

Those results also yielded some movement in the Wissports.net Coaches Poll this week.

In Division 4, West Salem is down but not out of the Top 10 after a big loss to River Falls in essentially the MVC Championship Game. The Panthers are #10 this week, down from #8 the week before.

D5 sees Aquinas hold firm to their #4 spot behind Lake Country Lutheran, Amherst, and Cumberland following a sizeable win over Viroqua. It’s gonna be tough for the Blugolds to jump over any of those teams seeing as they’re all top-quality programs that will probably finish the season unbeaten as well. Additionally, Arcadia got a big home win over Altoona to bump them up to ninth this week.

In Division 6, Cashton fresh off a win against New Lisbon scoots up from 10th to 9th. The Eagles have a legitimate shot to win the Scenic Bluffs outright after Luther upset Bangor last week. Cashton has already beaten the Knights and plays the Cardinals next week to finish the regular season.

And in Division 7, Bangor’s second loss of the year dropped them from 2nd all the way down to a tie for 10th this week with Potosi/Cassville. The Cardinals are likely being given the benefit of their margin of victory this season as a reason for staying in the Top 10.

Don’t forget coming up this week on Coulee Region Football, we’ll be at Swanson Field as Holmen tries to keep their postseason hopes alive against Logan! Our coverage will begin with the High School Football Preview Show at 6pm.