INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10. The Chargers snapped a skid of three losses in four games. They won for the first time since Week 6 at Miami. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen joined Hall of Famer Antonio Gates as the only players in franchise history with 11,000 receiving yards. The Vikings lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Carson Wentz started on short rest in place of J.J. McCarthy, who missed his fifth straight game with an ankle injury.
Aaron Rodgers will face Green Bay for the first time since he left the club when the Steelers host the Packers in a prime-time showdown. Rodgers won four MVP awards and a Super Bowl as Green Bay’s starting quarterback from 2008 to 2022. The Steelers are 4-2 and atop the AFC North but smarting after getting upset on the road in Cincinnati a week ago. The Packers have won two straight since a tie against Dallas. Green Bay edge rusher Micah Parsons seems to be settling in with his new team. Parsons had three sacks in a victory over Arizona last week.
Pregame at 5pm. Kickoff at 7:20pm on 96.1FM
(Pittsburgh, PA) — Quarterback Aaron Rodgers tells reporters he hopes to end his professional career with the Packers. He’d like something resembling the ceremony held for Brett Favre. ESPN reports that Rodgers has said he’s “pretty sure” this will be his final NFL season. He waves off talk that Sunday’s showdown when Green Bay visits Pittsburgh might be a “revenge” game. He says he grew up with the team and made a lot of money, adding he has a “lot of love” for the organization.
(Eugene, OR) — The Badgers could find themselves battling the weather as well as the Oregon Ducks as they try to snap a five-game losing streak. Forecasters are predicting temperatures in the upper-50s with gusty winds at game time tomorrow (Saturday). The chance of rain is 100 percent. Wisconsin is trying to bounce back from last week’s loss to top-ranked Ohio State. Taking on the Ducks won’t be any easier. They are a 32-point favorite to beat the Badgers.
Pregame at 4pm. Kickoff at 6pm on 96.1FM
HSFB tonight
Level 1 playoffs
Rice Lake vs Kaukauna on 96.1FM and the WJMC YouTube page. 5:45 p.m. pregame, 6 p.m. kickoff.
Barron at St. Croix Falls on 97.7FM
Chetek/ Weyerhaeuser vs Fall Creek on 99.1FM
Pregame at 6:45pm. Kickoff at 7pm.
(Toronto, ON) — Bucks point guard Kevin Porter Junior will miss tonight’s (Friday’s) second game of the NBA season. Porter is dealing with a sprained left ankle. He was knocked out of the season opener against the Washington Wizards. Porter scored 10 points, added two assists, and a rebound in just nine minutes on the court. His place will likely be taken by Ryan Rollins, and Cole Anthony could see more playing time.
Pregame at 5pm. Tipoff at 5:30pm on AM1240 & 96.5FM
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The resounding nature of Milwaukee’s NL Championship Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers hasn’t shaken the Brewers’ belief that they can compete for World Series berths while playing in the majors’ smallest market. Milwaukee posted MLB’s best regular-season record at 97-65, setting a franchise record for victories. They beat the Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Series before getting swept by the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the NLCS. The Dodgers are spending a record $509.5 million in payroll and luxury tax this year. Their projected luxury tax bill of nearly $168 million exceeded Milwaukee’s entire payroll of $124.8 million.
(Milwaukee, WI) — Big East coaches ranked the Marquette Golden Eagles fifth in the preseason poll released earlier this week. Coach Shaka Smart’s squad finished in a tie for 4th in the conference standings last season. Senior guard Chase Ross was named to the all-Big East preseason first team. Ross averaged 10-and-a-half points, almost four rebounds, and just over two assists per game last year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and a player for the Miami Heat have been arrested along with more than 30 other people in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations that authorities said leaked inside information about NBA athletes and rigged poker games backed by Mafia families. Portland coach Chauncey Billups was charged Thursday with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million. Heat guard Terry Rozier was accused in a separate scheme of exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.
TORONTO (AP) — Rookie Trey Yesavage will start Friday night’s World Series opener for the Toronto Blue Jays against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Blake Snell, giving the 22-year-old more postseason starts than career regular-season outings. Yesavage debuted on Sept. 15 and will be making his fourth postseason start. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday he wasn’t ready to announce his Game 2 starter from among Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber.