Tag: Schedule

Broncos’ schedule of 2025 opponents nearly finalized

The Denver Broncos’ schedule of 2025 opponents will be finalized on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos‘ 2025 schedule of opponents is nearly finalized.

The Broncos are set to face the AFC West, AFC South and NFC East next season, plus same-place finishers from the AFC North, AFC East and NFC North. Denver has already clinched a third-place finish in the AFC West, and their opponents from two divisions has already been finalized.

The AFC North opponent was finalized when the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a third-place finish in their division. The Broncos’ 2025 schedule will now feature home games against Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott with road games against Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts.

The NFC North opponent will be the Green Bay Packers, who are locked into third place behind the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.

The only remaining opponent that is TBD is from the AFC East. Denver will face either the New York Jets or New England Patriots in 2025.

Broncos schedule of 2025 opponents

Home Away
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants Washington Commanders
Cincinnati Bengals 3rd place in AFC East
Green Bay Packers

With an unbalanced 17-game schedule, the AFC and NFC rotate having eight or nine home games each season. After playing eight games at Empower Field at Mile High in 2024, the Broncos will have nine home games in 2025.

Denver’s list of future opponents will be finalized on Sunday. The team’s complete 2025 schedule with dates and times will be announced sometime in the spring.

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Wisconsin coach Greg Gard: Badgers freshman C ‘will be out for some time’ with injury

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard: Badgers freshman ‘will be out for some time’ with injury

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters on Thursday that freshman center Riccardo Greppi will be out for some time after suffering an injury during practice.

Greppi is in his first year with the program after signing late during the class of 2024 recruiting cycle. He has played in four games, totaling four points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block in 11 minutes of action.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball entering 2025 Big Ten schedule

The Lecco, Italy, native plays a depth role for the Badgers. He’s behind starters Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter, plus primary backups Xavier Amos and Carter Gilmore on the team’s frontcourt depth chart.

Here’s Gard’s full explanation of Greppi’s injury:

“(Riccardo Greppi) got banged up in a four-on-four transition drill, got caught up, or got hit on a rebound,” Gard explained. “Fortunately, it’s not as serious as what we initially thought when it happened. He’s going to be out for some time but it’s not going to require any type of surgery or anything like that.”

Wisconsin returns to the court on Friday against the Iowa Hawkeyes. It will be the team’s first game since its Dec. 22 win over Detroit Mercy and only its second game since Dec. 14. The contest begins an 18-game stretch of conference games to close the season.

The Badgers enter that full conference schedule at 10-3 (0-2 Big Ten), No. 31 in KenPom and No. 35 in ESPN BPI. Forward Chris Hodges will likely step up as a down-the-bench frontcourt depth option in Greppi’s absence.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

NFL Week 18 broadcast map: Will your station carry Saints vs. Buccaneers?

The Saints game was shown in only local markets last week, but their pivotal matchup with the Buccaneers will draw a bigger crowd:

This week’s pivotal contest between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will certainly find its way into more homes than last week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

If you weren’t in the local area or states neighboring Louisiana, the Week 17 Saints-Raiders game wasn’t aired locally. Saints and Buccaneers, however, will be broadcast with much greater range.

The divisional showdown is being aired locally in much of South Florida and Louisiana, and it’s the FOX early game on the entire West Coast and much of the Northeast, per 506 Sports.

Alvin Kamara could return in pursuit of reaching 1,000 rushing yards. Baker Mayfield is trying to lead the Buccaneers to the playoffs for the second time. There are some things to be interested by in this game. That could be one of the factors leading to the increased range of the season finale.

Instead of New Orleans, it’ll be the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts who are isolated to their local areas. Kickoff is set for Noon CT/1 p.m. ET from Raymond James Stadium. Areas marked in red on this map will be showing the Saints for the last time this season:

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Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in KenPom, ESPN BPI entering full Big Ten schedule

Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in KenPom, ESPN BPI entering 2025

The Wisconsin Badgers enter the New Year after a strong start to the 2024-25 season.

The team is 10-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, with resume-building wins over Arizona, Pittsburgh, UCF and Butler. While losses to Michigan, Illinois and Marquette currently hold it back from a top 25 ranking, its 8-0 start flashed potential as a top-end contender in the Big Ten.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball entering 2025 Big Ten schedule

Greg Gard’s team must return to that early-season form as it starts play in 2025. The team opens against Iowa, Rutgers, Minnesota and Ohio State before a West Coast road trip begins a gauntlet stretch. A 3-1 start in those four games feels like a requisite if the Badgers have any chance of finishing near the top of the conference.

Rating metrics KenPom and ESPN BPI are somewhat skeptical of Wisconsin’s chances at that top finish. Both have the team ranked as a middle-of-the-road team in an 18-team Big Ten that boasts several of the top teams in the sport.

Specifically, here is how Wisconsin stacks up in both KenPom and ESPN BPI:

  • KenPom: No. 31 (No. 9 Big Ten), with the No. 15 offense and No. 78 defense in the country.
  • BPI: No. 35 (No. 9 Big Ten), with a projected record of 20.0 – 11.0 and a 4.9% chance to win the Big Ten.

The Badgers were slightly upgraded in both after sitting idle after a Dec. 22 win over Detroit Mercy. They were ranked No. 33 and No. 36, respectively, on Dec. 23.

Ranking upgrades and adjustments won’t matter when Big Ten play heats up in the coming days. The scoreboard and conference standing will be the statistics of relevance, that until NCAA Tournament cases are made in early-March.

Wisconsin will look for an important victory to open the New Year when Iowa travels to Madison on Jan. 3.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

What time is kickoff for Chiefs vs. Broncos in Week 18?

The Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup against the Denver #Broncos is set to kick off at 3:25 CST on January 5.

On Sunday, the NFL officially announced that the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos will kick off at 3:25 CST on January 5.

Kansas City secured the No. 1 seed for the AFC playoffs by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, so the Chiefs are likely to rest their starters for the divisional showdown in Denver.

The Broncos can punch their ticket to the postseason with a win over the defending Super Bowl champions. They will have the benefit of playing in front of a home crowd on Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver.

The official start time for the AFC West showdown wasn’t revealed until December 29, which allowed the NFL maximum flexibility in scheduling.

 

With the playoffs on the horizon, Kansas City’s starters are set to get an extended rest period ahead of the Chiefs’ eventual Divisional Round contest in mid-January.

Expect to see veteran quarterback Carson Wentz under center for Kansas City when the Chiefs take on the Broncos in Week 18.

Where Wisconsin ranks in USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll entering New Year

Where Wisconsin ranks in USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll entering 2025

Wisconsin basketball (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten) will enter 2025 and its full conference schedule unranked in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The latest release of the poll saw the Badgers drop out of the ‘receiving votes’ section. The team sat idle during the week — its Dec. 22 win over Detroit Mercy is its only result since Dec. 14. That extended time off saw the Badgers drop the seven votes they received in last week’s edition of the poll.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball entering 2025 Big Ten schedule

Tennessee leads the latest coaches poll after continuing its undefeated start to the season. Auburn, Iowa State, Duke and Florida round out the poll’s top five. Big Ten teams in the top 25 are Oregon (No. 9), Michigan State (No. 15), UCLA (No. 18), Illinois (No. 20), Purdue (No. 22) and Maryland (No. 24).

Here is the full coaches poll top 25 entering the New Year:

Ranking Team Record Points Change
1 Tennessee 12-0 764 (20) –
2 Auburn 11-1 747 (11) –
3 Iowa State 10-1 707 –
4 Duke 10-2 664 –
5 Florida 13-0 651 –
6 Alabama 11-2 626 –
7 Kansas 9-2 552 –
8 Marquette 11-2 539 –
9 Oregon 12-1 491 –
10 Oklahoma 13-0 476 +1
11 Kentucky 10-2 428 -1
12 Texas A&M 11-2 424 +1
13 UConn 10-3 416 +1
14 Houston 8-3 386 -2
15 Michigan State 10-2 270 +3
16 Mississippi State 11-1 267 +3
17 Cincinnati 10-1 259 –
18 UCLA 11-2 255 +3
19 Gonzaga 9-4 170 -4
20 Illinois 9-3 129 +2
21 Baylor 8-3 113 +2
22 Purdue 8-3 108 +3
23 Ole Miss 7-3 92 -7
24 Maryland 11-2 90 +2
25 Memphis 10-3 87 +8

Others Receiving Votes
St. John’s 70; Arkansas 58; Drake 53; Michigan 49; Utah State 42; Georgia 36; San Diego State 30; Dayton 19; Texas Tech 12; Pittsburgh 10; Clemson 9; West Virginia 8; Missouri 6; North Carolina 1;

Wisconsin is back on the court on Jan. 3 against Iowa. It will look to recapture early-season form that led to an 8-0 start and No. 11 coaches poll ranking.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

One former Wisconsin transfer set to play in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

One former Wisconsin transfer set to play in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

One former Wisconsin Badger is set to suit up in the 2024 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: Penn State offensive tackle Nolan Rucci.

He and the No. 6-seed Nittany Lions will face No. 3 Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. The team advanced to the quarterfinal after a 38-10 first-round blowout win over No. 11 SMU.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal class by projected 2025 impact

Rucci starred in that contest, finishing as ProFootballFocus’ highest-graded offensive lineman from the first round (76.6). He started at right tackle in place of starter Anthony Donkoh, who suffered a season-ending injury in the Nittany Lions’ Week 13 win over Minnesota.

The former top recruit helped Penn State to 325 total yards of offense, 189 rushing yards and a 4.7 yards-per-carry clip. He and the offense weren’t tasked with deciding the contest, however, as the Penn State defense built an early 14-0 lead with two pick-sixes. That margin only grew as the game continued.

Rucci and a dangerous Penn State team now travel to Glendale, Arizona for a Fiesta Bowl matchup against a Boise State team that earned a first-round bye after winning the Mountain West.

The Broncos enter the contest with ESPN SP+’s No. 47-ranked defense, a matchup advantage that Rucci and the Penn State offense should be able to exploit.

Rucci’s emergence as a top tackle is a significant development after an up-and-down career. He originally joined Wisconsin as a five-star recruit in the class of 2021, ranked as the No. 1 player from Pennsylvania and the No. 17 overall player in the class. He then spent several years backing up multi-year starters Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman before transferring out after the 2023 campaign.

The former top recruit began 2024 in the same position. But Rucci received significant starting reps throughout the year as the starter Donkoh, a redshirt freshman, battled various injuries. Those opportunities then led to strong play as Penn State’s full-time starting right tackle in its Week 14 win over Maryland, narrow Big Ten title game loss to Oregon and CFP First Round win over SMU.

Rucci and the Nittany Lions will take the field against Boise State at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 31. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

NFL announces Week 18 schedule, Saints-Bucs regular season finale time

The NFL announced its finalized slate of Week 18 games, including the time for kickoff between the Saints and Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium:

The NFL announced its finalized slate of Week 18 games, including the regular season finale between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon CT/1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 5.

It’s not surprising to see the Saints relegated to an early time slot in a low-profile day of games; they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs and have been outscored 59-10 over their last two losses. These NFC South rivalry games are always intense but there are more compelling matchups to put in the spotlight.

Still, the Saints have plenty of reasons to fight hard for a win. Beating the Buccaneers would jeopardize Tampa Bay’s own playoff chances, and another win is unlikely to hurt the Saints’ position in the 2025 NFL draft. It would be a great way to rebuild morale before what’s looking like a difficult offseason kicks off in January. But that’s easier said than done against a Bucs team that already dropped 50 points on the Saints’ heads earlier this year.

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NFL sets date, time and TV info for Broncos-Chiefs game in Week 18

The Broncos will host the Chiefs at 2:25 p.m. MT on Sunday, Jan. 5 on CBS.

The NFL has finalized its Week 18 schedule to wrap up the 2024 regular season.

The league announced Sunday night that the Denver Broncos‘ game against the Kansas City Chiefs has been set for 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 5. In-market fans can stream the game on on FuboTV.

Because they already have the No. 1 seed secured for homefield advantage in the playoffs, the Chiefs are expected to rest their key starters in Denver.

The Broncos, meanwhile, will aim to punch their ticket to the postseason in Week 18. Denver can clinch a playoff berth win a win (or tie) against KC.

View the team’s complete 2024 schedule below.

Denver Broncos 2024 Schedule

Week Date TV Opponent Time (MT) Broncos Tickets
1 9/8 CBS @ Seattle Seahawks 26-20 L
2 9/15 CBS  vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 13-6 L
3 9/22 FOX @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-7 W
4 9/29 CBS @ New York Jets 10-9 W
5 10/6 FOX vs. Las Vegas Raiders 34-18 W
6 10/13 CBS vs. Los Angeles Chargers 23-16 L
7 10/17 Amazon Prime Video @ New Orleans Saints 33-10 W
8 10/27 CBS vs. Carolina Panthers 28-14 W
9 11/3 CBS @ Baltimore Ravens 41-10 L
10 11/10 CBS @ Kansas City Chiefs 16-14 L
11 11/17 FOX vs. Atlanta Falcons 38-6 W
12 11/24 CBS @ Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 W
13 12/2 ESPN vs. Cleveland Browns 41-32 W
14 12/8 BYE
15 12/15 CBS vs. Indianapolis Colts 31-13 W
16 12/19 Prime @ Los Angeles Chargers 34-27 L
17 12/28 NFL Network @ Cincinnati Bengals 30-24 L
18  1/5 CBS vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2:25 p.m. Tickets

Denver has already secured its first winning season since 2016. One more victory would secure the team’s first postseason berth since 2015.

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Date and time announced for Chargers-Raiders Week 18 matchup

The Chargers will close out the season on the road against the Raiders.

The date, time and television network have officially been announced for the Chargers’ Week 18 game against the Raiders.

The two teams will play at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 1:25 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

Los Angeles enters this contest already with a spot in the playoffs. However, if the Steelers lose to the Bengals next Saturday, the Bolts must beat the Raiders to secure the fifth seed in the Wild Card Round.

Las Vegas comes into this game riding a two-game win streak. They’re currently 4-12 and hold the No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Chargers and Raiders last met in Week 1, and Los Angeles won, 22-10.