Packers Keys to the Game (at Buccaneers)

By: 
Bill Huber
Correspondent

The Green Bay Packers will travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. FOX will televise the game.

History

The Packers lead the series 33-23-1. That includes a split of two playoff games. With Tom Brady at quarterback in 2020, Tampa Bay routed the Packers in the regular season and then came to Green Bay and won again in the NFC Championship Game.

Coaches

Green Bay — Matt LaFleur, 40-11, fourth season. Tampa Bay — Todd Bowles, 2-0, first season with Buccaneers; he was 24-40 with the New York Jets from 2015-18.

When the Packers have the ball

Another week, another new coach for the Packers. At least this time, there’s continuity, with Bowles having served as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator the last three seasons and basically staying in that role as head coach.

Statistically, this is the best unit in the NFL. Brady might be the star but the Bucs are 2-0 because their defense has given up just 13 points in two games. That’s No. 1 in the NFL. They’re No. 5 in total defense (276 yards per game) and in the top six in third down, passing yards per play, passer rating, sack percentage and interception percentage.

The Bucs run a 3-4 defense. On the line, Vita Vea is flanked by former Bears star Akiem Hicks and William Gholston. Vea, a first-time Pro Bowler last year who has excellent athleticism at 347 pounds, has 1½ sacks and three quarterback hits.

The Packers are excited about the potential impact of an inside linebacker pairing of De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker. That’s because of the annual impact of the Bucs’ inside linebackers, Devin White and Lavonte David. White is off to a red-hot start with 19 tackles, three sacks and two passes defensed. He had nine sacks in 2020 and was picked for his first Pro Bowl in 2021.

David, in his 11th season with the Bucs, is good for about 120 tackles per season. Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon are the outside linebackers. Barrett led the NFL with 19½ sacks in 2019 and added 10 sacks last season.

Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis form one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL and Antoine Winfield and Mike Edwards are the safeties. In nickel situations, Winfield moves into the slot and veteran Logan Ryan enters at safety. Offenses have to attack someone and that someone has been Davis. Dean leads the way with two interceptions and three passes defensed. Edwards had a pick-six last week. This group will be a huge test for the Packers’ revamped receiver corps.

When the Buccaneers have the ball

Last season, the Buccaneers operated the most pass-happy offense in the NFL. They ran the ball 33.5% of the time, the lowest rate in the league. Through two games this year, they’ve run the ball 49.6% of the time, the sixth-highest rate.

The 45-year-old living legend that is Brady enters his third season as the Bucs’ quarterback. In 35 starts, he’s thrown 85 touchdown passes vs. 24 interceptions. Last season, he led the league in completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and yards per game.

Through two games this season, he’s thrown for 402 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and an 82.8 rating.

“He still looks pretty good to me,” LaFleur said. “He’s one of the greatest to ever do it.”

Who will he throw the ball to on Sunday? The league suspended Mike Evans for his role in a fight against the Saints last week. Evans, who’s topped 1,000 yards in each of his first eight seasons, is appealing. Tampa Bay’s other star receiver, Chris Godwin, is back from last year’s torn ACL but was inactive vs. the Saints with a hamstring injury. Veteran addition Julio Jones (knee) also was inactive.

The Bucs beat the Saints, anyway, with Breshad Perriman scoring a touchdown and Russell Gage catching five passes. Scotty Miller, who stunned the Packers just before halftime of the 2020 title game, added three catches. On Tuesday, they signed veteran slot Cole Beasley.

The running game runs almost exclusively through Leonard Fournette. “Playoff Lenny” has carried 45 times for 192 yards, a 4.3 average. The Saints stopped him cold last week, though.

The weak link is the offensive line with center Ryan Jensen on injured reserve and guard Ali Marpet’s surprise retirement. Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs are the bookend tackles; Smith was inactive last week with an elbow injury. His backup, Josh Wells, is not good. Rookie Luke Goedeke, a native of Whitelaw, is the left guard.

Special teams

Ryan Succop, who just turned 36, is back for his third season as kicker. He’s made 83.1% of his field goals in his career, including 6-of-7 to start this season. He does not have a big leg, which is why punter Jake Camarda handles the kickoff chores. A fourth-round pick this year, Camarda has punted nine times and allowed minus-3 return yards.

Second-year receiver Jaelon Darden handles punt returns (9-yard average) and veteran running back Gio Bernard returns kickoffs (one return, 14 yards).

LaFleur likes how Green Bay’s units are trending under coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

“I thought that’s as aggressive as we’ve been in my time here,” LaFleur said. “I think there’s a mentality brewing. Again, it’s only one game and you’ve got to do it consistently and our guys know that. Hopefully, we’ll see more improvement in this upcoming game.

“We know we’ve got a great challenge in front of us, too. Tampa Bay is loaded. They’ve obviously got great coaches but when you combine that with great players as well, it will be pretty significant task.”