Good afternoon, everyone. On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. For the Packers, this is a chance to get to 2-1 on the season and keep things going on the right track. It will be tough in the humid weather of Tampa, Florida, but I think that the Packers have a good chance to win on Sunday. Here are my thoughts on what Green Bay needs to do on all sides of the ball to get a win against the Bucs.
On offense, the focus should again be on the duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. It won’t be just in the running game, but in the passing game as well. I do know that the Bucs have a tough defense, but the interior will be without Akiem Hicks. It all depends on the battle of the trenches. Thankfully, Elgton Jenkins made his return in Week 2 and should hold his own against the Bucs pass rush. The whole offensive line (with or without David Bakhtiari) needs to do a great job creating the holes for Jones and Dillon and protecting Aaron Rodgers from a fierce pass rush that has given the Packers fits in past games. It’s important for Rodgers to get rid of the ball in rhythm and avoid any potential sacks by throwing the ball away. It will be tougher for Rodgers because a few of the receivers could be out. Sammy Watkins, in particular, was put on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and will miss at least 4 games. Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis, and Christian Watson are listed as questionable. I do have hope that a couple of them at least will play. If the running game works well, then it can set up potential play-action pass plays where they can go deep. Romeo Doubs could possibly be a deep threat on Sunday afternoon. If given the time, Rodgers should be able to get that bomb to Doubs. It’s up to Doubs to catch that ball for a potential touchdown that can give the Packers a big boost of momentum. Long, sustainable drives that end in a touchdown are the most important things for the Packers offense on Sunday. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon should get at least 30 touches combined for the offense to make those drives possible. Against a stellar Bucs defense, it is crucial for the Packers to avoid turnovers all game long (even before the play happens). I have confidence that the offense will get things done in the clutch.
On defense, the key for the Packers is to make the Bucs one-dimensional on offense. Leonard Fournette is a very tough running back to tackle, but I am sure that the Packers defensive front will get past a Bucs O-line that has been struck with injuries left and right and tackle him for minimum gain. I think that Kenny Clark, in particular, is going to have a field day against the interior O-line of Tampa Bay. In addition to the trio of Clark, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary, guys like Quay Walker, De’Vondre Campbell, Dean Lowry, and Jarran Reed need to help those 3 make sure that Fournette doesn’t cobble them up for big yards. If the running game is kept in check, then the pass rush can get after Tom Brady (Seriously? He’s still here?) and frustrate him all game long. Even if the rush doesn’t sack him, they should get to him enough to force him to throw errant passes that can be picked off by either Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Adrian Amos, and Darnell Savage. Those defensive backs should have no problem covering the Bucs receiving corps, who will be missing Chris Godwin (hamstring injury), Mike Evans (suspension), and possibly Julio Jones (knee issue). If there are potential interceptions or fumble recoveries, the Packers need to get the ball and give more chances for the offense to score points. I’ll go further and say the defense needs to have at least a pick six against Brady. There is no excuse for the Packers defense to shut down the Bucs offense on Sunday. They need to keep them from sustaining long drives and scoring too many touchdowns. I have confidence that Joe Barry’s unit will get the stops needed to win this game.
On Special Teams, the key for the Packers is to avoid critical mistakes that can give Tampa Bay extra momentum. A big example of this is allowing field goals or punts to get blocked. In order to avoid this, the line protecting the kick must block the defenders from getting anywhere near the ball. Jack Coco needs to snap each ball accurately on every punt and field goal attempt. For Pat O’Donnell, he needs to punt each ball deep in Tampa Bay territory and secure the hold with the laces out for Mason Crosby to kick it cleanly. It is up for Crosby to make each kick, whether they are worth one point or three. When it comes to punt returns, Amari Rodgers needs to make the best decision with the ball. If there is a chance for a big return, he needs to go north and follow the blocks. If there isn’t a return opportunity like that, he needs to fair catch the ball cleanly without muffing it. On the other side, the Packers coverage unit needs to stop any potential long returns from happening. The easiest way to do this is to kick every ball into the end zone for a touchback. I do hope that the Packers make a big play on Special Teams this year. Will the first one be on Sunday? We’ll have to wait and see.
I think that this game is a prime opportunity for the Packers to not only get a win against a wounded Bucs team, but also keep the trajectory up for the season. There will be tough moments, but I’m confident that the Packers can get the win in humid Tampa, FL and quiet the cannons. Regardless of who wins or loses or ties, I pray that there are no further injuries for either team. I’ll be back with my postgame thoughts on Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, I hope you all have a great weekend. Go Pack Go!
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