Packers look to flip the script vs Brady and the Bucs
It’s a “Battle of the Bays” as it used to be called when the teams were NFC Central Division Rivals. The Packers head to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers in the late afternoon matchup on Sunday.
The Packers are 1-1 after defeating the Bears 27-10 last Sunday night while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-0 after their 20-10 win at New Orleans last Sunday.
Tom Brady is back for another season, perhaps his last, but who will he throw to? Mike Evans is suspended and the other top receivers are questionable at best. RB Leonard Fournette is questionable to play as well. Brady has gotten it done before when he didn’t have a lot of offensive weapons around him, but he wasn’t 45 years old before either. The Packers need to get after him and make him throw the ball before he wants to. The Packers are more than capable of forcing him to throw multiple interceptions. Their defense looked good at times last week, not so much at other times. We need a great performance by their D.
Aaron Rodgers spread the ball around nicely vs the Bears, and the running game made it easier for Rodgers and the receivers. The Bucs can take over a game on defense. The Packers cannot allow that to happen. They need to move the ball effectively and finish drives with touchdowns.
Whenever Rodgers and Brady play in the same game, there will be a lot of hype. When Brady was still in New England, their teams played each other twice, each team winning a game on their home field. Since Brady moved to TB, they have won both games vs the Packers, one in the regular season and one in the playoffs.
Mike Evans got suspended after his fight in New Orleans last Sunday. His appeal got denied and Chris Godwin and Julio Jones are both questionable with injuries. Brady has struggled in both of his games this season, but they are 2-0, largely because of their defense. The Packers cannot take anything for granted. They have to show up for this game. It’s only Week 3, but this game could go a long way in determining which team would host a potential playoff matchup.
Brady and Rodgers, like them or not, have both done some amazing things on the field. Both are extremely competitive and have ruffled a lot of feathers during their respective careers. This may very well be the last time we see these two play in the same game. It appears that Brady is finally showing cracks in his game. Time catches up with all of us eventually, some sooner rather than later. The Packers cannot give him an inch though. If he is out there, the Packers’ job is to line up and stop him.
No matter how great Brady has been throughout his career or how much he has struggled this season, all the Packers need to concern themselves with is being the better team on the field this Sunday. They need to come out confident but also disciplined. I expect a very physical game and points to be hard to come by. Turnovers will likely go a long way in deciding this game. If the Packers want to be taken seriously, they need to rise to the occasion and find a way to win this game. I believe they will do just that. It won’t be easy but I think they will get a huge win in this young season and have something to build on moving forward.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
