I’ve been thinking real hard this week, and I can’t remember ever seeing the Green Bay Packers play well in Tampa Bay. I know they’ve only won once in Tampa, but I don’t remember that win and I don’t really remember any losses where the Packers came up short, but at least played well.
All I can ever really remember about the Bucs are their so-bad-they’re-awesome sherbet orange uniforms with the pirate holding a knife in his teeth on the helmet. Talk about a classic look and a killer logo. If the Bucs weren’t the Bucs and actually backed up their awesome uniforms with some victories, we’d probably be talking about Tampa Bay as America’s Team instead of the stupid Cowboys and their lame star on the helmet.
Too bad Tampa ditched those unis for whatever it is they throw on their bodies today. Combine their boring new uniforms with that stupid pirate ship at their stadium (and the annoying commercial where they turn that dumb fan’s living room and backyard in a Bucs’ shrine) and Tampa Bay deserves all the misery it’s had to endure in recent history.
As bad as the Bucs are today and have been in recent years, they’ve handled the Packers in their house. Here are five reasons why that won’t be the case again this afternoon:
Angry after a loss
Don’t get in Aaron Rodgers’ way after a loss. In three games following defeats this season, Rodgers has amassed 963 yards with 13 touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 138.9 passer rating. Be afraid, Tampa Bay. Be very afraid.
Invincible Eddie
It doesn’t sound like Eddie Lacy is very excited about the possibility of wearing goggles to protect his injured eye, but I think he needs to embrace the new look. What if the goggles give him special powers? What if they provide an extra burst to truck defenders even harder than he already does? What if they give him x-ray vision so he can oogle at the fine ladies of Florida in the stands when the offense is resting? What if the goggles allow him to shoot lasers out of his eyes? Eddie needs to accept the goggles for these possibilities alone.
Another weak secondary
Unlike Buffalo, the Bucs are mostly weak in the secondary, especially at safety where the once hard-hitting Dashon Goldson appears to have been neutered and Bradley McDougald is just a guy. Whenever the Packers have come up against a weak secondary, they’ve usually shredded it this season. I see no reason why that won’t happen again against the Bucs.
No McCoy
The strength of Tampa Bay might be its defensive line, but with stud Gerald McCoy out, that strength might not be much of a strength at all.
Playoff time
I like how Mike McCarthy has already put the Packers into playoff mode. He adopted a similar mindset in 2010, when the Packers had to win their final two games to get into the postseason, then rode that wave all the way to the Super Bowl. The circumstances are a bit different today, but the Packers still haven’t clinched anything. And if they win out, they’ll have no worse than the No. 2 seed and a home playoff game. Nothing wrong with naming “playoff captains” two weeks before the playoffs if it helps the team get into the proper mindset.
Surprisingly, the Bucs have managed to win games despite their boring new uniforms. If they continue their run of good fortune against the Packers in Florida, here’s how it might go down:
Big-time WRs
Bucs’ wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans are the real deal. Remember what Julio Jones did to the Packers a couple of weeks ago? Either Jackson or Evans is more than capable of doing the same. Of course, the caveat is quarterback quality. Josh McCown is nowhere near as good as Matt Ryan, but he’s capable, especially if Evans and/or Jackson start going off.
Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
——————
This was very gooooooooooooood article… I like it!
One reason the Packers may not win: Dom Capers and his merry band of non-tackling misfits.
Another reason the Packers win is their Offensive Line. If they maintain their high level of play the Packers will score often. A steady and strong pass rush on McGown will help as well. Once again, the only way the Packers lose is if they beat themselves. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
One of the Buc’s great weaknesses is their Center. I watched TB vs Det. And was amazed at the number of times a Det linebacker got to QB clean, which I assume is a missed call on EDS. He will also quit on plays. If he can block a guy quickly, he just lets him go.
We were lucky to have him leave and be replaced by Linsley.
EDS actually thought HE was as good as the 2 studs that played next to him, Sitton and Lang. With Bulaga and Lindsey the Packers have the best OL they’ve had since 2003 or so. The Packers played Seattle and Detroit in weeks 1 and 3 where Lindsey was still wet behind the ears and Bulaga was shaking off the rust. I still don’t want to see the Packers go to either stadium to play but I like our OL better now than week 1 and 3. Glad EDS got paid, happier it wasn’t in Green Bay. Chalk one up for TT.
I don’t think this game is close. Rodgers will have 3 TD passes, Cobb and Nelson over 100 yards each, and Lacy will run for 100 yards, goggles or not. The defense needs to play like last week. Orton or not they still held them out of the end zone after turning over the ball several times. If the D can continue to play like that….
The “D” is brutal.
Maybe so, but EDS signed a contract for roughly half of what Sitton makes. Tampa Bay can cut him with no dead money if they do it before the 3rd day of the 2015 league year. Stuff gets guaranteed if he is on the roster after that. Market should have told him that he was a decent center, no more. BTW, TT was right to let EDS walk since he drafted Linsley (and I was wrong!!!), but who knew GB would draft Linsley and he’d be a stud? Still not sure what would have happened if Tretter had been the starter. Jury is out on Tretter in my mind till proves himself in NFL action.
10-3 at the half.
Hope second half is better.
If it would help Lacy as suggested above, I will start a fund to buy for Lacy a gaggle of google goggles. I guess goggles.com is taken already.