Five Days to Kickoff: 5 Packers at Buccaneers Keys to Game
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With a 4-0 record and high-flying offense, the Green Bay Packers were one of the hottest teams in the NFL before last week’s bye.
Will they remain hot after the bye?
Not that coach Matt LaFleur had any say on the bye’s timing. Generally speaking, a Week 5 bye is earlier than teams would prefer. More than the 12-game grind that awaits, the Packers were on a roll. However, with star players Davante Adams and Kenny Clark among those out of the lineup due to injuries, the bye comes at a welcome time ahead of Sunday’s showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I think for us, honestly, the bye hit at a pretty good time just in terms of trying to get some guys back, hopefully,” LaFleur said on Monday. “I think you’re always a little concerned when you hit the pause button when you have that momentum, because I think momentum is real and, once it goes one way or the other, it just gets rolling.”
Over the last decade, teams coming off their bye have a .516 winning percentage, so it’s been advantageous – but only slightly. The Packers got whacked at San Francisco following last year’s bye. In fact, after going 6-0 from 2009 through 2014, they’re 1-4 the last five seasons with three consecutive losses.
Here are four more keys to the game.
Turner vs. Barrett
If there’s one defining matchup, it’s this one. In one corner, it’s Packers right tackle Billy Turner. In the other, it’s Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett.
Turner was the big question mark on Green Bay’s offensive line. Last year, he was the weakest link on the line as the team’s right guard. How would he do as Bryan Bulaga’s replacement at right tackle?
So far, so good. After missing the first two games due to injury, Turner has allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits and three total pressures in 69 pass-protecting snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That includes an excellent performance in his season debut against the New Orleans Saints and their star pass rusher, Cameron Jordan.
Last season, Barrett led the NFL with 19.5 sacks, was tied for the lead with Za’Darius Smith with 37 quarterback hits and was third with six forced fumbles. He has three sacks to start this season. He rushes almost exclusively from the defense’s left side or against the right tackle.
Protecting Rodgers
The Bucs’ pressure runs beyond Barrett. Veteran Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 8.5 sacks last season, leads the team with four this season. Safeties Antoine Winfield and Jordan Whitehead and defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and William Gholston have two apiece.
Gholston (seven) and Suh (six) lead the team in quarterback hits. Moreover, Whitehead is a full-time, attack-mode safety with a team-leading five tackles for losses. In other words, the pressure comes from here, there and everywhere. It will be a unique challenge. Rodgers has been sensational when given time but his completion rate when under pressure is better than only two benched quarterbacks, Washington’s Dwayne Haskins and Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky, according to Pro Football Focus.
Tampa Bay’s defense is fifth in sack percentage. Green Bay’s offense is first in sack percentage allowed.
More Strength vs. Strength
The Aaron Jones-led Packers rushing attack has been one of the best in the NFL.
Tampa Bay’s run defense has been practically impenetrable. Not only is Tampa Bay No. 1 in the league with 2.68 yards allowed per carry, it’s No. 1 in the league by a resounding 0.64 yards per attempt. The Bucs’ “worst” game of run defense came in Week 2 against Christian McCaffrey and Carolina, when the Panthers rushed for 87 yards and 3.6 yards per attempt. The last three games, the Bucs have allowed 42, 46 and 35 rushing yards, and they’ve held their foes to 3.0 yards or less per carry in four of five games.
The Buccaneers suffered a major blow when run-stopping nose tackle Vita Vea suffered a season-ending injury but Suh is still a force on the line and linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White are like racecars in tracking down anyone in the ZIP code.
Kevin King’s Quad
With towering Mike Evans and speedy Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers have a receiver combination on par with Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Green Bay scored a decisive victory last week and will have to come up big again.
Green Bay cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Kevin King have been tremendous. Of 99 cornerbacks with at least 80 coverage snaps, King ranks 10th in snaps per reception allowed and Alexander ranks fifth in yards allowed per coverage snap.
King dropped out of the Atlanta game with a quad injury. With his size, he’s the obvious matchup against Evans, who has six touchdowns and has scored in every game.
