Buccaneers might be in for a rough ride in game against Packers
TAMPA, Fla. -- One bay is a land of football opportunity, a lush lot with a bountiful harvest of 10 victories, one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks and ownership of the NFC North's catbird seat.
The other bay might as well be Death Valley, a football wasteland for much of the past seven seasons that has lived its reputation this fall with a 2-12 record, a listless offense and a basement view in the league's worst division.
Green Bay and Tampa Bay share three letters, but that's where the similarities end. The Packers are NFL royalty, the New York Yankees of pigskin, a franchise of tradition and quality. The Buccaneers are clumsy jesters, too often the butt of jokes and an answer to a dubious question, "Who picks early in the draft?"
Search far and wide for reasons why the Bucs might pull the upset when the teams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Or better yet, don't waste your time.
Cook dinner. Mow the lawn. Enjoy the fine weather. Find something better to do.
Sure, the Buffalo Bills squeezed the cheese last Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but don't consider that result a reliable indicator of what will happen when thousands of cheddarheads invade RayJay. Aaron Rodgers will be miffed after he did his best Josh McCown impression in western New York by throwing two interceptions. Green Bay should enter with urgency to keep pace with the Detroit Lions in their heated division race after an awful face plant.
"You can make a case that the Green Bay Packers are the best team in football right now the way they're playing," Bucs coach Lovie Smith said. "I know last week, of course, they lost. But before that, no one would probably argue that opinion."
Strap in.
This should turn bumpy for anyone in pewter and red.
Here's a closer look at the Bucs' Week 16 matchup against the Packers ...
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rodgers vs. Bucs' defense
This has the potential to turn ugly quickly. Though defense has been Tampa Bay's strength this season, the unit has looked vulnerable at times in the past two weeks during losses to the Lions and Carolina Panthers. Rodgers could torch the Bucs for 40-plus points like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco before him. The three-time Pro Bowl player is coming off one of his year's worst games, after being held to 17-of-42 passing for 185 yards and the two interceptions in a mystifying loss to the Bills. Expect Rodgers to play angry, which means bad, bad things for Tampa Bay. The Bucs have no chance to keep up in a track meet if the Packers' offense clicks.
TRENDING UP
Packers: A stinker in Buffalo aside, Green Bay's offense is prolific, and there should be many opportunities to punch holes Sunday. The Packers do about everything right on that side of the ball: They rank second in the NFL in scoring (31.1 points per game), sixth in yards gained (383.6 per game), eighth in passing (266.1 ypg) and 11th in rushing (117.4 ypg). Two words for the Bucs' defense: Look out.
Buccaneers: He has hovered under the radar much of this season, but rookie kicker Patrick Murray has shown that the coaching staff's trust in him before Week 1 was well-placed. He's 17 for 21 in field-goal attempts this year, and he has converted tries in all but two games. He continued his consistency with a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter of the loss to the Panthers last Sunday.
TRENDING DOWN
Packers: Yes, Green Bay's offense can be dynamite, but its defense is vulnerable. Too bad Tampa Bay has no semblance of a running game, or else the chance to exploit the Packers on the ground would be there. Green Bay ranks 27th in the NFL by allowing 128 rushing yards per game. Still, the Packers allow an average of 365.7 yards per game overall, which ranks 23rd in the league. The largest question of all: Can the Bucs' weak offense take advantage?
Buccaneers: McCown's poor play is no new development, but his interception streak is concerning. He enters Sunday having thrown at least one pick in four consecutive games. Throughout the fall, the victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 11 stands as the only game in his nine starts this season in which he hasn't tossed an interception. His numbers are grisly: a 56.8 completion percentage and 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Smith insists McCown gives the Bucs the best chance to win. But too often, the veteran has been a significant reason for their many losses.
DID YOU KNOW?
Wide receiver Vincent Jackson needs 69 more receiving yards to have his third consecutive 1,000-yard season (fourth overall). If he reaches the milestone, he will be the second receiver in team history to post three seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving (Joey Galloway, 2005 to 2007).
QUOTEBOARD
"Not a whole lot more to say. Hung in there, fought hard, guys played hard, just didn't get it done. We have some injuries from the game. Our plan right now is to put these three players on IR: Gerald McCoy with a knee sprain, Austin Seferian-Jenkins has a back injury, and Louis Murphy has a high ankle sprain. Beyond that, some of our other players -- Mason Foster, some of the guys that didn't play -- they'll be getting better. Realize where we are. Two games left to go in the season. Of course, big game against the Packers coming up this week." -- Smith, when speaking Monday about the decision to place the three players on injured reserve after a loss to the Panthers last Sunday. The Bucs are still without an NFC South victory this season.
"Not good. I mean, I don't know anybody that can really say they feel great about a 2-12 season when you're a part of it. So, I don't feel great about it. I carry a lot of responsibility for this situation and I think as a competitor you always go, 'What can I do to make it better?' Especially at this position. We obviously went through an unfortunate thing with losing our offensive coordinator, but you want to try to find a way to pull everything out of it and rise above it." -- McCown, when speaking Wednesday about his thoughts on a 2-12 season. He's 1-8 as a starter for the Bucs.
"Coaching (isn't) bad. You get to help guys out, pass on some of that knowledge you think you have." -- McCoy, when speaking Thursday about his new role after being placed on injured reserve with a sprained right knee. He injured the knee in consecutive weeks before the Bucs decided to shut him down for the final two games.
"We know what Aaron Rodgers can do and that is something that we talk about with our offense being on the field more so we can keep their offense off the field." -- Running back Doug Martin, when speaking Friday about the urgency the Bucs' offense must feel to establish a strong running game. Martin had a season-best 96 yards on 14 carries in the loss to Carolina last Sunday.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Bucs host the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. Dec. 28 at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay is 17-28 all-time against New Orleans, the last meeting a 37-31 victory by the Saints on Oct. 5, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
