Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5 Bold predictions vs. Packers in NFC Championship
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter their first NFC Championship Game since 2002. They look to finish the job and get home for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing in the team’s first NFC Championship Game since 2002. This time last year, this did not seem possible. Now, thanks to a certain quarterback, the Buccaneers are one step away from the Super Bowl.
For Tom Brady, this is his 14th conference title game. This will be his first in the NFC, but he is no stranger to playing during conference championship week. He’s already solidified his legacy by getting this far. However, I am sure he is not satisfied.
The Buccaneers were able to avenge both regular-season losses when they conquered the Saints on Sunday. That game was more about team performance than it was about just Tom Brady. The Buccaneers had the more complete game of the two sides. In the end, they looked like the team that wanted it more.
For the team to win Sunday in Green Bay, they will need to play with the same mindset that they took to New Orleans. The Buccaneers were physical and resilient. Despite starting slow, the team managed to stay in the game and never looked rattled. At times during the season, the game could have gone sideways. This time, it did not.
This will be Tampa Bay’s second game against Green Bay. The first was the team’s best win of the season. In that game, the Buccaneers scored 38 unanswered points to steamroll Green Bay, 38-10. The last encounter was in Tampa Bay in October. It was the Packers’ first loss on the season. The team would only have two more the rest of the season.
Beating Green Bay at Lambeau Field in January will be completely different. Brady surely knows this. He will have to make sure his team is prepared for the huge challenge ahead of them. No matter what happens on Sunday afternoon, the game should be entertaining.
5. Devin White will have another standout game
If you watched the Buccaneers game against the Saints on Sunday, you no doubt noticed Devin White. You may not have realized who was making all of the plays, but you did see No. 45. White had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery. Even though his stats were very good, watching the game showed his impact even more.
In his first career playoff game, White played as a man possessed. He was all over the field and made his presence felt. It wasn’t just the tackles, but it was the hits White was putting on opposing players. He made everyone who crossed his path feel some pain.
Perhaps this was due to missing the game against Washington. Maybe he was fired up due to the two losses to the Saints. No matter the reason, White was a definite difference maker last week.
Against Green Bay, White will make his presence felt again. He will be counted on to help slow down the running game. He might also see Aaron Jones in some coverage. I would also expect White to be used to provide pressure on Aaron Rodgers. He is an underrated blitzer and pass rusher. The Bucs will utilize those skills to help keep Rodgers off balance on Sunday.