Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominate top-ranked Green Bay Packers
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneer offense looked flat to start, and the play-calling by Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich was as bad as it has been all season. Fortunately, the Buccaneer defense was ready for the challenge.
Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards proved their worth in a significant way, picking Aaron Rodgers off twice in a handful of throws. Dean returned his pick for a touchdown, and Edwards got the ball within easy scoring distance for the Buccaneer offense. The Rodgers celebrations died off very quickly, and the rest was history.
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After the first quarter, the Buccaneers played their best football of the entire season. The defense gave Aaron Rodgers one of the most challenging days of his career. Green Bay couldn’t move the ball on the ground or through the air, and what was once viewed as the best offense in the NFL crumbled against the Buccaneer defense, even one that was missing Vita Vea.
All of the players on the defense were able to leave their mark on the game, and Lavonte David continued to show that he is one of the ten best players in football.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Buccaneers were equally-potent, despite the play-calling. Tampa Bay continued to inexplicably run the football, setting up far too many second and long scenarios. Even with the questionable decisions, Ronald Jones had another phenomenal day running the football, eclipsing 100-yards rushing for the third time this season to go with two touchdowns.
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski also rekindled their fire from the past, with Gronk looking like his dominant self from the past. Even though Brady and his receivers didn’t pop on the stat sheet, the offense’s consistency and unpredictability show that it will be hard to stop for any team.
This offensive efficiency and a stellar performance by the defense led to 38 unanswered points by the Buccaneers, one of their best stretches ever.