Keys to the Game: Packers at Buccaneers

Packers Play Your Game If the Green Bay Packers play the way they did against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, they could lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the Packers play solid, though, there are not too many teams that stand a chance against them. Whatever the Packers do, they need to get back to playing their game. The Packers put together winning streaks of four and five games this season playing mistake-free football. Get back to that, and everything else will fall into place. Free Lacy Eddie Lacy had a fantastic game against the Bills. On a day when nothing seemed to go right for the Packers, Lacy rumbled for 97 yards despite only getting 15 carries in the game. He also accounted for the team’s only touchdown. For whatever reason, Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to throw the ball instead, giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers 42 passing attempts. If the Packers are going to become a pick-your-poison juggernaut, they will have to commit to sometimes winning games with Lacy and the running game. Giving Lacy 30 carries takes patience; patience a Packers team used to the quick strike has yet to demonstrate. Buccaneers Hope This matchup between the 10-4 Packers and 2-12 Buccaneers might be one of the most lopsided of the season. There is no strategy or scheme that the Buccaneers can spring on the Packers that will make up for the obvious difference in talent. The Buccaneers have to hope—hope the Packers make mistakes, hope for weird flukes in their favor. Any team can beat any team in the NFL, but underdogs like this never do it without a great deal of help from the better team. Turn Turnovers The Buccaneers will have to hope a lot of trends change in this game. The No. 1 trend that needs to change is the turnover margin. While the Packers come in ranked No. 1 in the NFL with a plus-15 margin, the Bucs are 30th in the league. They’re at minus-10. Give Rodgers extra chances and you don’t have a chance. Perhaps a bright spot for the Bucs is cornerback Johnathan Banks, who is tied for fifth in the league with five interceptions. Extra Points Hot Seat: Shawn Slocum Another game, another list of special teams miscues from the Packers’ special teams unit. The biggest offense was the 75-yard punt return for a touchdown by Buffalo’s Marcus Thigpen. Mason Crosby had a 53-yard field goal blocked. Those 10 points could have been the difference in the game. The Packers’ third phase has had problems all season, and for many years under special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum. It’s not clear how the Packers can solve their issues during the season, but it is clear from here on out opposing teams will be looking to take advantage. Hot Streak: Clay Matthews After getting just 2.5 sacks through the first nine weeks of the season, Clay Matthews has been way more productive as a pass rusher in the last six weeks, despite expanding his role to inside linebacker and lowering the number of snaps he is a pure pass rusher. Matthews has five sacks since adding inside linebacker responsibilities. In the last two weeks he has three, including two against Buffalo on Sunday. Matthews’ move has made the Packers’ defense much more stout than it was, and has made Matthews much more productive than before. Coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers deserve credit for making the move.