This is it. After a brutal week six loss everyone knew that Green Bay would get another crack at Tom Brady and company. The time has come for Rodgers to prove to everyone that when he said that the week six game was an “anomaly,” he meant it. It’s time to put up or shut up for the Packers with all the chips in the center of the table.
Turnovers and Pressure
It may get lost in the loss, but Green Bay started the game off with a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter. However, a pick-six and a following interception changed the game. Tampa scored 38 straight and sent Green Bay home. However, both teams put up similar numbers overall, and it’s hard to imagine that Tampa would have won so easily had the Packers played clean football as they have for most of the season. Rodgers has only thrown five interceptions all season, and two came in that one game. If Green Bay can hold on to the football and balance the time of possession they can easily take control.
Defensively, the Packers failed to produce a single sack against Brady. Meanwhile, Rodgers was sacked five times. The Packers need to control the line of scrimmage which will be even tougher than last time as this go around they will be without David Bakhtiari.
Stick to the Offense
In week 6 it looked like Green Bay was out of sync. Up until that game, the offense had relied a lot on jet motion and pre-snap movement. However, in that game Tyler Ervin was inactive so Green Bay didn’t go to motion much. Aaron Jones also only carried the ball ten times. Both are examples of how Green Bay felt the need to change its plan based on available personnel. Since that game, the offense has looked like a well-oiled machine that’s been able to stay consistent regardless of its personnel. Matt LaFleur cannot make the mistake of changing the plan when the team has been on a roll. Last week against the Rams number one ranked defense the Packers offense looked the same as what fans have watched through the seven-game win streak. This is without a doubt a huge credit to Matt LaFleur and his staff.
The most simple way to put this is to get the ball to the playmakers just as the Packers have been doing recently. Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, and Robert Tonyan need to come up big this week more than ever.
Lambeau
Not much to say here because Aaron Rodgers has stated it all year. Get the NFC to come through his house. The forecast in Green Bay this week is 28 degrees with possible snow. The whole country saw what happened when the Titans came to town and their high-powered offense looked weak. Tampa has only played in one cold-weather game recently and it was against Washington. Washington played that game with a backup quarterback and only lost by one possession. Lambeau this Sunday will be colder and Aaron Rodgers will be under center. The weather should be enough, but Green Bay will also have fans in attendance for the second straight week. Tampa players and coaches have been saying the cold won’t affect the game, but they may be in for a rude awakening when they arrive in Green Bay.
It’s Not The Same Game
“I believe this is anomaly, not the beginning of a trend.”
Aaron Rodgers got to the podium after a 38-10 loss to Tampa and simply let everyone know that the loss wasn’t a blueprint loss and was not the start of a trend. Since the loss, the Packers are 10-2 averaging 31.5 points per game. Since their week 11 loss the Packers defense has allowed an average of 18 points per game. Rodgers hasn’t taken a sack against the blitz since the loss to Tampa, a game in which he took two. Rodgers against every other team against the blitz has been phenomenal. He has a 15-1 TD-INT ratio and a 123.5 passer rating. However, against Tampa, he had a 0-2 TD-INT ratio and a passer rating of zero. All of this just proves Rodgers was right when he stated that the loss wasn’t a formula to beat Green Bay. It was simply an abnormal game for the Packers. Fans should fully expect a close game where Green Bay looks like the team they’ve been on the win streak.
Overall
The Packers must win. Every game is a must-win, but this week even more. After being embarrassed in the NFC Championship last year everyone questioned if the Packers were a real 13-3 team.
Their response? Another 13-3 season with a historic offense.
Now it seems almost like destiny. After the Packers drafted a quarterback in the first round, Aaron Rodgers time in Green Bay became a question. Now Aaron Rodgers is about to win his third MVP, and his second championship is in arms reach. The only thing standing in his way is his media rival. With so much on the line, Aaron Rodgers gets a chance to send his team to the Super Bowl in a stadium he has called home for the last 16 seasons.
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