Skip to main content
Advertising

Packers vs. Buccaneers: Five key matchups

111118bucs-key-match420.jpg


1. Packers receivers vs. Bucs secondary—The Bucs' 28th-ranked pass-defense must be cringing at the thought of having to face the game's best and deepest receiving corps. There's little doubt that the ball will be in the air early and often on Sunday.

2. A.J. Hawk vs. LeGarrette Blount—Blount is the kind of runner Hawk was born and drafted to stop. If you like power football, watch these two butt heads in the middle of the line on Sunday.

3. Packers offensive line vs. Bucs defensive line—The Bucs' struggles up front can be directly traced to having lost star defensive tackle Gerald McCoy for the season. They're 29th against the run and 30th in sacks per pass play, and that's a bad combination. Off a less-than-stellar performance against Jared Allen and the Vikings, the Packers offensive line should have it their way on Sunday.

4. Aaron Rodgers vs. Josh Freeman—Applying Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers' theory of passer-rating relativity, the Packers will enter Sunday's game with a 58.1 passer-rating advantage. That's hard to ignore.

5. Bucs vs. Green Bay weather—Sunday's forecast for temperatures in the mid-30s should make for a delightful afternoon for the Packers, but the Bucs have spent their season to date having played in warm weather and domes, and they'll likely gather around the heated benches on Sunday. For a team with a reputation for not playing its best football in temperatures that hover near freezing, weather could be an issue for the Bucs. This not only will be their first cold-weather game of the season, it's also likely to be their only cold-weather game of the season. Additional coverage - Nov. 18

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

Advertising