arcilite
09-25-2008, 04:51 PM
stole this from a TB forum, they know their team good, so lets take a look at their point of view.
http://bbs.buccaneers.com/showthread.php?t=164544
Big Game! For both teams, really. Both come into this game 2-1, but on very different paths. Tampa started the season with a tough loss to the division-rival Saints, while Green Bay came out on fire, with 2 commanding wins. Since then, Tampa has won 2 straight [including a comeback win on the road in week 3], while the Packers were dominated at home by Dallas. Now, both teams come into their week 4 match-up looking to either keep on keeping on, or, in Green Bay's case, to right the ship. The winner goes forward with a 3-1 record and a hold on 1st place in their respective divisions, while the loser walks away 2-2 and wondering if the playoffs are in their future.
Bucs' keys to the game..
Running Game:
Last week against Chicago, Tampa's rushing attack was virtually non-existent. Now, part of that was the fact that Gruden came out with a "throw-first" gameplan; and, when they fell behind in the 4th quarter, Tampa had to abandon the run in their successful comeback attempt. Against the Packers, who sport one of the NFL's best group of corners, the pass-first mentality is unlikely to meet with the same kind of success. the Green Bay defense has been suspect against the run all season, allowing an average of 151 yards/game to their 3 opponents thus far. In order to exploit this weakness, Tampa must commit to the run, and stick with it. Controlling the speed of the game will be key to success, and keeping Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay offense off the field will go a long way to helping Tampa win.
Turnovers:
Last week, Tampa turned the ball over 4 times [1 fumble lost and 3 INT's]. Somehow, it didn't cost the Bucs the game. That is unlikely to be the case against Green Bay. The Packers' offense is dangerous, and giving them short fields by turning the ball over may be fatal. A commitment to running game should minimize the number of turnovers through a safe approach. On the flip-side, Tampa must continue to take the ball away from opponent. Giving the offense a short field to work with has been key in Tampa's 2 wins thus far. The offense is unlikely to go on 13-play, 80-yard drives...so shortening the distance the offense has to go to score is the quickest was to a win.
Pass Defense:
Thus far, Tampa's two wins have come against team that don't throw the ball very well. Both Atlanta and Chicago are run-first teams with QBs that don't scare you. Aaron Rogers is a whole different category. The Green Bay offense has been very successful throwing the ball in their 2 victories, and will likely look to come out throwing in an effort to take an early lead. On the flip side, Tampa's pass defense has been suspect at times...which could spell disaster this Sunday. Green Bay's strength is their passing game. If Tampa's defense can limit the success that the Packers have throwing the ball, both through good coverage and a good pass-rush, the Packers are more than beatable [just ask Dallas about that].
Packers' keys to the game:
Keeping Aaron Rogers Upright:
When Aaron Rogers has time to go through his progressions, he can carve up defenses. When Aaron Rogers gets pressured, he can't do much. For the Packers to win, protecting Rogers is the single biggest key to the game. The Packers are a pass-first team, mostly because they've only been consistently successful throwing the ball. For them to enjoy the kind of success they saw vs. the Vikings and Lions, the Packers will have to do a better job giving Rogers a clean pocket to throw from. Two weeks ago, with the Bucs' d-line looking suspect, that seemed like an easy thing to do. Since then, the Bucs' pass rush has seen steady improvement, posting 6 sacks, 1 INT, and a TD in the last two contests. If Rogers has time, the Bucs are in for a long day.
Establishing the Run:
So far, the Packers and their newly-extended RB, Ryan Grant, have been unable to establish the running game that they enjoyed last season. So far, the Packers have averaged slightly over 115 yards/game, which is good enough for 15th in the league. Not terrible, but not the kind of balanced offense that took them to the NFC championship game in 2007. On Sunday, Green Bay's passing game run into a Tampa pass-defense that has been shaky on the road, but stellar at home. The 30-35+ drop-backs that Rogers has been taking this season might be a few too many against a secondary that has already posted 5 INTs and 2 TDs off of those in 3 games - not to mention 8 sacks. Offensive balance will be the key on Sunday. If Green Bay can't find a way to either enjoy more success running ball, or simply sticking to it, whether it works or now, Green Bay could be in for a long day.
Win the Games You Should Win:
In the end, Green Bay is likely the better team, and should win. It's a road game, so the Packers shouldn't be favored by much, but there is little doubt that they should win. Tampa is coming off an emotional, but physically-draining, victory at Chicago - so there is a chance that Tampa could come out on fire. Regardless, over the course of 4 quarters, the talent on the depth chart should shine through and earn Green Bay a tough road win. The Packers only have one thing left to do - actually win it. On paper, this should be another W for the Pack, but there is that little thing about the 4 quarters of football that they still have to play. If the Pack comes out still reeling from the stomping they took at home vs. Dallas, they may live to regret it. In the end, the better team should win - and all they have to do is play their game to get it done.
SUMMARY:
Green Bay is the better team, and will likely be favored on the road. Green Bay can't get caught up in that, and they have to put their loss at home to Dallas in the rear-view mirror. If they can come out, play their game, and win their match-ups, Green Bay should edge the Bucs. Tampa, as a home-dog, must come out with a chip on their shoulder. Last week's comeback win on the road should have the team riding the kind of emotional high that can help it string victories together. If Tampa can translate that emotion into physical-play in the trenches, they could edge a slightly better Packers club.
In the end, the talent on the depth chart prevails in a nail-biter that comes down to the 4th quarter.
Packers beat the Bucs, 24-17
http://bbs.buccaneers.com/showthread.php?t=164544
Big Game! For both teams, really. Both come into this game 2-1, but on very different paths. Tampa started the season with a tough loss to the division-rival Saints, while Green Bay came out on fire, with 2 commanding wins. Since then, Tampa has won 2 straight [including a comeback win on the road in week 3], while the Packers were dominated at home by Dallas. Now, both teams come into their week 4 match-up looking to either keep on keeping on, or, in Green Bay's case, to right the ship. The winner goes forward with a 3-1 record and a hold on 1st place in their respective divisions, while the loser walks away 2-2 and wondering if the playoffs are in their future.
Bucs' keys to the game..
Running Game:
Last week against Chicago, Tampa's rushing attack was virtually non-existent. Now, part of that was the fact that Gruden came out with a "throw-first" gameplan; and, when they fell behind in the 4th quarter, Tampa had to abandon the run in their successful comeback attempt. Against the Packers, who sport one of the NFL's best group of corners, the pass-first mentality is unlikely to meet with the same kind of success. the Green Bay defense has been suspect against the run all season, allowing an average of 151 yards/game to their 3 opponents thus far. In order to exploit this weakness, Tampa must commit to the run, and stick with it. Controlling the speed of the game will be key to success, and keeping Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay offense off the field will go a long way to helping Tampa win.
Turnovers:
Last week, Tampa turned the ball over 4 times [1 fumble lost and 3 INT's]. Somehow, it didn't cost the Bucs the game. That is unlikely to be the case against Green Bay. The Packers' offense is dangerous, and giving them short fields by turning the ball over may be fatal. A commitment to running game should minimize the number of turnovers through a safe approach. On the flip-side, Tampa must continue to take the ball away from opponent. Giving the offense a short field to work with has been key in Tampa's 2 wins thus far. The offense is unlikely to go on 13-play, 80-yard drives...so shortening the distance the offense has to go to score is the quickest was to a win.
Pass Defense:
Thus far, Tampa's two wins have come against team that don't throw the ball very well. Both Atlanta and Chicago are run-first teams with QBs that don't scare you. Aaron Rogers is a whole different category. The Green Bay offense has been very successful throwing the ball in their 2 victories, and will likely look to come out throwing in an effort to take an early lead. On the flip side, Tampa's pass defense has been suspect at times...which could spell disaster this Sunday. Green Bay's strength is their passing game. If Tampa's defense can limit the success that the Packers have throwing the ball, both through good coverage and a good pass-rush, the Packers are more than beatable [just ask Dallas about that].
Packers' keys to the game:
Keeping Aaron Rogers Upright:
When Aaron Rogers has time to go through his progressions, he can carve up defenses. When Aaron Rogers gets pressured, he can't do much. For the Packers to win, protecting Rogers is the single biggest key to the game. The Packers are a pass-first team, mostly because they've only been consistently successful throwing the ball. For them to enjoy the kind of success they saw vs. the Vikings and Lions, the Packers will have to do a better job giving Rogers a clean pocket to throw from. Two weeks ago, with the Bucs' d-line looking suspect, that seemed like an easy thing to do. Since then, the Bucs' pass rush has seen steady improvement, posting 6 sacks, 1 INT, and a TD in the last two contests. If Rogers has time, the Bucs are in for a long day.
Establishing the Run:
So far, the Packers and their newly-extended RB, Ryan Grant, have been unable to establish the running game that they enjoyed last season. So far, the Packers have averaged slightly over 115 yards/game, which is good enough for 15th in the league. Not terrible, but not the kind of balanced offense that took them to the NFC championship game in 2007. On Sunday, Green Bay's passing game run into a Tampa pass-defense that has been shaky on the road, but stellar at home. The 30-35+ drop-backs that Rogers has been taking this season might be a few too many against a secondary that has already posted 5 INTs and 2 TDs off of those in 3 games - not to mention 8 sacks. Offensive balance will be the key on Sunday. If Green Bay can't find a way to either enjoy more success running ball, or simply sticking to it, whether it works or now, Green Bay could be in for a long day.
Win the Games You Should Win:
In the end, Green Bay is likely the better team, and should win. It's a road game, so the Packers shouldn't be favored by much, but there is little doubt that they should win. Tampa is coming off an emotional, but physically-draining, victory at Chicago - so there is a chance that Tampa could come out on fire. Regardless, over the course of 4 quarters, the talent on the depth chart should shine through and earn Green Bay a tough road win. The Packers only have one thing left to do - actually win it. On paper, this should be another W for the Pack, but there is that little thing about the 4 quarters of football that they still have to play. If the Pack comes out still reeling from the stomping they took at home vs. Dallas, they may live to regret it. In the end, the better team should win - and all they have to do is play their game to get it done.
SUMMARY:
Green Bay is the better team, and will likely be favored on the road. Green Bay can't get caught up in that, and they have to put their loss at home to Dallas in the rear-view mirror. If they can come out, play their game, and win their match-ups, Green Bay should edge the Bucs. Tampa, as a home-dog, must come out with a chip on their shoulder. Last week's comeback win on the road should have the team riding the kind of emotional high that can help it string victories together. If Tampa can translate that emotion into physical-play in the trenches, they could edge a slightly better Packers club.
In the end, the talent on the depth chart prevails in a nail-biter that comes down to the 4th quarter.
Packers beat the Bucs, 24-17