Packers vs. Buccaneers Discussion Thread

[Joemailman]

Packers lead all-time series 34-23-1. 33-22-1 in regular season, 1-1 in playoffs.

Last meeting: September 25, 2022. Packers defeated the Bucs 14-12. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady both had decent games, but neither team ran the ball effectively. Kenny Clark had 2 sacks for the Packers.

Offensively Bucs rank 22nd in points scored and 23rd in yards gained. Baker Mayfield has completed 62.6% of his passes for 2934 yards with 20 TD's and 8 INT's. He has been sacked 28 times. Mike Evans is the top receiver with 1020 receiving yards and 10 TD's. Chris Godwin has 659 yards and 1 TD. Rachaad White is by far their leading rusher with 745 yards and 5 TD's.

Defensively Bucs rank 13th in points allowed but 27th in yards allowed. Opponents have thrown for 3433 yards with 17 TD's and 11 INT's. Opponents have rushed for 1284 yards and 11 TD's for 3.9. YPC. Bucs have sacked opposing QB's 38 times, led by Vita Vea with 5.5.

Packers are 3 point favorites.
Moneyline: Packers -174, Bucs +144
Over/under 41.5

[run pMc]

Coin flip game IMO.

TB isn't what they were, but they still have talent. This game will have playoff implications so I expect both teams to come out swinging.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Mayfield was foul as snake shit the last two times he played at Lambeau, although it should be noted that he played with a broken shoulder when the Dog Pounding Fucks came to town and he was in his 2nd week with the Sheepfucks last season.

Hopefully Mayfield’s shit doesn’t change this week. I will boycott sophistry and sophistication for a year if the Packers lose to a team quarterbacked by a damn Redcoat.

[bobblehead]

Bucs have one of the best pass catching duos in the NFL (but not in their own state). However, even a Joe Barely D can pick Baker off at least once. We can and should beat this team. Wish we weren't on a short week, but last night better be a wakeup call for this young team. The only bye week in the NFL is the one with no opponent on the schedule.

[Joemailman]

Tyler
@TylerHerrick

Packers signed WR Thyrick Pitts to the practice squad

He’s a freak listed at 6’2 200+ lbs who ran a 4.45.

Bears and Pats almost signed him to active roster a couple times and packers have had their eye on him for a while.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GBLWwdda4AArqlF?format=jpg&name=small

Packers may have to activate Grant DuBose and/or Bo Melton from the practice squad this week.

[Fritz]

I've been wondering abut DuBose. A lot of rats liked him coming out of college. But Bo Melton probably has the edge because he's been around longer.

[Joemailman]

CBS Single - Much of the country will see Bucs at Packers. Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Matt Ryan with the call. Chicago area and much of west, including Alaska will get San Francisco at Arizona (Late). Ian Eagle and Charles Davis with the call. Much of northeast and south will get New York Jets at Miami. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo with the call.

https://506sports.com/2023/15-CBS.png

[Joemailman]

I've been wondering abut DuBose. A lot of rats liked him coming out of college. But Bo Melton probably has the edge because he's been around longer.

Melton has the speed to play the Reed role if Reed is out. DuBose is probably more similar to Wicks.

[ThunderDan]

So glad we don't have Suck and Buck again with the call. After Monday night's game, I am so glad they moved from FOX so we don't have to listen to them more than once or twice a year.

[Joemailman]

One piece of good news is that while Reed is on the injury report, he is not listed for a concussion as had been reported.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GBQn3zHXwAAi_5n?format=jpg&name=medium

[Fritz]

Every week is the same: our injury report is about twice as long as our opponent’s.

Fire someone!!

[Joemailman]

Every week is the same: our injury report is about twice as long as our opponent’s.

Fire someone!!

The guy who puts together those injury reports has to go.

[Fritz]

With that receiving tandem, this would be the ideal game for Alexander to return. I think Evans is a big, big WR, but still, having Alexander back would greatly improve this team's chances.

Love clearly needs a bounce-back game. Hell, the whole team does.

If Tampa Bay can come to Green Bay in December and beat you with Baker Mayfield, then you're not worthy of a playoff spot anyway.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Fire someone!!

If they canned me from the burger joint, would said canning be bittersweet, a blessing in disguise or sheer freedom?

I am too damn old to be flipping burgers for $15/hr.

[QBME]

CBS Single - Much of the country will see Bucs at Packers. Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Matt Ryan with the call. Chicago area and much of west, including Alaska will get San Francisco at Arizona (Late). Ian Eagle and Charles Davis with the call. Much of northeast and south will get New York Jets at Miami. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo with the call.

https://506sports.com/2023/15-CBS.png

I believe this is the second (maybe third?) Packer game this season not to be carried in the Chicagoland market.

The wife and I will be taking the approximately 7-minute drive to watch the game at Dukes Northwood sports tavern, a Wisconsin themed joint in enemy territory, replete with an abundance of awesome Packer memorabilia. And a bit of an ironic twist; Dukes is co-owned by Walter Payton's son Jarrett Payton.

[QBME]

Who is an awesome individual.

[Fritz]

It will be interesting to see what Love can do on Sunday.

[Tony Oday]

Well now I can see the website on Chrome!

The Pack are still in the playoffs, I was wrong about Love, we win out but get crushed in the playoffs and Barry is fired :)

[Sparkey]

Dillon has a broken thumb. They did not report which hand.

[bobblehead]

Dillon has a broken thumb. They did not report which hand.

The look on his face implies it was his masturbating hand.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

The look on his face implies it was his masturbating hand.

I bet you can’t dribble left when playing basketball. Me, I am a lot like Pistol Pete in that I am ambidextrous. And I’ve gotten quite proficient using both hands. It’s hard to score when one’s making $15/hr.

[Fritz]

The injuries are crazy now.

It might help to have Jones back now, and maybe even more importantly, have Alexander back playing corner. Even if Stokes plays, he's going to be rusty as an old Model T.

[Joemailman]

Packers will face another team this week that likes to blitz. TB has 38 sacks, but nobody with more than 5.5. 13 different guys have a sack. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has 4.

[run pMc]

Injury report will matter a lot going into this game. Not feeling very confident after the Giants game, but might be my own recency bias.

[Tony Oday]

Kenyan Drake for 80 yards and a touch?

[bobblehead]

Packers will face another team this week that likes to blitz. TB has 38 sacks, but nobody with more than 5.5. 13 different guys have a sack. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has 4.

Run early, run past blitzer for chunks. Thats how you beat it. Get a lead and neutralize the aggression. We didn't against the Gints. We allowed them to control the ball and the clock by getting gashed for positive yardage in early downs. Football isn't rocket science. Amazingly we understand the concept on offense, but then pretend its the opposite for other teams offenses.

[bobblehead]

Kenyan Drake for 80 yards and a touch?

I'm a closet KD fan. Love his game. Its a crime this guy wasn't on a roster, but it has more to do with veteran compensation rules than his ability on the field.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I'm a closet KD fan. Love his game. Its a crime this guy wasn't on a roster, but it has more to do with veteran compensation rules than his ability on the field.

Your lack of cap understanding is showing again.

Drake is willing to sign a practice squad contract, so he would be stupid not to accept the minimum salary for someone with his experience to be a part of a 53. Under the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB) of the current CBA, any battle-scarred vet can sign a 1 year deal for the minimum and only count against the cap at the cap-level of a player with only 2 years of experience.

Signing Drake to the 53 would cost the Packers less than $1M (VSB - Proration). But since the Packers are in a dreaded cap hell, they can’t afford Drake (/s).

[Fritz]

Kenyan Drake for 80 yards and a touch?

All in on play.

[Joemailman]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GBam9OsXgAAlLQJ?format=jpg&name=large

[Joemailman]

Vita Vea likely out for them is a pretty big deal.

[Fritz]

I'm going to guess that Jones will play in a limited role and be a non-factor; Alexander won't play again, and Savage will also play in a limited fashion and then leave the game.

They seem to have injuries that linger and linger and linger and linger.

[bobblehead]

Your lack of cap understanding is showing again.

Drake is willing to sign a practice squad contract, so he would be stupid not to accept the minimum salary for someone with his experience to be a part of a 53. Under the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB) of the current CBA, any battle-scarred vet can sign a 1 year deal for the minimum and only count against the cap at the cap-level of a player with only 2 years of experience.

Signing Drake to the 53 would cost the Packers less than $1M (VSB - Proration). But since the Packers are in a dreaded cap hell, they can’t afford Drake (/s).

Drake is a 7 year guy so his salary base is 1.65M. If he had been rostered on day 1 it would have been guaranteed. Personally I believe he would have been worth it, but GMs would rather go with Patrick Taylor on and off the squad. A rookie by comparison has a 750k minimum not guaranteed.

[run pMc]

If he had been rostered on day 1 it would have been guaranteed.

I think this is the important part. Given how tight they were against the cap this year, guaranteeing any more money to the RB room would have been an extravagance, especially for a RB3. I think back in August most people would have been ok giving that money to Marcedes Lewis instead.
Kenyan Drake has been a decent player and seems like he could be a sneaky good pickup if he has anything left in the tank. It's a better get than James Robinson IMO, poor dude's career is shot like his Achilles.

TBs injuries are about as bad as GB's. Agree no Vita Vea and Carlton Davis changes things a bit.

Unless the injury is really really minor, I'm not sure how you play Dillon. If he's in the game, it's a run play. How do you catch a pass with a broken thumb? He'd be a pretty worthless decoy on a pass play. If they can get 20-25 snaps from Jones that would be big. Patrick Taylor and Kenyan Drake might be able to get it done, but that's a tough ask. Looks like Reed will be ok, and if Wicks can play a few snaps that helps. I thought he was out for several weeks given his injury, maybe not. After having a bad gameplan vs. the Giants (LET'S SEE IF JET SWEEP #8 WILL FOOL THEM) MLF will need to do better, and Jordan Love will have to play much much better.

[QBME]

⚡️ T.C.B. ⚡️

[Joemailman]

Vita Vea likely out for them is a pretty big deal.

According to Aaron Nagler, Vea has been upgraded to questionable.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Drake is a 7 year guy so his salary base is 1.65M. If he had been rostered on day 1 it would have been guaranteed. Personally I believe he would have been worth it, but GMs would rather go with Patrick Taylor on and off the squad. A rookie by comparison has a 750k minimum not guaranteed.

Veteran Salary Benefit would’ve lowered Drake’s cap hit to something at or between 940k - 1.092M, depending on the signing bonus. For a team - drowning in a cap hell and all that shit - that just handed Gary Lightbody a 34.6M bonus, 1.65M is chump change.

Yeah, the Packers are in a cap hell, so they just couldn’t afford to take a max hit of 1.092M to sign Drake in the offseason.

[texaspackerbacker]

APB, I thought you were similar to me - figuring that the cap can always be dealt with/managed/manipulated/whatever.

[Fritz]

APB, I thought you were similar to me - figuring that the cap can always be dealt with/managed/manipulated/whatever.

“APB, I thought you were like me - small dick size can always be dealt with/manipulated/whatever.”

[Anti-Polar Bear]

APB, I thought you were similar to me - figuring that the cap can always be dealt with/managed/manipulated/whatever.

Your sense of sarcasm ain’t too good, Tex. :)

Too many uncool Pack fans are barking about cap hell when they ain’t got a clue about the dynamics of that pig-enrichment thing called the NFL salary cap. Maybe they oughta heed the burger flipper who has passed the Wisconsin CPAs.

[run pMc]

Maybe they oughta heed the burger flipper who has passed the Wisconsin CPAs.

Or maybe the fact that you're flipping burgers instead of ledger pages is cause for skepticism.
Kidding aside, the cap can be cooked - to a limit - but it is real. The Packers are dealing with, if not a cap hell, a very very warm cap situation this year. It improves next year but they will still have Bahktiari, Aaron Jones, Preston Smith, and Devondre Campbell contracts to decide about keeping or cutting, and the ramifications.

Also - void years matter. They are still paying for that cap cooking, and not just Aaron Rodgers. Adiran Amos counts $8M against the cap this year, Dean Lowry $3M. If you think that's inconsequential, think about what that cap space could have done for them this year. Dead cap space is space you can't use to improve your team this year and in the future. It matters, and is why they have a $40M starting offense, and why they are operating overall on about 70% of their cap. SIXTYSIX million of their 226M cap is dead money; if you're trying to sign players that's a significant disadvantage compared to other teams who might be after the same players.

[RashanGary]

One more year of kinda large dead space
Probably 2 more years of paying inflated prices on the back end of contracts (or cutting and more dead)

Year 3 we should be completely back to a healthy cap.