An efficient offense and swarming defense led the Packers to their 11th victory of the season, putting them one game closer to winning the NFC North, and clinching a first-round bye.
A week after Buffalo manhandled them, the Packers offense rebounded. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 31-of-40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown. Receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson each went over 100 yards receiving, and running back Eddie Lacy rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Sunday afternoon belonged to the defense, though. The front seven wreaked havoc on Tampa quarterback Josh McCown, sacking him seven times. Linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers combined for 4.5 sacks, bringing their combined total to 17 this season. This is the most by a Green Bay pass-rushing duo since 2010, when Matthews combined for 20.5 sacks with defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.
Road wins have been especially difficult for the 2014 Packers, as they finished the season 4-4 away from Lambeau. Baring a St. Louis victory in Seattle next week, it appears the Packers may have to win at least one more on the road if they’re to play in the Super Bowl.
Turning Point
The only life Tampa’s offense showed came in the final minutes of the first half. The Bucs drove into Green Bay territory, in large part because receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans made plays on the outside. However, thanks to a third-down sack by Peppers, the Bucs had to settle for three points. Kicker Patrick Murray made the kick, but they needed to inject fire into their offense going into the half. A touchdown does that. A field goal doesn’t.
Stud of the Game
Rodgers bounced-back with an efficient performance, but the defense deserves credit for turning in one of their best pass-rushing performances of the Dom Capers Era. Leading the way was Matthews, who finished with six tackles, and led all defenders with 2.5 sacks. He now has 10 sacks on the season, with 7.5 of them coming after the week nine bye.
Play of the Game
It’s time to take the leash of Lacy. His 44-yard touchdown run was a thing of beauty. He received good blocking from center Corey Linsley, ran through linebacker Danny Lansanah's attempted tackle, and outran Tampa defenders to the end zone. It’s time to feed him the ball, even against Detroit’s top-flight run defense.
Looking Ahead
Already, there seems to be a reluctance to give the Packers their due for a 17-point victory. The offense didn’t score enough. Therefore, the win isn’t impressive on paper.
Can you imagine the same kind of reaction if the final score ended up being 37-20 instead of 20-3?
Teams tend to rely more on their running game and defense in order to win in the postseason. This type of performance -- along with their three-point victory in Minnesota -- shows the Packers have that capability, albeit it’ll be a more difficult challenge against Dallas or Seattle.
The Detroit Lions (11-4) await the Packers next week in a winner take all matchup. The victor clinches the NFC North title, and earns the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The loser plays at Dallas the following weekend. The Lions do present a matchup problem for the offense, as they’re able to pressure with their front four. Nonetheless, losing at home isn’t an option for this year’s Packers. It is that kind of mindset that has helped contribute to their home success.
The schedule may say the start of the playoffs is on January 3.
However, inside 1265, the playoffs have already begun.
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