Buccaneers vs. Packers: Score Predictions for the NFC Championship - Sports Illustrated

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one more road win away from a second Super Bowl appearance. 

It's hard to believe, right? The signing of 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady of course provided optimism that it could be done, but it was hard to believe until it actually came to fruition.

However, the road (back) to Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl LV requires a trip to the frosty Lambeau Field, to face the No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers. These teams previously faced off in Week 6, ending in a 38-10 Bucs victory. The Buccaneers also own an 8-2 road record this year, unseating higher-ranked teams as the No. 5 seed in the NFC bracket.

Who's to say they can't do it again this week? Vegas is one, although bettors believe this will be a close contest. Green Bay is currently a 3.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 52 according to OddsShark. 

The AllBucs staff, joined by Bill Huber of Packer Central, have their predictions below.

Zach Goodall: Buccaneers 30, Packers 28

The defense that held the typically explosive Green Bay Packers offense to just 10 points and 3.3 yards per play in Week 6 had its ups and downs throughout the regular season, but is freshly removed from another dominant showing against the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round. 

We all know the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can and will score points this weekend, and that isn't a slight towards the Packers' defense. Tom Brady and the Bucs have simply been on a roll offensively, averaging 34.8 points per game amid a six-game winning streak. The questions are: Can Tampa Bay's pass rush contain and disrupt Aaron Rodgers once again? Will Devin White build off of a great game in coverage against Alvin Kamara, and do it versus Aaron Jones? Is Carlton Davis III capable of holding Davante Adams under 40 yards receiving in man coverage once more?

Okay, maybe it won't be that dominant on Tampa Bay's end. But I do think the Bucs' defense will be able to do enough and force some turnovers to set Brady and the offense up in scoring position. The New Orleans playoff game made me a believer.

Bill brings up a good point about the weather below: The Packers are used to cold temperatures while Brady said earlier this year that you wouldn't catch him dead living in the northeast anymore. 

However, it was 32° in Landover, Md. when the Bucs faced the Washington Football Team in the Wild Card round, at night. That didn't appear to cause much of an issue other than, maybe, Chris Godwin's uncharacteristic drops. If Brady and Co. can get off to a fast start offensively while there is still sunlight and pound the rock later, I'd figure they'll hold up alright in the frigid conditions. 

Jason Beede: Buccaneers 31, Packers 30

In what will end up being an instant classic between arguably two of the greatest quarterbacks to play football, Sunday’s NFC Championship will come down to who can come up with more turnovers.

Point Tampa Bay. The Bucs came up with four takeaways last week vs. the New Orleans Saints, including three interceptions by Drew Brees. If linebacker Devin White can play the way he did last week when he led the team with 11 total tackles and came up with an interception, expect him to disrupt Aaron Rodgers throughout the afternoon.

Of course, taking the ball away from Rodgers will be no easy task, but it’s not impossible. The Bucs need to be assignment sound and avoid falling for a pump fake by Rodgers similar to what he did against the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line last week in the red zone. Whoever will win the turnover battle, will win the game.

The cold weather shouldn’t be an issue for a guy like Tom Brady, who’s spent the majority of his career playing in the northeast. I think Brady will throw for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns, including a late touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski, which will give Tampa Bay a slight lead. In the end, I have the Bucs winning 31-30 over the Packers thanks to turnovers and the heroic quarterback play of Brady.

Bill Huber: Packers 27, Buccaneers 24

Honestly, there’s little reason to pick the Packers. It’s Tom Brady, after all. He’s won six Super Bowls and nine conference championship games. While he needs two hands to wear all of that jewelry, there’s no doubt he’s driven to win another with someone other than Bill Belichick as coach.

Week 6 was a massacre, and while that was three months ago, it’s hard to forget Devin White taking up residency in the Packers’ backfield. The first time Aaron Jones got the ball, White sliced through blockers and dropped Jones for no gain. It was the type of linebacker play that Packers fans haven’t seen from their team in years and years and years.

Nonetheless, the Packers will be at home. And while there will be in the neighborhood of only 8,500 fans in attendance, I do think that matters. The forecast is calling for a kickoff temperature of about 28. That’s a lovely January day around here but about 50 degrees colder than it will be in Tampa. While I don’t think the Buccaneers are going to freeze to death, I do think it matters in terms of the field being just a bit treacherous. The Packers are used to it, the Buccaneers are not; I think that will mitigate some of the speed factor.

There’s no such thing as a “team of destiny.” You’re either the better team or you’re not. The Packers are a better team than they were in Week 6. Aaron Rodgers after the game called the performance an “anomaly.” He was right. Rodgers is desperate to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade. Somehow – and don’t ask me how – they’ll figure out a way to win, because they have all year.

Donovan Keiser: Buccaneers 31, Packers 28 

After picking against the Bucs last week, I have now seen the Super Bowl potential on both sides of the ball, especially if the defense can play the way it did against the Saints.

The Tampa Bay offense has been firing on all cylinders, even though it will be down Antonio Brown as he's been ruled out with a knee injury. However, the Buccaneers running backs have turned up at the right time, as “Playoff Lenny” Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II, who is still nursing a quad injury. The usual suspects of Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin have been consistently doing their part, allowing the Bucs offense to prosper again even the best defenses. As long as the offense is clicking, I like the Bucs chances against the highly-ranked Packers defense, even if the Packers pass rush can get to Brady.

On defense, the Bucs must limit Aaron Jones and Davante Adams, both who have had stellar years despite not producing in the week six matchups versus the Bucs. This time it will be much different, as Adams will be fully healthy, facing a confident Carlton Davis III coming off of an elite performance last week. Still, the run should be shut down, forcing Rodgers to drop back more often, which could play into the hands of the Bucs pass rush and secondary, only if they can keep pace with what they did against the Saints. 

At the end of the day, I predict another slugfest that will be a fourth-quarter game, coming down to the final drive between two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever grace the field. I’m favoring the Bucs, but it will be quite a task to go up to Lambeau Field and secure a Super Bowl appearance. 

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Buccaneers vs. Packers: Score Predictions for the NFC Championship - Sports Illustrated
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