The Green Bay Packers took down a pesky foe on the road and continued following down a 2021-like road on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Matt LaFleur’s team beat the Buccaneers by a 14-12 final score in the first matchup of the teams since the 2020 NFC title game. And just like 2021, the Packers have rebounded from a disappointing Week 1 effort with a decisive home win over a divisional rival and then an upset victory on the road against a top NFC contender.
Here are the top takeaways from Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers:
Covering punts for Pat O'Donnell
What’s a great way of assisting a defense designed to prevent big plays? Flipping field position and pinning teams deep in their own territory with special teams. Packers punter Pat O’Donnell placed five of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line, including one downed at the 2-yard line by Keisean Nixon. Gunner Rudy Ford made one tackle for no gain and was there to help force three different fair catches by the returner. The work of O’Donnell, Nixon and Ford was a big reason why the Bucs started all 10 of their non-turnover drives at the 25-yard line or worse.
Romeo's breakout
With Sammy Watkins on injured reserve and Christian Watson out while nursing a hamstring injury, fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs finally got a chance to be a featured player in the passing game, and the rookie shined – catching all eight targets for 73 yards and the Packers’ opening touchdown. He caught three passes on the opening drive, including a 21-yard strike from Aaron Rodgers. The Packers specifically designed a few chances for him, including a pair of catches on rollout passes. In the second half, Doubs made an impressive all-hands catch for 15 yards. Through three games, Doubs leads the team with 14 catches and is on pace to catch almost 80 passes.
Frustrating two-sided coin for the offense
The Packers displayed the height of the offense’s potential during a two-drive stretch to open the game against one of the NFL’s best defenses. Green Bay engineered scoring marches of 10 plays and 12 plays, gained 146 total yards, converted five third downs, hit eight different receivers in the passing game and scored touchdowns in the red zone on well-designed plays. Even on the third drive, the Packers marched 60 yards and had a chance to blow the game wide open before a turnover changed everything. Over the next eight drives, the Packers turned the ball once and punted seven times, including three times after three plays and three more after four plays. The final 10 third-down opportunities netted just one conversion. Sunday afternoon provided a glimpse of what the Packers could be at the heights of their powers, but also showed how difficult consistency is to achieve, especially for a young offense still finding its way early in the season.
Keisean Nixon steps up
The Packers lost Jaire Alexander after only six plays when he injured his groin. As a result, Rasul Douglas moved from the slot to the perimeter and Nixon moved inside in the nickel. The Bucs tested him early, but the former Raider was up to the task. He forced a fumble after a short completion and was there to force an incompletion in the end zone on a third-down play. The moment was never too big. Granted, the Bucs were operating in the passing game with a rag-tag group of receivers, so maybe Nixon lucked out a bit in terms of competition on most snaps. But Tom Brady usually finds the right matchup, and Nixon never looked like the weak link.
Bakhtiari-NIjman tandem
In an interesting wrinkle, Packers coach Matt LaFleur rotated David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman in and out at left tackle. It was an attempt to keep Bakhtiari fresh in the Florida heat during his first game back, and a way to reward Nijman’s work on the blindside over the last year. On the live viewing, both appeared to perform admirably in a split role. Bakhtiari is the preferred starter, but Nijman has earned the trust of the staff and deserves to be in the conversation as one of the team’s five best offensive linemen even once everyone is healthy and fully available. This is a good problem to have; the Packers think they have at least three starting-caliber tackles in Nijman, Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. Shaq Barrett, a Pro Bowl edge rusher, had a quiet afternoon against the left tackles.
Adversity defense
For all but two drives (first and last), the Packers were dominant on defense and consistently showed terrific responses to adversity. Even on the final drive, the Packers stopped the two-point conversion attempt to all but seal the win. The offense turned the ball over twice, but the Bucs managed just three points off takeaways. Tampa Bay was 2-for-11 on third down and never got anything going consistently, in large part because the Packers front forced negative plays and demanded quick throws from Tom Brady. A handful of times, the Bucs appeared to be gaining some semblance of momentum, but Joe Barry’s defense slammed the door shut each time. Overall, it was a strong performance against a future Hall of Fame quarterback who was missing key pieces at receiver and along the offensive line.
Veteran WRs make clutch plays
Allen Lazard, who is still fighting through an ankle injury, and Randall Cobb, who missed the whole week of practice with an illness, both made big plays. Lazard caught a touchdown pass and converted two third downs, including one to extend a drive in the fourth quarter. He’s so tough one-on-one from the slot. Cobb converted another third down on a scoring drive in the first half on a 17-yard catch, and he nearly sparked a third consecutive scoring drive to open the game with a 40-yard catch. The pair caught six passes for 102 yards and a score.
