3 reasons why Packers vs. Buccaneers will be a great matchup

The 2021 NFC Championship Game is set. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.

This will be a rematch of their regular season game in Week 6 — a game in which Tampa Bay won running away, 38-10. The Packers will be looking for revenge.

Let’s take a look at what makes this a great matchup.

Reason #1: The quarterbacks

The fourth overall meeting between two future Hall-of-Fame players will also end up being the first postseason meeting.

Aaron Rodgers — who is coming off of a likely MVP-award-winning campaign, torched the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round to the tune of 296 yards and three total touchdowns with a passer rating of 108.1. He also completed 64 percent of his passes (23 of 36).

On the other side, Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady went into New Orleans and defeated the Saints by a score of 30-20. This was a huge win as they had gone 0-2 against them in the regular season. Brady went 18/33 (55 percent), for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 98.2.

In a game filled with storylines, these two quarterbacks both have had great careers thus far, and one will further cement their legacy amongst the greats in the NFL.

Reason #2: Weather

A big factor when facing Green Bay at Lambeau Field is the immensely cold weather. In fact, in games where the temperature is below freezing at kickoff since 2016, the Packers are 11-0 and Rodgers has thrown 28 touchdowns to just one interception.

The game-time temperature is expected to be around 25 degrees with an eight-degree wind chill, making the actual temperature feel closer to 18 degrees along with a 40 percent chance of snow. Yeah, this game will definitely have Mother Nature playing a big role in the outcome.

Reason #3: Same teams, different looks

Things have changed for both teams since Week 6. The defense for Green Bay has gotten significantly better. Since Week 8, the defense has 138 total pressures with 27 sacks. It’s also forced 11 total turnovers.

The pass rush up front on defense is what will make a difference on Sunday. If Green Bay can pressure and sack Brady, they will be able to find success against Tampa Bay’s offense. Your secondary is only as good as your pass rush allows it to be.

The offensive line has gotten significantly better as well, only giving up 12 sacks since Week 6. They are second in the league with just 21 sacks given up overall. Even without David Bakhtiari at left tackle, this unit has been spectacular in the protection of Aaron Rodgers.

Lastly is the offensive production.

Both Rodgers and Brady had great seasons. Brady threw for over 4,000 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Rodgers, meanwhile, threw for a franchise-record 48 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

The running game for the Packers also saw a significant increase. Aaron Jones finished the year with 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns with a 5.5 YPC average. That led to 21 touchdowns via play-action from Rodgers, which leads the NFL.

Wide receiver Davante Adams has been a major factor in the overall success of the offense as well, catching a franchise-record 115 total passes for 1,374 yards, and 18 touchdowns — which ties Sterling Sharpe for the franchise record.

Simply put: This Packers team is significantly better than they were in Week 6 at Tampa Bay. This time, they’ll be coming up to frigid Lambeau Field in late January — good luck. Green Bay will be ready for a battle and they will be bringing the fight next Sunday, trying to punch their ticket to Tampa and Super Bowl 55. Let’s hope they can, I’ll be in attendance cheering them on! Go Pack Go!