JPP, Barrett pace stingy Buccaneers defense against Rodgers

Tom Brady's signing with Buccaneers as a free nt last winter spawned hope that brighter days were ahead for a once-downtrodden franchise.

To deliver on that hope, Brady needed some relentless play from Tampa Bay's defense.

“We played like our life depended on it,” Jason Pierre-Paul said Sunday after Bucs forced two more turvers and sacked Aaron Rodgers five times to key a 31-26 victory that sends Brady to an unprecedented 10th Super Bowl. And Tampa Bay to its first since 2002 season.

Keeping core of an improved defense toger was critical, too, in going from 7-9 last season to making playoffs for first time in 13 years. And n getting to back to NFL title game for first time since those 2002 Bucs won it all.

In days after luring Brady from New England, Bucs general manr Jason Licht placed franchise tag on linebacker Shaquil Barrett and re-signed Pierre-Paul and tackle Ndamukong Suh — moves coach Bruce Arians felt were also necessary to give team a chance to be special this season.

Barrett had three sacks and Pierre-Paul had two Sunday, when Tampa Bay showed success it had against Rodgers during a 38-10 rout of Packers in regular season was fluke. In earlier game, Bucs sacked Green Bay star four times and intercepted him twice, returning one for a touchdown and or to Packers 2.

“Shaq played great. I played great,” Pierre-Paul said. “We both knew we had to have big games to make it work.”

A week after forcing four turvers in Tampa Bay’s divisional round victory over Drew Brees and New Orleans Saints, Sean Murphy-Bunting’s interception set up a touchdown just before halftime. Devin White scooped up a fumble to set up ar TD that put Bucs up 28-10 in third quarter.

Packers came back, but defense forced Green Bay to settle for a field goal with just over two minutes remaining and trailing by eight points. Rodgers never got ball back.

Safety Jordan Whitehead, who forced fumble that White recovered to set up Brady’s third TD pass, sat out fourth quarter after leaving with a shoulder injury. He said it was difficult watching Packers chip away at lead, but he never doubted his teammates would finish job.

For one, he was confident defense would eir hold Green Bay to a field goal or stop a 2-point conversion if Rodgers got m into end zone on Packers' final drive.

And he was confident Brady-led offense would t give Packers' offense ar chance.

“We still had a lot of hope. I never doubted m,” Whitehead said.

“I think coming into this game we had confidence coming off last week as underdogs. Being underdogs again just put a chip on our shoulder,” Whitehead added. “A big thing that we’ve been working on all year is getting turvers, and we’re making it happen.”

Bucs have seven takeaways in three games this postseason, and Brady-led offense has converted m into six touchdowns.

Murphy-Bunting has an interception in each of victories. White has an interception and two fumble recoveries since returning from sitting out team's wild-card victory over Washington after testing positive for coronavirus.

“We knew re is better time to be great. re is better time to be defense that we want to be than right w, so we just took challenge,” Barrett said. “We knew our offense was going to do what y needed to do. When we need help, y bail us out. When y need help, we bail m out.”

Im credits: AP