Packers get second shot at Bucs with Super Bowl at stake

All that stands between Green Bay and its first Super Bowl berth in a dece is one team that mand to shut down Packers’ high-powered offense this season.

Green Bay is NFL’s highest-scoring team but h its lowest point total of season in a 38-10 loss at Tampa Bay back on Oct. 18. Packers (14-3) have a chance to avenge that defeat Sunday when y host Buccaneers (13-5) in NFC championship game.

“I think our team has come a long way from that day, but everything’s just words at this point,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “You’ve got to go out re and you’ve got to have a great week of preparation and you’ve got to go earn it on field. So that’ll be our mindset and that’s how we’ll approach it.

Aside from some second-half struggles in a loss to Indianapolis and a win over Carolina, Packers’ offense has been pretty much unstoppable since Tampa Bay game. That didn’t change Saturday in a 32-18 divisional playoff victory over Los Angeles Rams, who entered night leing NFL in most defensive categories.

“We’re t too worried on who’s on or side of ball,” Packers receiver Allen Lazard said after Rams game. “We kw who we have on our side of ball.”

Packers earned ir seventh straight victory and followed ir usual winning formula: y build big les by scoring at will early on.

y scored touchdowns on ir first two possessions at Detroit. y reached end zone on each of ir first three series against Carolina and Tennessee , and in both ir victories over Chicago. y collected three touchdowns and two field goals on ir first five drives against Rams.

After throwing 48 touchdown passes with only five interceptions during regular season, Aaron Rodgers h two more touchdown passes and ran for a score against Rams.

“I think it’s one of greatest hors of my life to be able to le this team,” Rodgers said after game. “To be counted on by my teammates to bring, t just my physical play, but my presence, my emotions, my words, and I strongly believe in speaking things to life. We’ve been talking a lot about how a positive wave can be so powerful. I feel like we have that wave building and building and building and it’s kind of been backboned by so many great people.”

Packers also started out well in ir first meeting with Tampa Bay, as y built a 10-0 le before Rodgers threw consecutive interceptions. One was a pick-6 or was returned to 2-yard line to set up a touchdown.

Rodgers was 16 of 35 for 160 yards as Packers gave up 38 straight points after taking that 10-0 le. w y get ar shot at Bucs with a Super Bowl appearance at stake.

“What’s happened in past at this point, it really doesn’t matter,” LaFleur said. “It’s about what we do moving forward.”

WHAT’S WORKING

offensive line continues to thrive even after losing All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari to a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 31. Packers didn’t allow a single sack to Rams, who h 53 sacks during regular season and five more in a playoff victory at Seattle. … Packers rushed for 188 yards, most Rams h allowed all season. … Green Bay’s pass rush produced four sacks. … Packers didn’t commit any turvers Saturday and have just two turvers during ir seven-game winning streak.

WHAT NEEDS WORK

Packers still seem to have at least one special-teams breakdown in just about every game.

STOCK UP

DT Kenny Clark and OLB Rashan Gary each h 1 ½ sacks. … Aaron Jones ran for 99 yards and h one 60-yard burst against a Rams defense that hn’t allowed a run from scrimm of longer than 27 yards.

STOCK DOWN

re wasn’t much to complain about, though Hunter Brley h a b snap on an extra-point attempt in second quarter. JK Scott leaned to his right to catch snap, but he n decided to flip ball to kicker Mason Crosby rar than allowing Crosby to kick it.

INJURED

LB Krys Barnes injured his thumb early in game but returned and finished with a team-high 10 tackles. RB A.J. Dillon hurt his quriceps late in game.

NUMBERS

1,487 — Packers have scored 1,487 postseason points in NFL history. y have overtaken Pittsburgh Steelers (1,478) for le in that category.

NEXT STEPS

A home victory over Tampa Bay would enable Packers to he to Tampa for Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

Im credits: AP