Buccaneers @ Packers - NFCC Playoff GDT - 1/24 - 2:05 CST

[NCF]

They may have players with experience playing in for cold-weather teams, but they have acclimated to warm weather over this past year, and they do not really have time to acclimate back into cold environment. It will affect all those guys adversely.

I think what is more is the offensive and defensive lines. The linebackers, etc. If we dominate the lines. If we run the ball well. If we are able to get pressure and stop their run attack like we did vs TEN....it won't really matter if Brady, Gronk, Godwin and Brown are acclimated to the cold.

I think we want it to snow.

Yes, for us snow would be better than cold. Slippery conditions slow down the pass rush. Of course it would affect our pass rush too....

Not nearly as much. Our pass rush is predicated on power. They are a little bit more of a speed rush team.

[Pckfn23]

I am not worried about our offense. There is NO reason why we can't dominate their defense. Any given Sunday and all that.

Our defense has the horses to limit their offense, but will we play it correctly. Pressure on Brady is key and don't give him the easy check. Whether we do that or no, is another story.

[go pak go]

I am not worried about our offense. There is NO reason why we can't dominate their defense. Any given Sunday and all that.

Our defense has the horses to limit their offense, but will we play it correctly. Pressure on Brady is key and don't give him the easy check. Whether we do that or no, is another story.

Yup. This is the classic argument and feeling I think when we played MN and other teams etc.

Absolutely given any Sunday. But the Packers team is absolutely better and as you stated, there is no reason both sides of the ball shouldn't win and be successful.

The Packers are the better team. We have all said that the only team in the NFC who can stop the Packers is the Packers.

The SB may be different as there is serious talent on that AFC side but even there....nothing we can't match.

[NCF]

I feel like we always say we have to do that on D... we don't, and yet we still win and the numbers show we were still really good anyway. I think we almost have to plan on Brady completing 25 passes for 300 yards or more. The key will be doing enough to interrupt their dinking and dunking at critical times to end drives. A few stops, some success in the RZ forcing FG's instead of allowing TD's I think will be the recipe Pettine goes with. I am honestly more concerned Arians pulls his head out of his ass and relies on their power running against us and then is able to do a billion things in play action game then I am with anything else. I really feel like THIS is the most important game for our run defense all season.

[Pckfn23]

We did against the TItans.

I agree with taking away the run and forcing Brady to win this. Along with taking away the run, we can get pressure up the middle. Those 2 things can go hand in hand.

[kyle.mccarroll]

Yeah, their run game is scarier to me than Brady. Play this game like we did Tennesee and we're headed to Tampa.

Honestly, the only thing standing between us and a SB in my mind is Pettine.

[kyle.mccarroll]

Along with taking away the run, we can get pressure up the middle. Those 2 things can go hand in hand.

Yeah, Kenny Clark's play Sunday will probably go a long way in determining the winner. If we see another a 5-7 pressure, 2 sack game from him, it's over.

[go pak go]

Biggest keys for the Packers moving forward:

1. Don't turn it over
2. Force the opponent to Field Goals/Clamp down in the redzone.

We do that...we are SB champs.

[Yoop]

Yeah, their run game is scarier to me than Brady. Play this game like we did Tennesee and we're headed to Tampa.

Honestly, the only thing standing between us and a SB in my mind is Pettine.

I don't see any way that we can defend the Bucs as we did the Titans, Pettine will use a lot more N and dime packages, the Titans inability to pass and instead using the Run allowed us to play base 3-4, not the case with Brady and the Buc's.

our N though has done well stopping the run the last 5 or 6 games imo.

[Labrev]

The annoying thing about the Titans game is that scheming specifically to stop the run made our D look hands-down the best that it has all year, it even helped us against the pass because we did a better job dominating the LOS and getting to the QB.

... yet Pettine comes out of the game like, "Well, no more Derrick Henry -- back to playing the pass ~hyuck!"

[YoHoChecko]

If you have a QB like Trubisky or Goff, forcing them to go on loooong drives without negative plays or making mistakes is a strategy that will reward you more often than not. You can win that way.

If you're facing a QB like Tannehill or Brady, you probably can't afford to give up the short stuff because they are efficient passers who don't take a lot of sacks or turn the ball over very much.

Playing the Rams like we played the Bears made sense, and it worked. Playing the Bucs like we played the Titans will hopefully make sense, also.

[go pak go]

If you have a QB like Trubisky or Goff, forcing them to go on loooong drives without negative plays or making mistakes is a strategy that will reward you more often than not. You can win that way.

If you're facing a QB like Tannehill or Brady, you probably can't afford to give up the short stuff because they are efficient passers who don't take a lot of sacks or turn the ball over very much.

Playing the Rams like we played the Bears made sense, and it worked. Playing the Bucs like we played the Titans will hopefully make sense, also.

Couldn't agree more.

[packman114]

Has the officiating crew been announced yet for our game? Just wondering if we're getting a flag happy crew.

[NCF]

Are we doing same number of fans or has that not been fully determined yet?

[BSA]

Has the officiating crew been announced yet for our game? Just wondering if we're getting a flag happy crew.

Clete Blakeman is the referee for the NFC Championship Game, who is in his 13th season and 11th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 11th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50. Those 4 conference or league title games have all been earned in just the past 6 seasons.

[go pak go]

Has the officiating crew been announced yet for our game? Just wondering if we're getting a flag happy crew.

I hope they are because the Bucs play aggressive and scrappy.

[go pak go]

Has the officiating crew been announced yet for our game? Just wondering if we're getting a flag happy crew.

Clete Blakeman is the referee for the NFC Championship Game, who is in his 13th season and 11th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 11th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50. Those 4 conference or league title games have all been earned in just the past 6 seasons.

He's the guy who reffed the Packers Lions Monday Night game in 2019.

[Yoop]

If you have a QB like Trubisky or Goff, forcing them to go on loooong drives without negative plays or making mistakes is a strategy that will reward you more often than not. You can win that way.

If you're facing a QB like Tannehill or Brady, you probably can't afford to give up the short stuff because they are efficient passers who don't take a lot of sacks or turn the ball over very much.

Playing the Rams like we played the Bears made sense, and it worked. Playing the Bucs like we played the Titans will hopefully make sense, also.

Couldn't agree more.

I'am confused, if Brady is efficient and gets that ball out fast then why would we play base with 2 ILB's versus Amos at ILB/hybrid, that is a lot better option to cover those short zones then either of Kirksey or Martin.

are we more concerned with stopping the run, or the pass? obviously both, but I don't want to see Brady get on a roll.

[Cdragon]

Has the officiating crew been announced yet for our game? Just wondering if we're getting a flag happy crew.

Clete Blakeman is the referee for the NFC Championship Game, who is in his 13th season and 11th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 11th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50. Those 4 conference or league title games have all been earned in just the past 6 seasons.

He's the guy who reffed the Packers Lions Monday Night game in 2019.

The coin toss: What could go wrong?

Which brings us to last week’s non-flip coin flip. Clete Blakeman tossed the coin and it didn’t rotate in the air. The Packers protested and Blakeman nipped all the yelling in the bud by saying the coin didn’t turn over and he’d toss it again. Blakeman did this out of fairness and the NFL backed him in his decision, despite Aaron Rodgers’ grumbling that he did not have the chance to re-call heads or tails.

[salmar80]

If you have a QB like Trubisky or Goff, forcing them to go on loooong drives without negative plays or making mistakes is a strategy that will reward you more often than not. You can win that way.

If you're facing a QB like Tannehill or Brady, you probably can't afford to give up the short stuff because they are efficient passers who don't take a lot of sacks or turn the ball over very much.

Playing the Rams like we played the Bears made sense, and it worked. Playing the Bucs like we played the Titans will hopefully make sense, also.

Couldn't agree more.

I'am confused, if Brady is efficient and gets that ball out fast then why would we play base with 2 ILB's versus Amos at ILB/hybrid, that is a lot better option to cover those short zones then either of Kirksey or Martin.

are we more concerned with stopping the run, or the pass? obviously both, but I don't want to see Brady get on a roll.

I think it's not so much the personnel, which depends on how many WRs they trot out, rather playing a tight 8-man box close to the LoS with corners usually manning up (often in press) and (at least threaten) rushes from different positions. Idea being "stop the run, aim to create quick pressure, and make quick short and intermediate routes tough". The obvious risk with this is that if Brady isn't pressured quickly, WRs will have time to beat their 1-1s and there's often just one S to help the CBs.