Bucs Wire staff picks for Week 15 against the Packers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers have history. And on Sunday, a new chapter of their rivalry will be written at one of football’s holiest sites.
The Bucs are set to face off against the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday in Week 15 in what is set to be a crucial matchup for the both of them — both teams are 6-7 and looking to make a last-second push, with the Bucs hoping to retain their (incredibly) slim division lead and the Packers vying to improve enough to land a wild card spot. It’ll be a tough game, but it won’t be impossible for the Bucs to overcome.
Our staff gives our picks for every Bucs game, and you can see how we saw this one going with our choices below:
River Wells, Editor
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can certainly win on the road against this Packers team. Their run game has improved vastly, their defense is still keeping teams out of the end zone in the red zone and they have a lot to play for — that being said, I don’t see it happening this time around. The Packers may have a poor run defense, but they’ve looked a lot better at the height of their power than the Bucs have all year and they’ll have the opportunity for a bounce-back game after a rough loss to the New York Giants. This one could be close, as both teams are evenly matched, but the Bucs are hurt and I don’t think they have the acumen to bring this one home on the road in a crucial scenario.
Packers 27, Bucs 23
Jason Kanno, Contributor
In a classic NFC Central throwback, the Bucs and Packers are both in the thick of the playoff race. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, they historically struggle playing at Lambeau with an 8-20 record all-time, but they are 1-1 in Green Bay since 2012. Both are flawed teams with a litany of injuries, so it will come down to who can push through and make the fewest mistakes. Their defenses have inverse weaknesses, with the Packers being vulnerable on the ground and the Bucs playing soft against the pass. Jordan Love’s improvement over the second half of the season could make Sunday a long day for the Bucs.
Packers 24, Bucs 19
Luke Adragna, Contributor
The Buccaneers have a huge opportunity this weekend to inch closer to playoff contention against the Green Bay Packers. Tampa Bay is coming off a gritty victory against the Falcons, and the Packers are looking to get back on schedule after a sloppy loss against the New York Giants. Green Bay’s offense enters this matchup absolutely riddled with injuries. Three of its wideouts are dealing with injuries, and both RBs, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, are listed as questionable. Packers QB Jordan Love will likely be airing it out all game to anyone he can — it’ll be especially crucial for the Bucs to try and stop rookie wideout Jayden Reed, who’s emerged as one of Love’s favorite targets the last couple weeks. As inconsistent as they are, the Bucs offense is good enough to outplay the Packers defense. Rachaad White is averaging 95 yards over his last three games, and Green Bay is ranked No. 31 in rushing defense. I expect White to be the difference maker in a close finish.
Bucs 21, Packers 18
