Studs and duds from Packers’ 38-10 loss to Buccaneers in Week 6
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced the Green Bay Packers to the loss column for the first time in the 2020 season, using two crucial takeaways and 28 points in the second quarter to turn a 10-0 Packers lead into a runaway 38-10 win on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Flying high into the bye week at 4-0, the Packers were dealt decisive losses on both sides of the football in Tampa Bay.
Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ 38-10 loss to the Bucs in Week 6:
Studs
LT David Bakhtiari: Tasked with blocking Jason Pierre-Paul, Bakhtiari did his job admirably before exiting the contest in the third quarter with a chest injury. He didn’t allow a pressure over 29 pass-blocking snaps. Pierre-Paul is a physical veteran rusher with a toolbox full of moves and countermoves, but Bakhtiari had answers, even when Pierre-Paul gained ground at times. The Packers are hopeful Bakhtiari avoided a serious injury.
CB Jaire Alexander: Teams just aren’t attacking No. 23. Chris Godwin beat him once on a well-run outbreaking route for 25 yards, but that was just about it. Mike Evans didn’t have a catch with Alexander in coverage. The Packers’ ascending cornerback also blew up an early screen pass and later dumped Ronald Jones in the open field after a 2-yard gain.
DL Montravius Adams: Don’t fault Adams for giving up a first-down catch to Rob Gronkowski. The blitz better get home if a defensive coordinator is dropping a 300-pound defensive lineman into coverage. It didn’t, so Tom Brady had an easy completion with Adams trailing. Against the run, Adams had disruptive moments once again. On back-to-back plays, he dumped Ronald Jones for a loss and then penetrated to create another stop of LeSean McCoy. Adams, who had one of the Packers’ five pressures, wasn’t overmatched in battles with Ali Marpet.
CB Chandon Sullivan: The Packers’ nickel corner had his share of one-on-one matchups with Chris Godwin and survived fine. Godwin probably had Sullivan beat for a conversion on third down in the first half but Tom Brady was off the mark when Sullivan disrupted Godwin at the top of the route. More notably, Sullivan made three impactful tackles, including two stops in the run game and a nice tackle on tight end Cameron Brate in the open field after three yards.
Duds
Oct 18, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (90) during the third quarter of a NFL game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
QB Aaron Rodgers: After four games of MVP-caliber play to open the season, Rodgers and the foundations of his red-hot start – like decisiveness, accuracy and aggressiveness – crumbled, quickly. He consistently held the football, completed 45.7 percent of his passes, went 0-for-5 on throws over 20 yards in the air and took four sacks and another dozen or so hits. The pressure got to him early and clearly affected him the rest of the way. His two interceptions in the second quarter turned the game sharply Tampa Bay’s way, and Rodgers wasn’t able to regain any kind of momentum. Whereas he didn’t have a turnover-worthy play the first four games, Rodgers tossed five passes on Sunday capable of being intercepted. Counting the four sacks, the Packers averaged 3.3 net yards per attempt with Rodgers in the game. The Bucs confused him for much of the afternoon with different coverages and aggressive blitzes.
RT Billy Turner: The Packers right tackle had issues with Shaq Barrett on the edge, giving up a team-high six pressures and a sack. Barrett’s a tough customer. He’s immediately threatening with explosiveness off the ball, and savvy with his hands on counter moves. The Bucs did impressive work looping on stunts around Turner and Lucas Patrick on the right side. By the second half, the Packers were giving Turner help with chips from backs and tight ends staying in to pass protect.
OLB Za’Darius Smith: Smith hasn’t produced many empty performances since arriving in Green Bay in 2019. Sunday was one of them. Given 27 opportunities to rush the quarterback, Smith produced all of one pressure. The Bucs double-teamed him just about every time he tried to line up inside or play the rover role over the center. Left tackle Donovan Smith had little issue mirroring Smith’s rushes, especially all his jabs and spins inside. This defense needs Smith to produce like a star, especially with Preston Smith accomplishing so little opposite him.
CB Josh Jackson: He had flashes, including a third-down stop of LeSean McCoy on the first drive and a terrific open-field tackle of Rob Gronkowski, but cornerbacks are paid to cover, and Jackson continues to make one or two costly errors. He lost rookie Tyler Johnson in the end zone on third down in the second quarter, and his blatant pass interference penalty handed the Bucs another touchdown in the second half. That’s 14 points. Jackson is good for one coverage lapse and one big penalty every time he’s on the field.
RB Aaron Jones: The Packers’ running back scored his 30th touchdown since the start of the 2019 season (including playoffs) on a 1-yard plunge in the first quarter, but it was all downhill from there. He got dumped for losses on three of his 10 carries and finished with only 15 yards rushing, his fewest in a game since 2018. The Bucs also beat him twice in pass pro for pressures, including a sack. Lavonte David and Devin White effectively neutralized the Packers’ most versatile offensive weapon.
OT Rick Wagner: The veteran right tackle came in the second half, replacing Bakhtiari at left tackle. He got beat twice, once inside by Pierre-Paul for a quick sack and another by Lavonte David on a tackle for loss against Aaron Jones. Wagner can get heavy feet at times, and the Bucs exposed him on quick inside moves.
S Raven Greene: The Bucs beat him twice for first-down catches. Greene also missed an open field tackle on Chris Godwin. He’s on the field as an extra safety to help the coverage group without sacrificing against the run, but it’s unclear if Greene is providing positive impact in either area to start 2020.
WR Equanimeous St. Brown: He played 11 snaps and saw two targets in his first game since Dec. of 2018. Both passes his way were incompletions. On the first, he wasn’t on the same page as Aaron Rodgers, who wasn’t happy about the miscommunication. Later, St. Brown dropped a designed quick hitter in the flat. With blockers out front, it had a chance to be a chunk play.
