An early season matchup of two of the NFC’s best is in store when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0, 0-0 home) host the Green Bay Packers (1-1, 0-1 away). The two NFC playoff powers will face off against each other for the first time since 2020.
Sunday’s kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. EST at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Tampa Bay is a one-point favorite in their home opener, and the over/under total is 42 points.
What to Know – Green Bay Packers
After dropping their opening contest in Week 1, the Packers bounced back last week with a 27-10 victory over their rival, the Chicago Bears. The victory moved Aaron Rodgers to 23-5 as a starting quarterback against the Bears.
Rodgers completed 76% of his passes in the Sunday Night Football victory while throwing his first two touchdown passes of the season. The 17-year veteran threw for 234 yards and didn’t turn the ball over.
The Packers made it a mission to utilize running Aaron Jones more from Week 1 to Week 2, and it paid off. Jones erupted for 170 total yards and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. A.J. Dillion remains a complimentary backup, rushing 28 times for 106 yards and a touchdown through two contests.
Rodgers hasn’t found that go-to receiver yet like Davante Adams, but the quarterback and receivers seemed more in-tune in Week 2. Seven pass-catchers have had six targets or more through two games, and Sammy Watkins has caught six of his seven targets for a team-high 111 yards through the air.
What to Know – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are 2-0 to begin the season and are using a dominating defense to get them to this point. Tampa Bay’s defense has surrendered just 13 points in victories over the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.
The 45-year-old Tom Brady hasn’t been as sharp as he would like over the first two games. Brady is 36-of-61, completing just 59% of his passes, for 402 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Starting running back Leonard Fournette is still searching for his first touchdown and 100-yard rushing contest. The running back has carried the ball 45 times for 192 yards through the first two weeks of the season.
Tampa Bay will be without Mike Evans, the team’s leading receiver, for the home opener. Evans was handed a one-game suspension after a fight broke out in last week’s victory. Brady will look to veteran wide receiver Julio Jones along with Breshad Perriman, Russell Gage, and Chris Godwin to fill the void.
The Pick is In
Two top NFC teams with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks square off in the afternoon window on Sunday. While the quarterbacks may dominate the pre-game headlines, it’ll be the team’s defenses that will decide the game. Both defenses have looked solid through two weeks, but the Bucs’ defense remains one of the best in the league.
The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1
