Packers-Buccaneers Preview

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• Countdown Daily Recap: Packers-Buccaneers

SCOUTING REPORT

Packers-Buccaneers: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Packers-Buccaneers matchup. 1. If you're the Packers, run, run and run some more: Green Bay should stick with a heavy dose of Ryan Grant in Tampa Bay. It will be very tempting to hit big plays against the Buccaneers' suspect secondary, but those could come off of play-action once the Packers' ground dominance is established. This obviously would help keep Aaron Rodgers from taking a ton of hits behind his weak offensive line.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
GNB	6-4	262	203	4-2	2-2	2-2	5-3
TAM	1-9	164	294	1-5	0-4	0-2	1-6
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Green Bay Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Rodger... 64.8 2788 19 5 Flynn 66.7 15 0 0

Tampa Bay Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Johnso... 50.4 685 4 8 Leftwi... 54.2 594 4 3

Green Bay Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Grant 189 829 4.4 5 Rodger... 44 242 5.5 3

Tampa Bay Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Willia... 117 450 3.8 3 Ward 66 243 3.7 1

Green Bay Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Driver 46 703 15.3 4 Jennin... 43 669 15.6 3

Tampa Bay Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Winslo... 47 483 10.3 5 Bryant 19 269 14.2 2

Full Player Stats: Green Bay | Tampa Bay

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	GNB	378.0
	TAM	271.0
Yards Passing	GNB	254.9
	TAM	169.8
Yards Rushing	GNB	123.1
	TAM	100.7
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	GNB	282.5
	TAM	378.3
Pass Yds Allowed	GNB	191.8
	TAM	209.4
Rush Yds Allowed	GNB	90.7
	TAM	168.9

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Tampa Bay leads 5-2
Sep 28, 2008	GNB 21, TAM 30
Sep 25, 2005	GNB 16, @TAM 17
Nov 16, 2003	GNB 20, TAM 13
Nov 24, 2002	GNB 7, TAM 21
Nov 4, 2001	GNB 21, @TAM 20
Oct 7, 2001	GNB 10, TAM 14

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy is considering changes to fix the team's porous pass protection. Perhaps merely facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will give the offensive line some confidence.

With the hits on Aaron Rodgers beginning to take their toll, the Packers look to take advantage of a matchup with the winless Buccaneers on Sunday.

Green Bay (4-3) was hurt by its former star quarterback in a 38-26 loss to Minnesota and Brett Favre last Sunday. Rodgers fell to 0-2 against his one-time mentor despite throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns without getting picked off.

If not for all the pressure he faced, Rodgers may have had an even bigger game. He was sacked six times, suffering a sprain on one foot and a sprained toe on the other.

McCarthy expects Rodgers to play against Tampa Bay (0-7), but the Packers need to find a way to give him better protection. Rodgers has been sacked a league-worst 31 times after being taken down 34 times all of last season, but has still managed to complete 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,989 yards and 14 TDs with two interceptions.

"Our sack numbers are clearly out of balance," said McCarthy, who is examining his options on the offensive line. "That's something we'll continue to work through."

McCarthy may replace rookie left tackle T.J. Lang with veteran Chad Clifton, who hasn't played a full game since the opener due to an ankle injury, and right tackle Allen Barbre is in danger of being benched in favor of Mark Tauscher.

Green Bay gave up a combined five sacks to Vikings defensive ends. The Packers now must contend with end Jimmy Wilkerson, who has 5 1/2 sacks, but he has been the Buccaneers' only real pass-rushing threat.

Tampa Bay's 11 sacks rank 29th in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks have a 102.1 passer rating versus the Buccaneers, throwing 16 TDs.

Green Bay hasn't been much better at getting to the quarterback, totaling 12 sacks. Packers veterans continue to criticize defensive coordinator Dom Capers' new 3-4 defense.

Defensive end Cullen Jenkins was outspoken after Green Bay failed to sack Favre for the second time this season, saying the team is "in handcuffs" in Capers' scheme.

"It's tough," Jenkins said. "You come into the season with new stuff and you're told we're going to give you opportunities to do this and do opportunities to do that, and then you're not given them."

Cornerback Charles Woodson spoke out about Capers' play selection after the Packers' first loss to the Vikings on Oct. 5, but declined to point fingers after the last matchup.

After giving up 30 points or more for the third time this season, Green Bay will try to bounce back as it faces Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Josh Freeman, who is set to make his first start.

Freeman, the 17th pick in this year's draft, will try to boost an offense that has averaged 13.7 points. After sitting behind Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson for seven weeks, Freeman comes off the Buccaneers' bye confident that he's ready for the challenge.

"Obviously, it's something that's very exciting to me. It's something that I'm not taking lightly," said Freeman said, whose only NFL action was two series in the fourth quarter of a 35-7 loss to New England on Oct. 25.

"I come out with a different swagger, I guess, because I'm the guy who's taking the majority of the snaps, and I've got to go out and radiate that type of deal or that type of swagger, so my teammates can catch on to it."

Freeman completed 2 of 4 passes for 16 yards versus the Patriots and was sacked twice. He's taking over a Buccaneers club that has lost 11 straight, the franchise's longest skid since dropping 26 in a row during its first two seasons.

Five of Tampa Bay's losses have been by double digits.

"Everything we've done to this point is who we are," first-year coach Raheem Morris said. "These guys are holding up, but we've got to do more than hold up. ... Holding up got you to 0-7. We're here to fight through, we're here to power through, we're here to be our best selves."

Tampa Bay beat visiting Green Bay 30-21 on Sept. 28, 2008, in the teams' last meeting as Rodgers was sacked three times and threw three interceptions. The Packers have lost six of their last seven road games against the Bucs.

Leftwich's season ends as he's placed on IR

Byron Leftwich's season is over after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the backup quarterback on injured reserve with a sore right elbow.

Injured Lions Stafford, Johnson skip practice

The Detroit Lions practiced Tuesday without quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

Week 12 of the latest ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings reveals a matchup of the Nos. 1 and 4 teams.

Bucs sack Bates; Morris to call defensive plays

Continuing a tumultous year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed defensive coordinators Monday night, demoting Jim Bates and handing over their defense to head coach Raheem Morris, according to sources close to the situation.

S Atari Bigby isn't back yet, but he's ready to go

Atari Bigby says he feels great, and that's saying something, considering how the Green Bay Packers' strong safety limped through the 2008 season.

Packers Daily Briefing 06.01.09

Jun. 1, 2009 6:00 a.m. Good morning. Here is your PDB for Monday, June 1, 2009. It contains all the links, info, analysis and occasional humor you'll need to start your day.

Tauscher's replacement will be green

The Green Bay Packers won't anoint a new starting right tackle until August, but they'll go to training camp with a pretty good idea about the identity of Mark Tauscher's successor.

Rodgers looks to expand leadership

Aaron Rodgers' strong 2008 season has him operating the 2009 Packers offense with confidence - much more so than last year at this time.

Bucs' Zuttah apparently ahead of Sears at left guard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are undergoing a changing of their left guard, and it definitely appears as though the key figure in that change is second-year pro Jeremy Zuttah.

Jackson needs swagger

If Amarri Jackson wants to make sure he gets to training camp and through the preseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Antonio Bryant has some veteran advice for the Sarasota native.

Receiver Kelly Campbell savors his chance to make Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Each time Bucs receiver Kelly Campbell reads a headline about an NFL player who has been arrested or otherwise gotten into trouble, he can't help but immediately think about the potential consequences.

Dungy is moving forward

It had been a busy Thursday morning but now Tony Dungy was heading back across the Howard Frankland Bridge toward Tampa after a couple of meetings in a campaign to increase parental involvement in Florida public schools.

Mangurian looking for discipline on Bucs' OL

Two months before the start of training camp, Tampa Bay's new offensive line coach has a chilling message for his minions: If you're not planning on being smart and disciplined, don't bother showing up.