Style points in the NFL don’t exist, so the Green Bay Packers’ two-point win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday counts all the same as a convincing blowout.
But there were mitigating factors at play, of course. The Buccaneers were down to a third-string left tackle. Receivers Mike Evans, Julio Jones and Chris Godwin didn’t play. Even 45-year-old Tom Brady couldn’t reasonably be expected to play well behind a patchwork offensive line and throwing to a bunch of backups at receiver, especially against a fast and experienced Packers defense with a disruptive front.
These two teams will almost certainly look different if they play again at some point in January. And the Bucs might feel good about their chances going into a rematch given how injured and shorthanded they were at a few key spots.
But the Packers also have to feel quite good about a few things coming out of the victory. Sure, the defense dominated, but it was an expected performance given the Bucs personnel.
A few other things weren’t so expected and could have valuable and meaningful implications for the Packers throughout the 2022 season.
Let’s dig in.