One more game. One more game and then the Buccaneers get to travel, um, across the street to be the first team ever to play in their home stadium for the Super Bowl.
Wouldn't that be nice?
The thing is the Bucs are going to have to go through Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at their place first. Tampa Bay will battle Green Bay for the NFC Championship this Sunday and our friends across the major media outlets have some thoughts.
Most are picking the Packers. And why wouldn't you? The forecast for Sunday includes snow - a far cry from the 75 degrees it was in Tampa on Friday for practice. Rodgers and Co. were born from the cold. Molded in it. So why shouldn't they emerge from it victorious?
Because Tom Brady and a stout Bucs defense, that's why.
"I expect both quarterbacks to ball out Sunday because they will be well protected," wrote Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, one of just a couple pundits to pick the Buccaneers in Lambeau this weekend. "In a league where pass rushers had supposedly gained the upper hand, the Packers and Bucs' offensive lines should win up front. Perhaps second-year pass rusher Rashan Gary's emergence outside will allow Za'Darius Smith to get pressure up the middle against backup Bucs guard Aaron Stinnie. Perhaps Shaquil Barrett can turn the clock back to 2019 for a week against backup Packers tackle Rick Wagner. It's more likely that the quarterbacks will control the pass rush and get rid of the ball like they have all season."
See the full list of expert picks below.
- NFL.com, Greg Rosenthal – Buccaneers
- ESPN.com, Consensus – Packers (split)
- USA Today, Consensus – Packers (unanimous)
- ProFootballTalk, Mike Florio - Buccaneers
- SB Nation, Consensus – Packers (split)
- CBSSports.com, Consensus – Packers (split)
