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.
Return of David Bakhtiari
Bakhtiari played 35 snaps at left tackle in his second game since suffering a torn ACL and other knee damage on Dec. 31, 2020. Over 17 pass-blocking snaps against the Bucs front, he allowed just one pressure (hurry), per PFF. He told Bill Huber of SI.com that he feels “completely different” physically coming out of Sunday’s game compared to in Week 17 of last year, so it’s certainly possible this comeback is for good. Few things in football can be as valuable as getting back an elite player at a premium position, especially when considering how each of the Packers’ last two playoff runs ended. Green Bay’s offensive line, with both Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins back, looks Super Bowl caliber.
Emergence of Romeo Doubs
It’s funny how injury so often creates the opportunity for a young and talented player to finally shine in a bigger role. That’s exactly what happened for Romeo Doubs and the Packers on Sunday. Without Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson, the Packers played Doubs on 55 snaps, and he responded with eight catches on eight targets for 73 yards and a score. Twice, he created explosive plays on in-breaking routes. Rodgers trusted him on an RPO on the opening touchdown, and the Packers specifically designed plays for him at big spots. Doubs is an explosive athlete with the kind of separation talent the Packers need in the passing game. He’s now leading the team in catches and yards and is on pace for almost 80 catches over a 17-game schedule. There are flashes of Doubs as a difference-making pass-catcher. If he is one, the Packers should steadily improve on offense as the 2022 season unfolds.
Special teams takeoff
The Packers survived a low-scoring defensive battle in which the offense all but disappeared for the final two and half quarters. Why did it happen on Sunday in Tampa Bay and not in January against the 49ers? You guessed it: special teams. Not only was there no implosion, but Rich Bisaccia’s group actually played a big role in creating the win. Time after time, Tom Brady and the Bucs were faced with long fields because of excellent punts from Pat O’Donnell and excellent coverage from Rudy Ford, Keisean Nixon and Shemar Jean-Charles. The Packers didn’t make a mistake and won the field position battle in a tight game. As Aaron Rodgers has said many times in the last couple of months, the Packers just need the special teams to come out even in games. On Sunday, the special teams were a big plus.
Why is this important?
Entering the season, I would have picked the offensive line situation, the wide receiver position and the floundering special teams as three of the biggest question marks/concerns for the Packers as a Super Bowl contender in 2022. Returning David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins solves just about every worry about the offensive line, Romeo Doubs keeps flashing starting ability at receiver as a rookie, and the special teams are steadily improving and trending in the right direction under Bisaccia through the first three games. It’s just one game, but it’s hard not to feel a little bit better about the Packers as a legitimate contender after Sunday’s win in Tampa.
