Offensive Line Rebounded After Poor Performance at Buccaneers

“I think they definitely got to us, got us a little off rhythm,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “We’re going to have to play our best game to neutralize that.”

GREEN BAY, Wis. – All season, no matter the combination, the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line generally has laid the groundwork for the NFL’s best offense.

One notable exception was the Week 6 loss at Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers’ defensive front was too powerful and its linebackers too fast for the Packers to handle in a 38-10 rout. After allowing a total of three sacks in the first four games, Green Bay yielded five. After averaging 150.8 rushing yards per game to start the season, the Bucs limited the Packers to 94 rushing yards. That number was skewed by a 25-yard run by Jamaal Williams early in the game and a 20-yard run by AJ Dillon late in the game. If you take those out of the equation, the Packers averaged just 2.6 yards on their other 19 carries.

The beating was so thorough that Bucs linebacker Devin White proclaimed the Packers didn't belong on the same field.

“I think they definitely got to us, got us a little off rhythm,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday, six days before facing the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.

“Certainly, that is a damn good defense. They’ve got star-studded players across the board. They play a really fast, aggressive scheme. They can bring multiple different pressures. I’ve got a lot of respect for (defensive coordinator) Todd Bowles, and he’s been doing this thing a really long time at a very high level. I think he does a good job of putting guys in positions to make plays. They are a talented group, and we’re going to have to play our best game to neutralize that.”

Green Bay’s line bounced back from that game and is on the right trajectory for the rematch. The Packers have faced playoff teams the last three weeks – Tennessee in Week 16, at Chicago in Week 17 and the Rams on Saturday. The Packers allowed a total of two sacks and averaged 167.0 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers called the line’s performance against the Rams “stellar” after the team rushed for 188 yards and didn’t give up a sack in its second game without All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari.

“They were the stars of the game tonight,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know if I got touched hardly at all the entire night, other than scrambling outside the pocket. That was a fantastic performance by them. They dominated the line of scrimmage.”

The Rams finished third in the NFL with 91.3 rushing yards allowed per game and 3.76 yards allowed per carry. The Bucs were first with 80.6 rushing yards allowed per game and 3.60 yards allowed per carry. The Rams, of course, didn’t have a full-strength Aaron Donald to create havoc on the defensive line. The Bucs will get back big run-stopper Vita Vea, who suffered a broken ankle in Week 5.

“You’ve got to give them credit,” LaFleur said of the Bucs. “They were more prepared to play than our group was. I think our team has come a long way from that day, but everything's just words at this point. You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to have a great week of preparation and you’ve got to go earn it on the field.”