Packers’ adjustments secure 17-14 win over Buccaneers
Green Bay returned to a .500 record after shifting its attack towards play-action and inside runs, though execution errors kept the margin tight.
The Green Bay Packers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-14 on Sunday, returning to a .500 record. The result came ahead of a difficult stretch of opponents and followed changes to Green Bay’s offensive approach under coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
The Packers used play-action on 30 per cent of dropbacks, up from 18.2 per cent across their first three games. Screen passes rose from 6.8 per cent to 16.7 per cent. Jordan Love produced 0.62 expected points added per play on play-action passes, the highest mark among quarterbacks with at least 25 dropbacks, ahead of Monday Night Football.
Green Bay also ran inside zone on 36 per cent of its rushing attempts, compared with 14.6 per cent in the previous three games. The approach asked the offensive line to block gaps collaboratively against a Tampa Bay front featuring Vita Vea and A’Shawn Robinson. Kaleb Johnson’s 31-yard run came on an inside zone play.
The changes coincided with the Packers’ pressure rate allowed falling to 23.3 per cent, from 45.5 per cent over the first three games. Love’s average expected points added per pass also improved, from -0.05 over those games to 0.15 on Sunday.
Drops by Bo Melton and Matthew Golden, a goal-line fumble by Johnson and an interception by Love in scoring range curtailed Green Bay’s scoring. Penalties also left the Packers facing frequent first-and-20 situations. Yahoo Sports’ account of the game characterised the win as a coaching success for LaFleur and Gannon against Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, while noting the execution problems that limited the final score.
