Packers win despite nonexistent passing game

At one point in the game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out-gained the Green Bay Packers 293 to 8 and still only outscored the Packers 13 to 7. Even after overtime, Brett Hundley passed for only 84 yards on 22 attempts and an interception. After out-gaining the Packers 387 to 150 with six minutes to play and still leading only 20-17, the Buccaneers somehow allowed the Packers two long scoring drives that utilized only 32 passing yards, enabling an improbable Packer win—or rather, enabling Tampa Bay to somehow lose it—on the opening drive of overtime when the Packers decided it was better to simply keep the ball on the ground, finishing with a 20-yard scamper by Aaron Jones and a 26-20 victory. I don’t know what is worse, how horrible Hundley played through 54 minutes of the game before he decided to simply run with the ball instead of passing it, or how the Packers managed to win a game they had no business even being in. 

Why did Tampa Bay lose? Because of absurd penalties—I lost count of how many “illegal above the waist blocks” they were flagged for, particularly the one that nullified a 21-yard pass play late in the game—and Jameis Winston. Despite “solid” numbers, Winston was not in this game, and never has been, a quarterback who can be counted on to make the plays when it matters. I’m sure that if you are a Tampa Bay fan, it was excruciating to watch how this game unfolded when your team clearly was having its way with the opponent on the field, yet simply could not find a way not to make this a “competitive” game. The key mistake was Winston's fumble in the second quarter as the Buccaneers were driving in Packer territory, which was returned for a 62-yard touchdown. 

The problem with Winston is like many of these young “superstars” out of college is that they simply have not progressed. Take Ryan Tannehill. Miami has given him five years and they already are prepared to move on without him. But at least he has had a few winning seasons; Winston has not yet had a season where he won as many games as he’s lost. This season, Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz and even Blake Bortles and Jared Goff have already won eight or more games this season, and the Buccaneers are yet again languishing with a 4-8 record. My suspicion is that the team will be looking beyond Winston in a year or two if they don’t start winning more than they are losing.

So what about the Packers? The Packers needed this game, or they were simply out no matter what. The problem for the Packers is that there are three teams ahead of them in the win column for a wild-card spot. They are now 6-6 in spite of Hundley, and should beat currently winless Cleveland next week. With Aaron Rodgers apparently expecting to be ready to play in two weeks, anything is “possible,” but having already lost to Atlanta they cannot afford to lose another game.