Green Bay Packers: 3 Key X-Factors in NFC Championship Game
By Paul Bretl
It’s NFC Championship week as the Green Bay Packers prepare to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. I’m sure we all remember what happened the last time these two teams met, and on Tuesday, I even rewatched the game and wrote about what exactly went wrong.
However, the biggest takeaway from that performance should be what happened back in October has no bearing whatsoever on what happens this coming Sunday. I mean, the Bucs provide a perfect example of this as they lost to New Orleans 38-3 in November, and then they just beat them on the road in the Divisional Round.
In the time since that game has taken place, Green Bay has proven that that performance was an anomaly, and we know that Matt LaFleur will make adjustments. But what else needs to take place for them to win? Of course, the stars need to play well, but what non-stars or other areas of this team need to find success for the Packers to advance to the Super Bowl?
Well, those are my X-Factors, and I have three of them for this upcoming matchup.
Green Bay Packers X-Factor: Rashan Gary
Whichever team can generate the most effective pass rush could very well be your winner on Sunday. And so that means the Green Bay Packers need their second-best pass rusher to continue playing at a high level.
Gary’s 39 pressures and seven sacks this season were the second-most on the team, behind only Za’Darius Smith. Last week against Los Angeles, Gary totaled seven pressures, two of which were sacks, and over the last three games, he has 14 pressures, two sacks, and is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded edge defender during that span.
Gary is PFF's Highest Graded Edge Defender Since Week 16. light. Related Story
Against Tampa Bay, it’s not easy to get pressure on Brady because he does get the ball out quickly, but if the Packers can do so, it’s going to make a big difference in this game. According to Pro Football Focus ($), when under pressure, Brady’s completion percentage of 43.8 percent ranks 33rd out of 42 eligible quarterbacks, and his passer rating of 54.5 ranks 28th.
Mike Pettine can give his defensive front some help by taking away some of the easy completions that Brady will look for, but when Gary and company have the opportunity to get home, they need to take advantage of it.