Dope Sheet: Packers face Buccaneers at home

The Green Bay Packers return to Lambeau Field to take on a former NFC Central foe, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this Sunday.

• It is the second-latest visit by the Buccaneers, a 17-14 Green Bay overtime win in Week 17 in 2000.
• Dating back to 1990, the Packers are 14-1 against the Buccaneers at home in the regular season with 12 of the 15 contests being decided by single digits, including two overtime games.
• The Packers and Buccaneers face off for the fourth time since 2020 (three regular season, one postseason).
• The Packers' four games (including postseason) against the Buccaneers will tie for the most they have played against any non-division opponent since 2020 (Los Angeles Rams).
• The Packers have won four of the last five regular-season matchups, including a 14-12 win at Tampa last season. Green Bay's .800 winning percentage against the Buccaneers during the regular season is tied for No. 4 in the NFL since 2011.
• Only three of the last eight contests between the two clubs have been decided by a touchdown or less.
• The winning team has scored 20-plus points in seven of the last eight games (including postseason) and 30-plus points in five of those contests.
• The Packers are 3-3 in games played at 12 p.m. CT this season, including 3-1 at home.
• After two straight seasons of playing on Christmas, Green Bay visits the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 on Christmas Eve. The Packers are 1-1 against NFC South teams this season.
• This will be the second time this season (Weeks 2-3) that Green Bay will play back-to-back games against NFC South teams.

WITH THE CALL

CBS will broadcast the game as play-by-play man Andrew Catalon joins analysts Tiki Barber and Matt Ryan in the booth with AJ Ross reporting from the sidelines.

• The game is also available through NFL Sunday Ticket by YouTube.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network.Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio on channels 109 or 228 or through the app (Packers Radio Network feed).
• Sports USA Radio will be broadcasting to a national audience with Josh Appel (play-by-play) and Mark Carrier (analyst) on the call.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Buccaneers:

• All-time, regular season: 33-22-1
• All-time, postseason: 1-1
• All-time, at home (regular season): 19-7 (16-5 at Lambeau Field)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won four of the last five regular-season meetings. 
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 25, 2022, Raymond James Stadium, Packers won, 14-12

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 53-26-0, .671; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Todd Bowles: 40-57, .412; (0-1 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-0 vs. Bowles
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-2 vs. Buccaneers; Bowles 0-1 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Is in his 15th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first four seasons leading the Packers, authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

TODD BOWLES…In his second season as the Buccaneers' 13th head coach.

• Is in his second season as Tampa Bay's head coach after previously serving as the team's defensive coordinator from 2019-21.
• Became only the second head coach in franchise history to lead the team to an NFC South title during his first season at the helm (Jon Gruden, 2002).
• From 2019-21, helped Tampa Bay rank No. 3 in the league in takeaways (82) and sacks (142), joining Pittsburgh as the only teams to be top five in both.
• Started his NFL coaching career with the New York Jets in 2000 and then was the team's head coach from 2015-18. Also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals (2013-14), Philadelphia Eagles (2012), Miami Dolphins (2008-11; interim HC for final three games of 2011), Dallas Cowboys (2005-07) and Cleveland Browns (2001-04).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia spent nine seasons on Tampa Bay's coaching staff, serving as special teams coordinator (2002-07), associate head coach/special teams coordinator and running backs (2008), and associate head coach/special teams coordinator (2009-10)…Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry served as the Buccaneers' linebackers coach for seven seasons (2001-06, '09)…Packers assistant special teams coach Byron Storer held the same position for Tampa Bay in 2010-11 and also played fullback for the Buccaneers in 2007-08…Packers WR Christian Watson attended H.B. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) High School…Packers S Anthony Johnson Jr. went to St. Petersburg (Fla.) High School…Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell attended Cypress Lake (Fort Myers, Fla.) High School…Packers DL T.J. Slaton prepped at American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High School and attended the University of Florida…Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti attended St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) High School…Packers coaching assistant Quinshon Odom is from Lakeland, Fla. …Packers special teams quality control coach Kyle Wilber attended Apopka (Fla.) High School and was born in Orlando, Fla. …Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles spent two years as a college scouting assistant for the Packers (1995-96)…Buccaneers senior offensive analyst David Raih served in various roles for the Packers from 2014-18…Buccaneers T Luke Goedeke went to Valders (Wis.) High School and began his college football career with one season at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2017)…Buccaneers LS Zach Triner was with the Packers late in the 2017 season and during the 2018 offseason…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur coached with Buccaneers special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong for Atlanta while Campbell also played for the Falcons…LaFleur and Barry were on the Rams' coaching staff with Buccaneers running backs coach Skip Peete…Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and Buccaneers offensive quality control coach Jeff Kastl were teammates at Michigan…Packers wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable coached with Buccaneers run game coordinator/defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers and assistant secondary coach Tim Atkins on Bowles' staff when he was the head coach of the New York Jets…Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was on the Steelers' staff when Buccaneers pass game coordinator/inside linebackers coach Larry Foote played for the team…Clements also coached with Armstrong at Notre Dame in 1993…Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard was a graduate assistant at Texas Tech when Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year for the Red Raiders…Downard and Atkins were on the Browns' staff together from 2014-15…Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus held the same position at the University of Illinois when Buccaneers K Chase McLaughlin played for the Fighting Illini…Butkus coached with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales in Seattle from 2010-11…Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards was the defensive coordinator for Minnesota when Packers LB Eric Wilson played for the Vikings…Packers passing game coordinator (defense) Greg Williams coached with Buccaneers offensive line coach Joe Gilbert in Indianapolis…Buccaneers safeties coach Nick Rapone coached defensive backs in Arizona when Packers S Rudy Ford was drafted by and played for the Cardinals in 2017…Wilber and Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik played one season together at Wake Forest…Campbell and Buccaneers defensive/special teams assistant Keith Tandy played one season together in Atlanta (2018)…Buccaneers tight ends coach John Van Dam played quarterback at Michigan State while Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans was on the coaching staff…Packers vice president of communications Jason Wahlers spent nine seasons (2002-10) with the Buccaneers' public relations department…Former collegiate teammates: Packers QB Jordan Love and Buccaneers WR Deven Thompkins (Utah State); Packers LB Quay Walker, DL Devonte Wyatt, LB Brenton Cox Jr., and Buccaneers P Jake Camarda (Georgia); Packers S Rudy Ford, K Anders Carlson, Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis III and CB Jamel Dean (Auburn); Watson, Buccaneers DB Josh Hayes and G Cody Mauch (North Dakota State); Packers LB Lukas Van Ness, LB Kristian Welch, Buccaneers S Kaevon Merriweather, OLB Anthony Nelson and T Tristan Wirfs (Iowa); Packers RB Patrick Taylor and Buccaneers LB J.J. Russell (Memphis); Slaton, Cox Jr. and Buccaneers QB Kyle Trask (Florida).