Packers and Buccaneers square off

The Green Bay Packers travel to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.  

• This is Green Bay's first visit to Tampa since a 20-3 win in 2014 in Week 16.
• The teams last played in 2017, a 26-20 overtime victory by Green Bay in Week 13.
• The Packers have won each of the last three matchups.
• This will mark the third time that Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady have faced off as starting quarterbacks. The first meeting took place in 2014 in Green Bay, with Rodgers and the Packers defeating the Brady-led Patriots, 26-21. Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 368 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 112.6 while Brady finished with a rating of 102.5 after completing 22 of 35 passes for 245 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. Brady and New England got the best of Rodgers and the Packers in Foxborough in 2018, winning 31-17. Brady threw for a passer rating of 99.0 and 294 yards on 22 of 35 passing with a TD and zero INTs while Rodgers had a rating of 89.2 after completing 24 of 43 passes for 259 yards with two TDs and zero INTs.

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

COMING OFF THE BYE

• Green Bay is coming off the bye week, its third Week 5 bye (1995, 2009). The previous two times the Packers had a Week 5 bye, they followed it up with a win in 2009 and a loss in 1995.
• The Packers are on a nine-game regular-season winning streak, the longest current streak in the NFC and Green Bay's longest winning streak since 2010-11 (15 games). It is tied for the fifth-longest regular-season winning streak in franchise history.
• The Packers have started 4-0 for the 13th time in franchise history and the first time since 2015.
• The Packers beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, marking the fifth time in the last six years that Green Bay won the game heading into the bye week.
• Since 2007, the Packers have won the game going into the bye and coming out of the bye five times (2016, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2007).
• Green Bay is facing an NFC opponent (Tampa Bay) for the 10th time after the bye since 2006. 
• Dating back to 2000, this will be the 12th time that Green Bay will play a road game in the week following the bye. The Packers have won six of the contests. Of the previous 11 games, eight have been decided by single digits, including two overtime contests.
• The Packers have won six of the previous nine matchups against NFC teams in the week after the bye.
• In games immediately following its bye week, Green Bay has won 16 of its last 24 (.667), including wins in seven of the last 11.
• Since 2009, Green Bay is 63-40-1 (.597) overall after the bye, including a 5-1 record last season.

WITH THE CALL

FOX will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Joe Buck joins analyst Troy Aikman with Erin Andrews reporting from the sidelines. 

• Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 22nd 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 (WTMJ feed), WTMJ.com via desktop computer and on numerous devices through NFL Game Pass.
• Sports USA will air the game on radio across the country. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Hank Bauer (analyst) will call the action.
• DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 715.

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

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers at Buccaneers:

• Regular season, all-time: 32-21-1
• All-time, Postseason: 1-0
• All-time, at Tampa Bay: 13-14 (2-7 at Raymond James Stadium)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won three consecutive games against Tampa Bay dating back to the 2011 season
• Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 3, 2017, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 26-20 (OT)

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 17-3-0, .850; (1-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
• Bruce Arians: 59-41-1, .589 (1-2 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Head to Head: 0-0
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Buccaneers; Arians 1-0 vs. Packers (1-0 postseason)

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

• In his 12th 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 season leading the Packers in 2019, because 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).
• Became only the fifth coach in NFL history to win 13-plus regular-season games in his first season as a head coach (Jim Caldwell, George Seifert, Jim Harbaugh, Steve Mariucci).
• Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
• Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
• Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press, and QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first QB in Washington franchise history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.

BRUCE ARIANS…In his second season as the Buccaneers' 12th head coach.

• Is a two-time Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, earning the award in 2012 (Indianapolis Colts) and in 2014 (Arizona Cardinals). Is the only coach in NFL history to earn the award multiple times in a three-year span with different teams and is one of only 12 coaches in NFL history to win the award multiple times.
• In his first season with the Buccaneers in 2019, led Tampa Bay to a two-win improvement over the previous season, guiding the team to a 5-3 record over the last eight games to finish 7-9. The team's seven wins were its most since 2016. In addition, the Buccaneers' 5-3 record on the road matched the third-best road mark in team history.
• Prior to arriving in Tampa, spent five seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2013-17) in addition to a 12-game stint as interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts (2012), compiling a regular-season record of 58-33-1. During that 92-game stretch he was a head coach, his 58 wins ranked fourth in the NFL, trailing only Bill Belichick (73), Pete Carroll (63) and Mike Tomlin (59).

THE PACKERS-BUCCANEERS SERIES

• Sunday marks the 56th overall meeting between these former NFC Central rivals, including the postseason. They launched the series in 1977, when the expansion Bucs moved to the Packers' division after an inaugural 1976 campaign in the AFC West.
• From the second meeting in 1992 through the first meeting in 1998, the Packers won 12 of 13 contests. The Bucs' lone win in that stretch came in overtime (Dec. 10, 1995).

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers defensive backs coach Jerry Gray played one season as a defensive back for the Buccaneers in 1993…Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett served as the Buccaneers' quarterbacks coach from 2006-07...Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles spent two years as a college scouting assistant for the Packers from 1995-96…Packers senior analyst Butch Barry served as Tampa Bay's assistant offensive line coach from 2015-18…Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is from St. Petersburg, Fla., and played collegiately at the University of South Florida...Buccaneers LS Zach Triner spent time with the Packers late in the 2017 season and during the 2018 offseason...Packers G/T Billy Turner and Buccaneers OLB Shaquil Barrett played together for the Denver Broncos from 2016-18…Turner played with Buccaneers DL Ndamukong Suh for the Dolphins from 2015-16, and was coached by Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen when Christensen served as the Dolphins' offensive coordinator in 2016…Packers RB Tyler Ervin, LB Za'Darius Smith and T Rick Wagner all played with Buccaneers C Ryan Jensen during Jensen's tenure with the Ravens from 2014-17…Wagner also played with Buccaneers C A.Q. Shipley for the Ravens in 2013…Packers T David Bakhtiari and Buccaneers QB Tom Brady both attended Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. …Brady and Packers director of player engagement Grey Ruegamer played together for the New England Patriots from 2000-02...Packers WR Darrius Shepherd and Buccaneers DL Khalil Davis played together at Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Mo. …Packers TE Marcedes Lewis (2017) and Hackett (2017-18) both spent time with the Jaguars while Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette (2017-19), WR Jaydon Mickens (2017-18) and T Josh Wells (2014-18) were on the roster…Ervin and Packers CB Parry Nickerson also played with Fournette for the Jaguars in 2019…Lewis played with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich when Leftwich was the Jaguars' QB in 2006…Buccaneers QB Blaine Gabbert also played alongside Lewis in Jacksonville from 2011-13…Gabbert and Buccaneers G Aaron Stinnie both played for Packers head coach Matt LaFleur when he served as the Titans offensive coordinator in 2018…Buccaneers special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong held the same position for the Falcons when LaFleur (2015-16) and Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten (2016-18) were on the staff…Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable served on Bowles' coaching staff when Bowles was the head coach of the New York Jets from 2015-18…Vrable coached Buccaneers RB LeSean McCoy while with the Bills from 2015-16…Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith coached Buccaneers DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches while serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Chiefs in 2016-17…Buccaneers assistant head coach/run game coordinator Harold Goodwin coached Barry when Barry was an offensive lineman at Central Michigan in 2000-01...Packers quarterbacks/passing game coordinator Luke Getsy and Buccaneers specialists coach Chris Boniol coached together for Mississippi State in 2018...Packers vice president of communications Jason Wahlers spent nine years with the Buccaneers public relations department from 2002-10...Former college teammates include: Packers DL Montravius Adams and Buccaneers CBs Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean (Auburn); Packers G Lucas Patrick and Buccaneers CB Ross Cockrell (Duke); Packers CB Josh Jackson and Buccaneers OLB Anthony Nelson and T Tristan Wirfs (Iowa); Packers S Raven Greene, Stinnie and Buccaneers T Josh Wells (James Madison); Packers S Adrian Amos and Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin and T Donovan Smith (Penn State); Turner, Shepherd and Buccaneers T Joe Haeg (North Dakota State); Packers CB Kevin King and Mickens (Washington).