Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The Packers' defense got stops early, but the big play it was searching for never materialized against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Tom Brady protected the football, Ronald Jones posted his third consecutive 100-yard game on the ground and a Buccaneers team that registered 109 penalty yards a week earlier against Chicago finished without an official penalty in a 38-10 win over Green Bay at Raymond James Stadium.
The Packers' defense hit Brady four times, but finished without a sack for the first time this season. The future Hall of Fame quarterback was efficient in the pocket, completing 17-of-27 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
In the process, Brady reconnected with his all-time favorite target, tight end Rob Gronkowski, who turned in a season-high five catches for 78 yards and his first touchdown as a Buccaneer as part of a 28-point second quarter for Tampa Bay.
"We gotta play better. As simple as that sounds, that's what we gotta do," safety Adrian Amos said. "We just gotta play better. We gotta execute better, we gotta adjust to what they're doing well and what we're not doing well. We just gotta get better with that."
With Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark back from a groin injury, the Packers got off to an ideal start in forcing Tampa Bay to punt on its first two possessions while Green Bay took a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.
However, the tide shifted when Buccaneers defensive backs Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards intercepted Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on back-to-back series, beginning a run of 38 unanswered points for Tampa Bay.