Bucs remain atop NFC South standings after beating Packers
Baker Mayfield threw 4 touchdowns, Chris Godwin had over 150 receiving yards
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used Baker Mayfield's four touchdown passes and 381 yards to defeat the Green Bay Packers, 34-20, on Sunday and keep their standing as the top team in the NFC South.
The Bucs are now 7-7 on the season, while the Packers dropped to to 6-8.
This game had playoff implications written all over it as the Bucs were in position as the NFC South’s leader despite owning a 6-7 record. The Packers had the final wild-card spot with the same record due to the Detroit Lions' 10-4 record atop the NFC North.
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De'Vondre Campbell of the Green Bay Packers tackles Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third quarter at Lambeau Field on Dec. 17, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
But while Packers quarterback Jordan Love had a solid game, going 29 of 39 for 284 yards with two touchdowns, Mayfield was just better with his delivery to seven different receivers, four of whom had a touchdown.
The first came after Love found Tucker Kraft for the first score of the game following a Bucs fumble. Mayfield responded with a seven-play drive that ended with Mike Evans hauling in a 19-yard pass to make it 10-7 in favor of Tampa Bay.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then it was a back-and-forth bout in the second half, starting with the Bucs finding the end zone thanks to Rachaad White sprinting 26 yards to score.
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Love followed it up with a strike to rookie Jayden Reed while he was on the run. That went for 17 yards to cut the Bucs’ lead to just three, 20-17.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, this was a game of response from the Bucs all day long, and Mayfield did it again on the ensuing drive.
Dontayvion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers signals for a first down during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field on Dec. 17, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
This time it was Ko Kieft, the unlikely tight end running in the flat and getting over the right pylon to score a touchdown.
The Packers were able to make it a one-score game with a field goal on the next drive, and they needed a Tampa Bay stop to get the ball back to Love. Instead, Mayfield needed just six more plays to find the colored paint again.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}David Moore caught a tight pass from Mayfield and took it 52 yards to the house. Once the Packers fumbled on the ensuing drive, and the Bucs recovered, it was game over once they killed the rest of the clock.
While four different Bucs receivers found the end zone, the leading man for them all game was Chris Godwin. The Penn State product had 155 yards on 10 catches, clearly showcasing chemistry that the Packers’ defense couldn’t deflect.
White also finished another game with more than 100 scrimmage yards, totaling 89 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}David Moore #19, Rachaad White #1 and Cade Otton of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate after White's receiving touchdown during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Dec. 17, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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For the Packers, rookie Dontayvion Wicks had six catches for 97 yards to lead Green Bay, and Aaron Jones’ return to the backfield saw 53 rushing yards on 13 carries.