Packers vs Buccaneers NFC finals: stats, standings, player comparison

On Sunday the Green Bay Packers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game with a place in Super Bowl LV up for grabs. Last year Green Bay lost out to the San Francisco 49ers in the Championship Game and will be desperate to make amends this time around.

As is often the case much of the build-up has focused on the form of the two quarter-backs with MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers coming up against six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady. Here’s everything you need to know about the two sides fighting it out for a place in Super Bowl LV on 7 February, with stats and graphics from our friends at Sofascore.

Packers vs Buccaneers: Stats and standings

When it comes to prowess inside the 20-yard line there are few sides in the NFC that can come close to matching either of these sides and we could be in for a game of real class on Sunday. The Packers rank top for touchdown percentage this season but the Buccaneers aren’t far off them. In fact, Tampa Bay have clocked up slightly more possessions inside the 20 (61), than Green Bay have managed (60).

The Packers have scored 48 touchdowns to Tampa Bay’s 42, but the stats suggest that the latter are actually more efficient in the danger zone. The Buccaneers have put up points 95.1% of the time while the Packers are at 91.7%.

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The Packers are well-known for their electrifying run game but the Buccaneers have shown in the playoffs that they are no slouches in that regard. In the wild-card round against Washington the Buccaneers rushed 29 times for a total of 142 yards and now have Ronald Jones back in the offense.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Championship game Tampa Bay center Ryan Jensen said that they would be looking to dominate the line of scrimmage and running was a big part of that.

“For us, it just helps open up everything else from the passing game, the play action. Running the ball and wearing pass rushers out is always a good thing to do," said Jensen.

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Aaron Rodgers vs Tom Brady: Player Comparison

Few players have dominated discussion during the post-season like veteran quarter-backs Aaron Rodger and Tom Brady and the two legends go head-to-head in the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers is currently many experts’ pick for the NFL MVP, a staggering turnaround after being put on notice by the Packers just eight months ago.

After a slow start to the season he has really shown his quality since Week 12 and comes into the game on a hot streak, throwing at least three touchdowns in four of the last five wins for the Packers. At the age of 37 Rodgers’ ability to be a game-changer in a slightly weaker team has been hugely impressive and he is on the verge of breaking his own record for the number of 100-plus passer ratings in a single season. If he gets a 14th in the game on Sunday he will break his 2011 record.

Commentators should know by now to never write off Tom Brady, but at 43-years-old you could be forgiven for thinking that his best days were behind him. However having already played in nine Super Bowls in his 21-year professional career to date he is on the brink of making it ten.

The Buccaneers had not reached the playoff since 2007 until they signed Brady from Tampa Bay in March 2020 but his experience and abundant quality has fired them into the post-season. In the victory over the Lions that secured their place in the play-offs Brady threw a career-best of 348 first-half passing yards, and he will be desperate to secure victory over his former team.