Breaking down Packers' 17-14 win over Buccaneers: What went right, wrong - Packers Wire

The Green Bay Packers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, avoiding a late-game collapse and a 1-3 start thanks to a fourth quarter defensive stop powered by safety Evan Williams. The 17-14 victory featured two touchdown passes by Jordan Love but also two late-game turnovers, and the Packers once again struggled on third down and with penalties.

-- Jordan Love was protected as a passer, finally. According to PFF, Love was under pressure on only three of his 31 dropbacks, and he took no sacks and was officially hit only twice. When protected, Love completed 21 of 27 passes, and three of his six incompletions were drops. While he generally got the ball out fast, Love looked far more comfortable in the pocket. A good sign moving forward.

-- The Packers scored 10 points off turnovers, including a crucial field goal late in the first half after Edgerrin Cooper's diving interception in Packers territory halted a Bucs drive. Tampa Bay had two takeaways but did not score after either turnover.

-- Trey Smack's 58-yard field goal to end the first half ended up being the difference. He is a true weapon as a long-distance kicker, extending the Packers' viable scoring range. Smack has been excellent in end of half situations so far as a rookie.

-- The defense mostly took advantage against a rookie quarterback, allowing only 134 net passing yards, producing three sacks and two interceptions, and giving up just one explosive pass play over 20 yards. You'll win most weeks in the NFL when allowing only 14 points.

-- The Packers didn't run the ball well, averaging only 3.4 yards per attempt, but two explosive runs -- a 31-yarder from Kaleb Johnson and a 29-yarder from Chris Brooks -- were high points for a run game that finally found some traction.

-- Tucker Kraft converted a pair of fourth downs, including one on a sneak play, and Matthew Golden caught a touchdown pass on fourth down in the first half. The Packers were 3-for-3 on fourth down. Kraft caught six passes, had a few strong moments with the ball in his hands, and caught a contested catch touchdown.

-- The Packers were able to create a few explosive plays using 13 personnel with three tight ends on the field. Mark Redman caught a pass for 25 yards to open the second half, and Kaleb Johnson's long run came with three tight ends on the field.

-- Bucky Irving was held to only 61 rushing yards, with a long run of only seven yards. Twenty-two designed runs to Buccaneers running backs gained only 76 yards, so the run defense bounced back.

-- The Packers turned the ball over twice in the scoring area while up 17-14 in the fourth quarter. Kaleb Johnson fumbled inside the 5-yard line, while Jordan Love threw a pick to Jacob Parrish inside the 10-yard line. The Packers squandered at least six points and as many as 14 points and, as a result, had to hold on for dear life on defense late in the game.

-- The offense managed fewer than 300 total yards, in part because the Packers converted only 2-of-10 third down opportunities. Green Bay also committed 10 total penalties, including eight by the offense.

-- Bo Melton dropped a pass that almost certainly cost the Packers points in the first half. Tucker Kraft dropped a touchdown pass. Matthew Golden dropped what would have been a third-down conversion. Skyy Moore couldn't corral a quick throw on a designed screen. Add in fumbles from MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson, and the Packers had big issues holding onto the football.

-- Christian Watson only received three targets, catching all three for 47 yards. He is too dynamic as a weapon to only get three targets in a game.

-- The Packers allowed Jalon Daniels too many run lanes, and he scrambled eight times for 55 yards, including a 21-yarder.

-- The upcoming injury report will be an interesting one. Edgerrin Cooper is likely to miss the season, and several other players exited the game with injuries.

Beating a winless team starting a rookie quarterback can only mean so much, but the Packers were desperate to win and avoid an 1-3 start, and Matt LaFleur's team now has two road wins to start the 2026 season. No one is claiming this team to be Super Bowl caliber, but sitting at 2-2 doesn't look quite as bad considering the Packers played three of the first four games on the road. This was simply a game the Packers had to win. It wasn't pretty, but the mission was accomplished. The improvement along the offensive line was encouraging, but recurring issues with penalties and on third downs, combined with the late-game turnovers and Edgerrin Cooper's injury, conspire to make Sunday's win feel mostly hollow.

The biggest game of the season, at least so far. The Packers will welcome the 3-1 Chicago Bears to Lambeau Field for the first of two rivalry games in 2026. Although it's unclear if Caleb Williams has a chance to play, the Bears have won back-to-back games by multiple scores with two different backup quarterbacks under center. They are also coming off one of the truly dominant wins of the 2026 season, even if the final score was only Bears 23, Jets 12. Can the Packers show that the home opener was a blip on the radar? Sunday feels like a bit of an early season fulcrum point for the Packers, who have two losses by three scores and two rather uninspiring wins by three points. Beating the Bears in Green Bay could provide a big dose of belief for the Packers as they enter a crucial stretch of games.

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