Sunday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers faced off in the NFC Championship. The game’s winner would head to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, while the loser would go home disappointed and begin the season. The game featured multiple turnovers and big plays from both quarterbacks, but the Buccaneers ultimately secured a 31-26 victory and sent Tom Brady to his 10th Super Bowl appearance (which will be free to watch online this year).
The game started in the Buccaneers’ favor. Brady and the offense got the opening kickoff and immediately marched down the field, converting on multiple third-downs. Brady then launched a pass to wide receiver Mike Evans, who got behind cornerback Kevin King and put the Buccaneers up early. This play served as an omen of things to come.
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.@TomBrady is on his way to his 10th Super Bowl! #NFLPlayoffs #SBLV pic.twitter.com/0dwUMXCtUF
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Aaron Rodgers and the Packers did respond during the second quarter and provided hope for the fans at Lambeau Field. He connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a deep throw for a touchdown. Mason Crosby added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. However, Brady and the Buccaneers were not quite finished.
The Packers’ secondary had very few answers during the first half of Sunday’s game, giving up multiple big plays to the Buccaneers receiving corps. Chris Godwin had an acrobatic catch on a pass that safety Darnell Savage could have intercepted and then running back Leonard Fournette capped off the drive with a touchdown run.
The Packers’ bad breaks continued at the end of the first half and into the third quarter. Rodgers threw an interception late in the second quarter, leading to another Brady touchdown pass with mere seconds remaining. The Packers got the ball to start the second half, but an Aaron Jones fumble set Brady up near the goal line. He immediately threw a touchdown to Cameron Brate to make the score 28-10.
Despite falling into a three-score deficit, Rodgers fought back and put the game within reach. He led the Packers down the field in the third quarter, connecting with several different targets for big gains. He ultimately found tight end Robert Tonyan for a touchdown to bring the Packers within 11 points.
The scoring drive provided a spark to the home team, and the defense responded with a big play. Safety Adrian Amos intercepted Brady on a pass intended for Evans. This play gave the Packers the ball and the ball on their own 30-yard line. The Packers drove down the field for another score.
The back-and-forth continued throughout the third and fourth quarters. The two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks showed off their abilities and made big plays with their arms while fans expressed excitement about the matchup. Although Brady threw three interceptions during the game. Ultimately, the Buccaneers got the upper hand and ended the day as NFC champions.
