WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Packers Give Tampa Bay Bucs First Win of the Season

Packers Give Tampa Bay Bucs First Win of the Season

Mike McCarthy will be challenged as a head coach this week like never before.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended an eleven-game losing streak.

The Packers' loss in Tampa was as ugly as it was costly. At 4-4, the Packers are behind other teams in the NFC and the hardest part of their schedule is still to come.

This was supposed to be an easy game. The Packers already beat up on other doormats in the league -- the Rams, the Lions, the Browns.

And on their second play, Aaron Rodgers tossed a beautiful ball to James Jones in stride. The 74-yard touchdown is a career long for Rodgers and Green Bay expectedly had a 7-0 lead.

But a Rodgers pick on the next possession made it a short field goal for rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. He hit Derrick Ward, who beat Aaron Kampman. The six-yard score tied the game, 7-7.

The Packers were up 14-7 in the second when the special teams reared its ugly head. Geno Hayes came unblocked to destroy Jeremy Kapinos. Ronde Barber picked up the ball and scored another tie -- first time that has happened to the Packers since December 2007.

The Packers would answer. Rodgers went to a wide open Donald Driver for a 32-yard score that gave the Packers a 21-14 lead. The Bucs would narrow that to 21-17 for halftime.

Then it got back. Getting the third off to an awful start, Tramon Williams bobbled the kick and was tackled at the four-yard line, then Rodgers was sacked for a near safety, and Mark Tauscher, who became starter at right tackle, had his left knee rolled over and he would not return.

Rodgers was sacked six more times Sunday by a Tampa defense ranked 30th in the league in sacks. It nearly doubled the Bucs' season total of 11.

On the next drive, Rodgers threw into heavy traffic but put it right on the hands of Greg Jennings, who dropped the touchdown.

The Bucs picked off the bobble.

The Packers wouldn't score in the third quarter but they did in the fourth. Rodgers used his feet, used the pump fake, and got a 12-yard score, 28-17 with 13 minutes left in the game.

But just like last week when the Packers had momentum on their side, they gave up a huge kick return. Clifton Smith busted out and took the ball all the way back to the 17.

That set up Freeman's touchdown pass to make it 28-23.

On the next series, Ahman Green's two-yard run made him the Packers' all-time leading rusher, passing Jim Taylor. That was the highlight of the drive, because the Packers were forced to punt.

And again, a penalty kept an opponent's drive alive. The Bucs, thanks to a penalty that nullified an interception, drove the ball to the seven. On 4th and four, Freeman got Jarret Bush to bite on the pump fake. Sammy Stroughter scored the go-ahead touchdown. A two-point conversion made it a 31-28 game, Tampa Bay.

Rodgers's last chance on 4th-and-12 was picked off by Tanard Jackson. That's a career-high three picks for Rodgers, happened in Tampa last year. Jackson returned it for the final indignity.

Tampa Bay won their first game since last season, 38-28.

The Packers are now 1-8 in Raymond James Stadium.