Oct 25, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller (10) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are running their way back to Tampa Bay with an NFC title.
Tom Brady is a game away from heading back to the Super Bowl for the tenth time in his 21-year career. With the final seconds ticking away in the second quarter, he’s 30 minutes away from making history.
Again.
Against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were driving after a fourth-down conversion.
Should it have been legal since Sean Murphy-Bunting was holding on his critical interception of Aaron Rodgers the drive prior? That’s an argument for another day.
As time worked against them, Brady heaved a pass downfield for Scotty Miller. The coverage? Seriously, what was it? Was it a Cover 2 blown? Was it a poorly designed cover zero? It didn’t really matter since Kevin King was playing behind and the all-out blitz didn’t work.
Miller snagged a 39-yard touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a 21-10 lead going into halftime. Aaron Rodgers now has 30 minutes to save his MVP season.
Can the Packers rebound in time?
Rodgers is the storyline as home-field advantage is supposed to play in his favor. For the first time in his extensive career, the Packers are hosting an NFC Championship game with No. 12 as the leading man.
The problem there is that on the road, things haven’t gone his way. In 2014 the Seattle Seahawks bounced back late. In 2016, the Atlanta Falcons looked to be a team of destiny. And in 2019, the San Francisco 49ers’ rushing attack wasn’t walking out of Levi Stadium with a loss.
If the Buccaneers are going to pull off the road upset, they’ll need to keep the foot on the pedal. Bruce Arians is a game away from returning back to the Super Bowl as a head coach. Tampa is less than 30 minutes from becoming the first team to play in a Super Bowl at their own stadium
Plays like this one to Miller could be the reason we see the Buccaneers suit up for one more game in a wild and wacky season.