Packers QB Rodgers Has High Praise For Bucs Coach

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles likes to bring the pressure. Whether it’s with different blitz packages or disguises up front, his defenses have been known to get after opposing quarterbacks.

One of those opposing quarterbacks is four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, and he’s taken notice. In a Monday appearance on Pardon My Take, he mentioned Bowles as one coach who is tough to face, given his tendency to disguise looks and throw a lot at him whenever they square off.

“I think Todd Bowles is doing a good job at that over the years. I think he’s a really good coach,” Rodgers said. “You can always tell, schematically, what coaches are the best based on how the league adjusts.

“Offensively, in this offense that we’re in – there’s like nine different teams [that] run it now. It started with Mike Shanahan and his son, Kyle, running it really, really well and Atlanta going to the Super Bowl. And then everybody copied it. And then there was the Seattle defense. I think you’re seeing the Rams defense that kind of branched out across the league. There’s probably six, seven teams running the same thing. And then there’s some teams trying to do what Coach Bowles does with the pressure package.”

Teams Would Be Wise To Try Replicating Bowles’ Success vs. Rodgers

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

It’s not surprising that Bowles is one coach that sticks in Rodgers’ mind. Especially during the 2020 season, the Bucs were all over Rodgers in two separate meetings.

In the first, a 38-10 home win for Tampa Bay, Bowles’ defense sacked Rodgers four times and totaled 13 quarterback hits. Linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David accounted for 2.5 out of those four sacks. It resulted in a bad day for the eventual league MVP, as he threw zero touchdowns and two interceptions — including a Jamel Dean pick-six — while completing just 45.7% of his passes.

Fast forward to the NFC Championship Game about three months later, and the Bucs brought more of the same. They sacked Rodgers five times in that game and tallied eight quarterback hits. Rodgers and the Packers fared better that time around, as he threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns to just one interception. But Tampa Bay still won the game and advanced to Super Bowl LV.

Of course, the Bucs finished off their championship run by giving Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes a tough time as well. They managed three sacks and 10 quarterback hits on the shifty Mahomes, with Bowles’ group pressuring him on 52% of his dropbacks. That was the highest percentage any quarterback has faced in Super Bowl history.

With a front that includes Vita Vea, Akiem Hicks, Logan Hall, Will Gholston, Shaquil Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the Bucs are sure to bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks again in 2022. Add in Bowles’ blitzes featuring the likes of White, David and Antoine Winfield, Jr., and you have a recipe for plenty of pressure. In other words, the team’s goal of 47 total sacks should be attainable.

Bowles and the Bucs will see Rodgers in their home opener on Sept. 25.

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