Aaron Rodgers finally managing to play an NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field was a vaunted story entering Sunday’s fight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay’s cold weather brings more advantages to the home team than other facilities.
Bucs, however, are not shaking with fear. Bruce Arians’ club has won seven consecutive matches, including the last two playoff fights, and has won in eight of its 10 road disputes – losing in New Orleans in Week 1 and Chicago in Week 5.
“We’ve been doing really well on the road all year, outside of the first game and the Chicago game,” Bucs quarterback Tom Brady said on Wednesday on the team’s official website. “For one reason or another, we just did a good job. Some years have been like this. I was part of other teams where it was not so.
“We are going to keep this sequence. It would be very good. We are going to get another one. We are going to be challenged to do it because we are going to face a great football team.”
Smaller or absent crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic helped road crews. However, as we saw last week in Green Bay, even fewer fans at the booth can shake the cages.
Brady is making his 14th trip to the conference championship, his first on the NFC. Of their 13 matches in the AFC Championship Game, seven were at home in New England (6-1). On the six slopes of the road in championship games, the Pats went 3-3.
With one win, Brady (6-4 on the road in career playoffs) would tie Joe Flacco (7) for the most playoff wins by any QB in NFL history. Brady, playing only 10 post-season road games during his career (including the past two weeks), tells how dominant the Pats have been for 20 years.
TB12 knows the focus needed to beat Rodgers & Co. at Lambeau Field.
“Playing on the road involves good football, execution, communication, all the fundamentals, blocking, tackling, shooting – all of those things,” he said. “It is a great environment. This is one of the coolest stadiums in the league to play. I know they are excited, we will be excited and it will be a great football game.”