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This Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Green Bay and face the Packers. The winner of this NFL playoff game will earn a spot in the Super Bowl. In the NFC Championship Game, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will clash in a battle of iconic quarterbacks. But the Buccaneers offense will have to play without one of its top weapons.
Jenna Laine of ESPN broke the news on Friday that WR Antonio Brown will be out for the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. Brown has been dealing with a knee injury that he suffered in the NFL Divisional Round playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians had previously listed Brown's status as day-to-day. Unfortunately, Brown's injury will keep him out of the NFC Championship Game.
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The Buccaneers will have to hope that their talented offense can withstand this loss. Here's a look at how Brown's absence will impact the Buccaneers on Sunday.
How Antonio Brown's absence hurts the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown was just hitting his stride before he injured his knee. He scored receiving touchdowns in four of his last five games. Brown was starting to force opposing defenses to focus on him. As a result, the Buccaneers' other receivers gained some extra breathing room.
Brown's impressive performance in the regular season finale led many fans to believe he would be an X-factor in the playoffs. In Week 17, Brown caught 11 passes for 138 yards, and he scored two touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons.
This success carried into the Buccaneers' win in the NFL Wild Card playoff game against Washington. Brown scored another touchdown in this important contest.
Without Brown, the Buccaneers are missing a solid number three option for Tom Brady. Brown also has a lot of playoff experience, which is an important factor in the postseason. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will miss Brown because he took a lot of the defense's attention away from them.
The Buccaneer needs their underrated weapons to step up
The two wide receivers that need to step up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Scotty Miller and rookie Tyler Johnson. Tom Brady himself has praised Miller's abilities as a receiver. The Bowling Green product was a good option for Brady before Antonio Brown joined the team.
The Buccaneers have loaded up their offense, so they still have a surplus of weapons. Brady is renowned for his ability to lift the players around him. Plus, it's fair to expect the Buccaneers to successfully adopt the "next man up" mentality.
With or without Antonio Brown, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a good shot at beating the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. Fans will have to wait and see how this compelling game plays out.
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