Buccaneers vs. Packers: NFC Championship Game X-factors

This is it — the kind of matchup dreams are made of.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set for a showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers for NFC Championship Game glory and a ticket for the Super Bowl.

Here are the four X-factors that will determine which team comes out on top.

Brady vs. Rodgers

There aren’t enough plaudits I can pour onto these living legends.

Brady is a six-time Super Bowl winner aiming for his seventh in his first season with Tampa Bay, while Rodgers has guided the Packers to four NFC Championship Games but is in a decade-long drought for that elusive second ring.

Rodgers had an MVP-level regular season, with 48 touchdown passes, a completion rate of 70.7%, and just five interceptions, which gave him a quarterback rating of 121.5. In his playoff game against the solid Rams defense, Rodgers completed 23 of his 36 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns, as the Packers controlled the game from start to finish.

Brady threw for 4,633 yards in the regular season — only Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson threw for more — and chucked 40 touchdowns along the way. He tallied 381 passing yards in a Wild Card victory over Washington, then was a little quieter in the bruising encounter with the New Orleans Saints last weekend.

Brady’s record in the playoffs is second to none, whereas Rodgers and the Packers have fallen short numerous times in the last 10 years.

Aaron Jones vs. the Bucs run defense

Packers running back Aaron Jones has had another super season, even though he hasn't received the accolades he deserves. He posted 1,104 rushing yards in the regular season and notched nine rushing touchdowns, along with 350 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Jones averaged 5.49 yards per carry during the regular season. Only J.K. Dobbins and Nick Chubb averaged more yards per carry.

Jones continued his hot streak into the playoffs against the Rams, with 99 yards and a touchdown against the third-best run defense in the NFL. So, can he do it against the league’s best?

The Bucs allowed just 80 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and that unbelievable run defense continued into the playoffs. They held Washington to 86 yards and the Saints to 104.

Tampa Bay gave up just 10 rushing touchdowns in the regular season and an average of just 3.6 yards per carry. The Buccaneers shut down lead backs week after week and there were only two who managed more than 60 yards in a game against them. Dalvin Cook went for 102 yards in Week 14, and Brian Hill racked up 94 in Week 17.

If the Bucs can shut down Jones, they will take away one of the Packers' most dangerous weapons.

The Tampa Bay receiving corps

Brady has plenty of ammunition and the Bucshad the second-best passing offense in the regular season, with an average of 289 yards through the air per game.

Mike Evans had his seventh successive thousand-yard receiving season and totaled 13 touchdowns, the best haul of his NFL career. Chris Godwin couldn’t quite live up to his electric 2019 form but still racked up an average of 70 yards per game and added seven touchdowns, while Antonio Brown came to the team midway through the season and racked up 483 yards and four touchdowns off 45 targets.

The tight end pairing of Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate contributed more than 900 yards and nine touchdowns, and Brady found 18 different players with passes this season. There are plenty of dangers for Green Bay to deal with.

The Packers sacked Jared Goff four times last week and held him to just 6.4 yards per pass attempt. They will need to make it similarly tough for Brady this weekend. They rank seventh in passing yards allowed and will need Jaire Alexander and Darnell Savage Jr. on top of their game in the secondary.

The unstoppable Davante Adams

Davante Adams had a hell of a regular season, with 115 receptions for 1,374 yards. His average of 98.1 yards per game was more than any other receiver in the NFL, and he hauled in 18 touchdowns.

Last week, against standout Rams corner Jalen Ramsey, Adams caught nine passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Bucs have struggled against elite receivers this season. Eight different receivers gained more than 75 yards in a game against them, and for went for more than 100. That included a 163-yard performance from Calvin Ridley, a 130-yard game from Robert Woods, and Tyreek Hill’s stunning 269 yards and three touchdowns.

Tampa Bay’s pass defense ranked 21st in the NFL, and if Adams gets free, he will cause chaos.