Packers vs. Buccaneers live score, updates, highlights from NFC championship game


The NFC championship game between the Packers and Buccaneers features an all-time matchup at the quarterback position.

Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers are facing off for just the fourth time as starters in their respective careers, including the first time ever in a playoff contest. And all it took was for Brady to leave the Patriots for the NFC. Brady holds a 2-1 series advantage over his Packers counterpart, including a 38-10 win earlier this season in Week 6. That said, it’s Green Bay that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs, including the ever-important home-field advantage.

Neither player’s age seems to have slowed them down in 2020; Brady completed 401 of 610 passes (65.7 percent) for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Rodgers, meanwhile, completed 372 of 526 passes (70.7 percent) for 4,288 yards and 48 touchdowns to five interceptions.

MORE: Watch Packers vs. Buccaneers live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

So, will Rodgers even the series and take the Packers to the Super Bowl for just the second time in his career? Or will Brady continue to cement his G.O.A.T. status with a win over another future Hall of Famer? We can’t wait to find out.

Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Packers vs. Buccaneers on Sunday. Follow below for complete results from the 2021 NFC championship game.

Packers vs. Buccaneers score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Packers 0 10 0 10
Buccaneers 7 14 7 28

Packers vs. Buccaneers live updates, highlights from NFC championship game

All times Eastern

Third quarter: Buccaneers 28, Packers 10

4:54 p.m.: Rodgers then finds Valdes-Scantling on the right sideline for a 24-yard gain to the Tampa 34.

]4:53 p.m.: Rodgers gets 10 yards and a first down to Adams on the slant. The drive continues at the 42.

4:52 p.m.: Packers get the ball back and are already facing third-and-3 after two runs. Green Bay needs a score here.

4:49 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, TAMPA BAY. Brady immediately makes the Packers pay with an 8-yard touchdown to a wide-open Cameron Brate in the end zone. That makes it 28-10 Bucs with 13:54 left in the third quarter.

4:46 p.m.: Fumble, Green Bay. Disaster for the Packers, just three plays into the second half. Safety Jordan Whitehead forces a fumble on Jones short of the first down marker, and it’s recovered by linebacker Devin White. He returns it 21 yards to the Packers 8. Moreover, Jones is down on the turf getting looked at by trainers.

Halftime: Buccaneers 21, Packers 10

4:30 p.m.: Halftime stats:

Total yards — Tampa Bay 235; Green Bay 189
Passing — Tampa Bay 13 of 22, 197 yards, 2 TDs; Green Bay 14 of 19, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing — Tampa Bay 10 rushes for 38 yards (3.8 ypc), 1 TD; Green Bay 9 rushes for 42 yards (4.7 ypc)
First downs — Tampa Bay 10; Green Bay 10
Third downs — Tampa Bay 7 of 10 (1 of 1 fourth down); Green Bay 4 of 6
Penalties — N/A
Turnovers — Tampa Bay 0; Green Bay 1
Time of possession — Tampa Bay 13:44; Green Bay 16:16

4:29 p.m.: The half ends on the ensuing kickoff. Don’t think Green Bay could have managed those final two minutes any worse.

4:27 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, TAMPA BAY. Incredible sequence there for the Buccaneers; Scotty Miller somehow gets behind Kevin King and Brady finds him for the 39-yard touchdown. Green Bay only had a single deep safety over the middle and King had no help to speak of. That makes it 21-10 Tampa Bay with just one second remaining before halftime.

4:26 p.m.: Timeout, Tampa Bay (0:06)

4:25 p.m.: Brady finds Fournette for a 5-yard gain to the 39-yard line, converting on fourth down.

4:24 p.m.: Timeout, Green Bay (0:13)

4:24 p.m.: Looks like Tampa’s going to try and go for it on fourth-and-3. There’s only 13 seconds left so there’s little to worry about if Green Bay forces a turnover.

4:24 p.m.: Timeout, Tampa Bay (0:13)

4:23 p.m.: Safety Will Redmond nearly gets his own pick for the Packers, but it regardless brings up fourth-and-3 Bucs from the Green Bay 45.

4:21 p.m.: Interception, Tampa Bay. Sean Murphy-Bunting gets the pick on tight coverage of Lazard (he might have gotten away with a hold). That’s his third interception in as many postseason games, and it gives Tampa the ball at its 49 with 25 seconds and all three timeouts with which to work.

4:20 p.m.: Pierre-Paul gets Tampa’s third sack of the day — and his second — making it second-and 17 Green Bay from its 33. Absolutely no urgency by the Packers there and now they’re behind the sticks. Awful sequence there for them.

4:19 p.m.: Great protection by the Packers O-line gives Rodgers enough time to find Lazard in the middle of the field out to the 40-yard line. The clock is ticking down with fewer than 40 seconds.

4:18 p.m.: Packers to Jones for 4 yards, brings up third-and-6 from the 17.

4:15 p.m: Two-minute warning

4:15 p.m.: Jones to the right for no gain; second-and-10 upcoming.

4:13 p.m.: Bucs can’t get another third-down conversion; Brady misses his receiver on third-and-9. Green Bay has the ball at its 13 with 2:10 left in the half. Two-minute drill coming up.

4:11 p.m.: Green Bay sells out against the run and Godwin — who fakes a block — slips out of the backfield. Brady hits him wide open for a 19-yard gain to the Green Bay 48. Excellent play call and even better execution.

4:11 p.m.: Third-and-2 for Tampa.

4:10 p.m.: Play is stopped briefly as Green Bay linebacker Krys Barnes exits the field following an 7-yard gain by Fournette on the screen.

4:09 p.m.: Bucs take over at their 25 following the touchback.

4:06 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, GREEN BAY. The Packers settle for a 24-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. That makes it 14-10 Bucs with 5:02 left in the half.

4:05 p.m.: He targets Adams for a third straight time in the Post, but the receiver brings it in out of bounds. Rodgers also missed Lazard, who was open after losing his defender in coverage.

4:04 p.m.: Rodgers has Adams again in the flat but his pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage. Third-and-goal from the 6 upcoming.

4:04 p.m.: Rodgers got the exact look he wanted with Adams in one-on-one coverage with Davis, but he throws it a little behind him and Adams can’t bring it in. Second-and-goal coming up.

4:02 p.m.: Timeout, Green Bay (5:13)

4:01 p.m.: Packers convert third-and-2 from the 10 with a powerful dive up the middle from Jones. They’ll have first-and-goal from the 6.

4 p.m.: Crisis averted for Green Bay on that play; Rodgers throws a quick pass to Jones, who fumbles beyond the first-down marker. Tonyan, who set up his gain with a pretty nice block, jumps on it quickly to retain possession at the 18.

3:58 p.m.: Two plays later, Jones gets a 12-yard gain on the toss right for another first down to the Bucs’ 30.

3:57 p.m.: There’s a nice gain on the toss left to Williams. He gets 12 yards to the Tampa Bay 47; this drive started with him being forced to take the kickoff out of the end zone.

3:55 p.m.: Rodgers to Valdes-Scantling for 12 yards out to the 37.

3:55 p.m.: Rodgers is forced into his first incompletion of the day (he was 7 of 7 prior) to avoid a pass-rush by Barrett.

3:54 p.m.: The call is reversed, giving Green Bay the ball at its 25.

3:52 p.m.: Packers coach Matt LaFleur throws a challenge flag. It looks as if the kickoff did hit the goal line, which would result in a touchback. That’s a difference of about 12 yards, which isn’t negligible.

3:51 p.m.: Jamaal Williams is forced to take the ball out since Tampa Bay’s kickoff doesn’t go into the end zone; he’s tackled after a short gain out to the 13-yard line.

3:49 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, TAMPA BAY. One play later, Fournette makes two Packers defenders miss with some powerful running — and nifty — for a 20-yard touchdown. That makes it 14-7 Buccaneers with 12:24 left in the half.

3:45 p.m.: On the very next play, Brady throws a jump ball to Godwin on the deep route. Packers safety Darnell Savage looked to be in the best position to bring the ball down, but Godwin jumps him for an incredible 52-yard gain to the 20.

3:45 p.m.: Godwin drops the slant route from Brady. That drop — Tampa Bay’s third of the half — brings up third-and-9 from the 28.

3:43 p.m.: Bucs take over at their 27.

3:40 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, GREEN BAY. One play later, Rodgers finds Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the 50-yard score. It looks as if the Bucs sold out for a short-yardage play, leaving the receiver one-on-one with Davis. He got a step on him and, despite the ball being underthrown, shrugged off the defense and did the rest of the work himself. That makes it 7-7 with 14:07 left in the half.

3:39 p.m.: Aaron Jones gets a 2-yard gain on the first play of the second quarter; that makes it third-and-2 from midfield.

End of first quarter: Buccaneers 7, Packers 0

3:35 p.m.: Rodgers’ 5-yard pass to tight end Robert Tonyan ends the first quarter. Packers will reverse field at their 48.

3:35 p.m.: Next play, Rodgers throws a quick pass to Davante Adams, who makes Carlton Davis miss for a 15-yard gain to the Packers 43.

3:33 p.m.: No matter; on the next play, Rodgers rolls out right — from inside his own end zone — and finds Allen Lazard for a 23-yard gain to the 28.

3:33 p.m.: Bucs get their second sack on Rodgers, this time for a 6-yard loss. Jason Pierre-Paul gets to him and makes it third-and-15 from the 5.

3:30 p.m.: Tavon Austin calls for a fair catch at the 10-yard line. Green Bay will start its drive with 2:56 left in the first.

3:30 p.m.: Finally, Green Bay gets off the field on third down. Kenny Clark gets the bull-rush sack on Brady to make it fourth-and-16 from the Bucs 43.

3:28 p.m.: Brady had his man in coverage but threw it a little high; Tyler Johnson couldn’t bring it down, however, and that brings up third-and-10.

3:26 p.m.: Bucs convert another third down — this time with 14 yards to gain — as Godwin takes the tunnel screen all the way to the Bucs 49. Tampa Bay is 5 for 5 on third downs so far.

3:24 p.m.: Bucs have it third-and-1 from the 36; that’s another conversion, this time off a 2-yard run by running back Ronald Jones.

3:20 p.m.: JK Scott’s punt travels only 38 yards and is touched down at the 27. The Bucs will look to go up two scores from there, with 7:33 left in the first.

3:20 p.m.: Packers have no such luck on third down; linebacker Shaq Barrett gets a coverage sack to fourth-and-17 from the 45.

3:19 p.m.: Packers face third down for the first time from their 43.

3:17 p.m.: Rodgers completes his first pass of the game to Marcedes Lewis for 14 yards and a first down out to the 42.

3:16 p.m.: Now it’s Rodgers and Co.’s turn. The Packers take over from their 25.

3:13 p.m.: That touchdown drive took nine plays, traversed 66 yards and took off 4:01 off the clock. Brady was 3 for 5 passing for 56 on the drive, including 3 for 3 on third down.

3:12 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, TAMPA BAY. Brady completes his third straight pass on third down, this one for a touchdown. He has a 15-yard connection with Evans to get on the board first. It’s 7-0 Bucs with 10:59 left in the first.

3:11 p.m.: Bucs have it third-and-7 from the 15 this time. Third time’s the charm for Green Bay?

3:10 p.m.: Brady completes his second third down-converting pass, this one 14 yards to Chris Godwin to the 18. Packers don’t have an answer for him yet.

3:09 p.m.: Another third down scenario, this one with 9 yards to gain from the Packers 32.

3:08 p.m.: Brady connects with Mike Evans with a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw for a 27-yard gain down to the Packers 33. The drive continues.

3:07 p.m.: Bucs face third-and-4 from the 40 after two runs of 3 yards apiece from Leonard Fournette.

3:06 p.m.: Jaydon Mickens gets a 29-yard return out to the 34. That’s where the Bucs will start the game.

3:03 p.m.: Green Bay wins the toss and defers, giving Brady and Co. the ball first. Here we go.

Packers vs. Buccaneers start time

  • Start time: 3:05 p.m. ET
  • TV channel (national): Fox
  • Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV

This is the first of Sunday’s two conference championship games. The NFC championship will be followed by Chiefs vs. Bills in the AFC championship. The winner of those two games will advance to Super Bowl 55.

NFL playoff schedule 2021

Conference championships

Sunday, Jan. 24

Matchup Start time TV channel Live stream
Buccaneers at Packers 3:05 p.m. ET Fox fuboTV
Bills at Chiefs 6:40 p.m. ET CBS fuboTV

Super Bowl 55

Sunday, Feb. 7

Matchup Start time TV channel Live stream
AFC champion vs. NFC champion 6:30 p.m. ET CBS fuboTV



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