TAMPA, Fla. — The last time Tampa Bay traveled to Green Bay, they left town with the NFC Championship in January of 2021.
Bucs offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs was a rookie that season, but limited attendance due to the pandemic only allowed for his mother and his aunt to come to the game.
This year, Wirfs, an Iowa native, says he'll have about a dozen friends and family at the game.
"Good memories, [and] I’m really excited to go back. I’m really excited for the game, I know we all are," Wirfs said after practice. "[For] us upfront, there is going to be a lot of great matchups across the board. I say that every week, but they have a good D-line, so it’s just going to be a fun and exciting football game up in the cold weather."
Temperatures in Green Bay are expected to be in the low 40s, so the field conditions shouldn't be much of a factor. But Wirfs said he and his teammates will pack a couple of extra pairs of shoes.
"I’m just going to wear my regular cleats," Wirfs added. "I’m going to bring some just in case, but we played there at the end of January, and it was alright. I think we’ll be good."
Bucs safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. was also a rookie when Tampa Bay won the NFC championship, but an ankle injury kept him out of the game in Green Bay.
This time around, Winfield said he's ready to get a win of his own at Lambeau Field.
"Last time when I was there, [I saw] what the atmosphere is going to be like. I know how it’s going to be – it’s going to be fun up there," Winfield said. "It was the NFC Championship game; of course, I wanted to play in that one. I’m glad we had a good team—they pulled it through, and we made it to the Super Bowl."
The broken record keeps playing the same tune for the Bucs—it's playoff mode every week. But the players say they'll keep listening to the same music if it means getting one step closer to the postseason.
"Every week is important, just because it’s the next week, and, like I said before, we’ve got to treat every week like a playoff week," Winfield added. "It’s win-or-go-home, and that’s our mentality."
"The goal is still the goal, and it’s still right there in front of us. Don’t lose sight of that," Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "Then just the sense of urgency, like we talked about a couple of weeks ago. You can tell guys are even more attentive to details. You can feel the energy for sure."
The Buccaneers (6-7) and Packers (6-7) kick off Sunday from Lambeau Field at 1 p.m. The teams have split the last ten overall meetings.
