Scully's NFC Championship Game pick: Tampa Bay found its identity

The Green Bay Packers will seek their first Super Bowl berth since 2010, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 2003.

Tampa Bay may lack championship-game experience — the Packers have reached the NFC title game four times in the last seven years — but the Buccaneers have Tom Brady, who led the New England Patriots to 13 conference championship games.

These teams met in Week 6, when Tampa Bay scored 28 unanswered second-quarter points to blow the game wide open and won by a 38-10 margin at home.

It will be cold at Lambeau Field on Sunday, but snow is not expected.

Rodgers has played like a true MVP

It has been a phenomenal year for Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to be named NFL MVP.

Rodgers led the top-ranked scoring offense (31.8 points per game) this season, and Green Bay features a balanced attack, with running back Aaron Jones, who averaged 7.1 yards per carry in the Packers 32-18 victory over the Rams in the Divisional Round.

The Rams and top-flight cornerback Jalen Ramsey couldn’t stop Packers standout receiver Davante Adams last week. Adams caught nine passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and he led the NFL with 98 receiving yards per game this season.

While Adams is a premier talent, Rodgers makes complementary receivers, like Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, very good.

Green Bay's defense has been fearsome

Led by Za’Darius Smith, Green Bay can get after the passer, and the Packers had four sacks in the Divisional Round.

Jaire Alexander and Adrian Amos anchor a fine secondary, and the defense has held its last four opponents, and five of the last six, to fewer than 20 points.

Green Bay will be motivated to slow down Tampa Bay’s ground game after it allowed 158 rushing yards in the previous meeting.

Brady has no shortage of weapons

Antonio Brown, who joined Tampa Bay in midseason, is terrorizing defenses despite being the No. 3 receiver, behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Tight end Rob Gronkowski remains a valuable target and blocking asset.

The contributions of Cameron Brate, Leonard Fournette, Tyler Johnson, Ronald Jones, and Scotty Miller have also been key to Tampa's playoff run.

The Bucs have the second-best scoring offense (30.7 points per game), and Brady was in top form leading them to a 30-20 win at New Orleans in the Divisional Round.

Devin White is a terror on defense

Tampa Bay's defense has a significant advantage at linebacker. Devin White, who was joined on the All-Pro second team by teammate Lavonte David, recorded 11 tackles and an interception against New Orleans.

The Buccaneers were opportunistic in Week 6, with a pair of interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and they forced four turnovers from New Orleans last week.

Tampa Bay has found its identity

Tampa Bay needed most of the season to discover an identity on offense. Inconsistencies resulted in five losses from the first 12 games, but the Bucs are now willing to pound the ball. Against top run defenses (New Orleans and Washington), Tampa Bay has averaged 135 rushing yards per game in the playoffs.

Running the ball frees up Brady, who has averaged 282 passing yards the last two games, and I expect another balanced attack Sunday. 

The Tampa defense also enters on the upswing, following a strong showing against New Orleans.

Green Bay looked susceptible to the run against Los Angeles, as Cam Akers dissected the Packers defense for 62 rushing yards by halftime, but the Rams had to abandon the ground game after they fell into a hole in the second half.

Tampa Bay will be primed for its best.

NFL pick: Buccaneers +3.5