Style points in the NFL don’t exist, so the Green Bay Packers’ two-point win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday counts all the same as a convincing blowout.
But there were mitigating factors at play, of course. The Buccaneers were down to a third-string left tackle. Receivers Mike Evans, Julio Jones and Chris Godwin didn’t play. Even 45-year-old Tom Brady couldn’t reasonably be expected to play well behind a patchwork offensive line and throwing to a bunch of backups at receiver, especially against a fast and experienced Packers defense with a disruptive front.