This season, Tampa Bay running back Rachaad White and wide receiver Mike Evans have combined for 2,184 yards and 17 touchdowns. White has ran for 745 yards and five touchdowns and grabbed 48 receptions for 419 yards and two scores, while Evans has 1,020 yards receiving and ten touchdowns.

White, the second-year back out of Arizona State, has been a workhorse for the Bucs this season. He has 201 carries and no other running back on the team has as many as 30. His last three games have been his best three games of the season. White gained 100 yards in a loss to the Colts; gained 84 in a win over the Panthers and 102 in a win over the Falcons that vaulted Tampa Bay into first place in the NFC South.

That does not bode well for a Packers run defense that continues to be well, bad. The Giants became the third team this season to run for over 200 yards against Joe Barry’s unit in 2023. The 1,844 rushing yards allowed and 141.8 per game ranks 31st in the league. The 4.6 yards per carry allowed ranks tied for 27th. And the 13 rushing touchdowns allowed is just one less than the 14 touchdown passes allowed.

And then there is Evans, the future Hall of Fame receiver. This year he’s had three games of 140 yards, or more — 171 against Chicago; 143 against Tennessee and 162 against Carolina. This is the 10th time in his 10-year career he has eclipsed 1,000-yards, the fifth time he has 10 touchdowns, or more and with eight more receptions it will be nine years with at least 70.

The only other rushing/receiving combination the Packers have faced or will face this year that comes close to White/Evans’ performance is Detroit’s combination of David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown. This season, Montgomery (770 yards rushing, 106 receptions) and St. Brown (1,033 receptions) have combined for 1,909 yards and 16 touchdowns.

So how did the Packers do against that combo in the two games they faced Detroit this season?

Well, in the Lions early-season win, Montgomery ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns and St. Brown caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. In the Packers Thanksgiving Day upset, Montgomery ran for 71 yards and a touchdown and St. Brown caught nine passes for 95 yards.

If the Packers have any good news, it’s that linebacker Quay Walker, who missed Monday night’s loss to the Giants, practiced on Thursday and may play on Sunday. There is also hope that cornerbacks Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander will be able to return to the lineup.

The Packers are a 3 1/2-point favorite in the game. It’s only the third time in 14 games the Packers have been favorites this season. They were also a 3 1/2-point favorite over the Rams and won and covered. And they were a six-point favorite over the Giants last week and lost outright. In the 11 games they have been an underdog this season, the Packers are 5-6 straight up and 6-5 with the points.