The Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Pittsburgh feeling cold in Week Six, but will now return to the warm boundaries of the NFC South in Week Seven. A trip to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers is imminent, and it gives the Buccaneers a chance to sweep the first half of their divisional play. After defeating the Saints in New Orleans in Week Two and the Falcons in Tampa in Week Five, the Buccaneers will be looking to strengthen their grip on the divisional pole position, while Atlanta is 3-3 heading to Cincinnati.
The Buccaneers are also 3-3 and thus tied with Atlanta over the South, with a head-to-head tiebreaker in hand, but they have lost three of their last four games and are thus looking to get back on track in the chase. second straight division title. The Panthers, meanwhile, appear to be in a somewhat different pursuit, as their October 10 sacking of Head Coach Matt Rhule and subsequent exchanges with Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson signaled the start of a rebuild. After three straight five-win seasons, two under Rhule, the Panthers started 1-5 in 2022.
Carolina’s most prominent problem in their recent losing campaign has been finding solutions at quarterback in the post-Cam Newton era. That effort included trades for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield and even Newton’s own return for part of last season. Those concerns are also at the forefront of this week’s storyline, as Darnold is on injured reserve, Mayfield deals with a high ankle sprain and even third stringer and Week Six starter P.J. Walker left last Sunday’s game early with a neck injury. More on the Panthers’ weak quarterback situation below.
The Buccaneers clearly have no questions at quarterback, but there’s definitely a feeling the team could get a lot more out of a passing attack featuring Tom Brady pitches to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage, Leonard Fournette and others. They must have hoped to get more than 229 net passing yards against the depleted Steelers secondary last Sunday, especially since a healthier receiving corps has helped Brady muster 736 yards and four passing touchdowns in the previous two games. Evans, in particular, was only targeted four times in Pittsburgh, making four catches for 42 yards. The Buccaneers want their Pro Bowl receivers to be more central on the offense.
“We’re definitely talking about it,” Head Coach Todd Bowles said Monday. “We have to find a way to get the ball to our star. Move them, remove them from the options, double [the team] – we have to find a way to give them more balls. Obviously the team will try to double him up and take him away more; we have to do a better job of giving him the ball.”
Carolina’s offense, meanwhile, revolved around running back Christian McCaffrey until he was sent to San Francisco on Thursday for four draft picks. After his All-Pro season in 2019, McCaffrey landed a lucrative new contract with Carolina and then suffered a string of unfortunate injuries and only played in 10 games over the next two seasons. However, he has played in every game this season and has accumulated 670 yards from tussle, an average of 111.7 per game, which ranks fourth in the NFL. If McCaffrey keeps that kind of production going, it won’t be for the Panthers, who will now turn to a combination of D’Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, and Raheem Blackshear. The trio have combined for 72 yards of tussle so far.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, not much else is going to work on offense, as they are currently last in the league in points scored and total yards. The Panthers invested sixth pick overall at North Carolina State tackling Ikem Ekwonu and brought in guards Austin Corbett and center Bradley Bozeman (who later lost the battle for the job to Pat Elflein), but have allowed 19 sacks and are only 26th. in a hurry. even with McCaffrey still on board. The Tampa Bay defense currently ranks fifth in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed, which looks to make this a game in favor of the visitors on Sunday.
However, it only takes a quick look back at last weekend’s results in Pittsburgh to know that the storyline that was clear on paper is not necessarily going to happen. Bowles thought there was no need to even look at that piece of paper now.
“You know, when you win the last two years, you get nothing but credit,” said Bowles, explaining his postgame comments about players ‘live from the Super Bowl’. “And the credit for the young players is quite telling, so in my opinion, you have to work for everything you want in this league. Sometimes even that isn’t good enough on certain days, but if you work every day and keep your head up , you will have more pluses than minuses, and that’s all I want to refer to.
GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) and Carolina Panthers (1-5) Read also : Elkhart High School cheerleaders injured after bus overturns, lands in ditch.
Sunday, October 23, 13:00. ET
Bank of America Stadium (capacity: 73,778)
Television: FOX (Local WTVT Channel 13)
Broadcast TV Team: Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (analyst), Shannon Spake (reporter)
Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Featured Station
Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. River (reporter)
ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES
The Panthers lead the all-time series with the Buccaneers, 24-19, although Tampa Bay is closing in on the evening on the road, where the home team’s advantage is only 12-10. The Buccaneers have shrunk both gaps over the past two seasons, sweeping Carolina back-to-back for the first time since the two teams became an NFC South pair in 2002. On the same subject : The Times Square Alliance celebrates 30 years of fun – and cleaning – at the Crossroads of the World. The Buccaneers and Panthers did meet three times before a 2002 realignment put them in the same division. , including a contest at Death Valley which the Bucs won, 20-13, in the Panthers’ inaugural 1995 season.
Since the two teams began playing each other twice a year, head-to-head clashes have traditionally been one-sided, although the sides have frequently gone back and forth. From 2002-17, 13 of the 16 series seasons between these two teams ended in a sweep, including every series from 2009 to 2017. It went Carolina’s way in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 The Bucs had sweeps in 2002, 2010, 2012 and 2016. Interestingly, three splits came in as many years as the Buccaneers made the playoffs (2005, 2007) or really should have (2008… which ended on a four-game losing streak after a 9-3 start). After a pair of splits in 2018 and 2019, the series is returning to sweepstakes mode, currently favoring the Bucs.
The Bucs and Panthers met twice in the final three weeks of last season, with Tampa Bay winning both games by a combined score of 73-23. In the regular season finale, the Buccaneers had 137 receiving yards from Rob Gronkowski and two touchdown receptions from Mike Evans before widening Scotty Miller closed the scoring by taking about 33 yards for a touchdown. Two weeks earlier, the Buccaneers won Bank of America Stadium when the defense sacked quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Cam Newton seven times and allowed only two field goals. Safety Jordan Whitehead threw a key interception and three passes broken up. Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s 55-yard touchdown drive, the Bucs’ longest run of the year, started to score and wideman Cyril Grayson contributed 95 yards of offense, including 62 yards of receiving.
In 2020, the Bucs’ September win at home against Carolina was the first of 15 wins they have lined up en route to a Super Bowl championship, and the first win as a Buccaneer for Tom Brady. Leonard Fournette had an offense with 116 yards of tussle and two touchdowns and Carlton Davis and Whitehead each had interceptions from Teddy Bridgewater in a 31-17 decision. The rematch in Charlotte in November was a high-scoring game that included the longest run in Buccaneers history, Ronald Jones’ 98-yard touchdown dash. Amazingly, the Buccaneers scored 10 straight possessions to edge away from the Panthers to win 46-23.
In 2019, the Buccaneers secured a tight win at Charlotte on Thursday night in Week Two when Vernon Hargreaves dropped Christian McCaffrey out two yards under the stick on his fourth straight down or nothing. That 20-14 Bucs win was matched four weeks later by a 37-26 win for Carolina in a game played in London.
Perhaps the most notable wins for Tampa Bay in a series with Carolina came in 2002 and 2005. At the halfway point of the 2002 Super Bowl campaign, the Buccaneers suffered a crushing defeat in Philadelphia (again) and had to play Carolina without quarterback, Brad Johnson, who woke up with a cold. . The defense dominated and the Bucs trailed 9-6 late in the fourth before Martin Gramatica saved the day with two long field goals. In 2005, the Buccaneers were in the midst of a three-game final season run when they went to Bank of America Stadium and won the battle for first place by a score of 20–10. Round Barber marked the game with sacks and critical interceptions, becoming the first cornerback to total 40 interceptions and 25 sacks in his career.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
SENIOR COACHING STAFFS
KEY 2022 ROSTER ADDITIONS
ADDITIONAL 2022 CHANGES OF NOTE
TOP STORYLINES
Uncertainty Under Center in Charlotte – Given what has transpired since March 2020, the Panthers’ decision to cut ties (at least temporarily) with the brightest start in franchise history, Cam Newton, doesn’t seem like a mistake. However, the team’s efforts to find a replacement franchise midfielder have not produced much results. The first solution was a sizable three-year contract for Teddy Bridgewater, but that lasted a year before he was traded to Denver, with Carolina paying the bulk of his remaining guaranteed wages. Next, Carolina traded for Sam Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, the last offseason. It started well in the Panthers’ 3-0 start but Darnold picked up several injuries and saw his production decline sharply as the season progressed. Eventually, the Panthers traded Baker Mayfield, the first pick in that 2018 draft, and set up a fight for the starting job between the two draft mates. Mayfield won that battle and, just days later, Darnold sprained his ankle in the pre-season final which kept him on injured reserve. Read also : 8 of the most famous NFL cheerleaders of all time – including Office US star and Buffy actress. Darnold is still on the IR and is not expected to return this week, while Mayfield is dealing with an ankle injury of his own that kept him toe-to-toe on the sideline last Sunday. The Panthers turned away because of the need for P.J. Walker, who had played for Matt Rhule at Temple, but Walker managed just 60 yards on 16 passes before he left the game with a neck injury. Walker seems confident that he will be available on Sunday against the Buccaneers, but Mayfield remains a significant question mark. Interim Head Coach Steve Wilks, asked on Monday whether Mayfield would return to his starting position immediately after he was cleared, responded with, “I can’t give you that answer.” Barring a late roster move, Pant’s only option Hers appears to be the feeder of Jacob Eason’s practice squad, which finished on Sunday when Walker fell. However, that could change a bit on Sunday, as Darnold has been appointed to return from ured backup injection and could theoretically be cleared at any time.
A Fix for Offensive Woes? – The Tom Brady-led Buccaneers have paced the league in scoring over their first two seasons in Tampa with 30.4 points per game. In 2022, that average has dropped by more than 10 points and the Buccaneers are ranked 20th in the league. Compared to last year, the Bucs will have to make slight changes to their offensive line-up, starting with a front that has new starters at all three points of the interior. Tight end Rob Gronkowski retired, further changing the way the Bucs operate in attack, and the team is looking to replenish with the likes of Julio Jones, Russell Gage and Kyle Rudolph but has not quite replaced Gronkowski’s contributions. The Tampa Bay coaching staff expects a 2022 offense to be in the works and feel it should take about a month to establish identity on that side of the ball. They may be hoping to get a little further along in that process at the end of October, but there’s definitely a feeling that the best days for this offense are still ahead. The Buccaneers had to find ways to be more productive in the red zone, where they converted only 50% of their chances into touchdowns, and they had some disconcerting woes on a brief third down. In addition, the Bucs rushing offense ranks last in the league, and while that will never be the driving engine for this offense as it currently is, a strong showing in the season opener in Dallas seems to hint that it will be more. strength in 2022 over the previous two seasons. The Buccaneers’ search for the right offensive mix will continue in Week Seven in Charlotte.
Secondary Shuffle – Compared to the offense, Tampa Bay’s defense has been relatively injury-free, aside from Akiem Hicks’ foot ailment, which got him off to a very strong start the first three weeks of the season. However, a series of recent accidents have rocked the defensive backline, with Logan Ryan’s safety now on injury reserve and Mike Edwards (elbow) and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad) dealing with recent injuries. In Week Six, the Bucs landed an unexpected solution to their thinning lineup safely by using cornerback Dee Delaney in that role in a sub pack. That allowed the coaches to continue to use their top playmaker, Antoine Winfield Jr., in a dual role in safety corner and slot. However, it also pushed the inexperienced Delaney into an unlikely role, while veteran Keanu Neal also played far more than in the previous weeks in Edwards’ absence. The secondary only allowed 211 passing yards to the Steelers’ quarterback pair but understandable communication problems may have largely been the cause of Pittsburgh converting its third straight four downs from 11 yards or more. Bowles indicated on Monday that it was a different defender in each of the four players who made critical mistakes. Edwards may be able to return from injury against Carolina, which would restore some of his secondary stability, but Ryan is now out for at least four weeks. Tampa Bay’s cohesiveness in the second round will be tested next month, starting Sunday in Charlotte.
Southern Supremacy – The best part of the Buccaneers’ disappointing 3-3 start included a 2-0 record in divisional play. As mentioned above, the defending champions NFC South have recorded wins over the Saints and Falcons and now have the opportunity to go three on three against their divisional foes. The Buccaneers haven’t started 3-0 divisional play in any season since 2007, when they would finish 5-1 against the Falcons, Panthers and Saints and win the NFC South title. Doing so by winning on Sunday at Charlotte will put them in a good position to duplicate that feat, especially since two of their remaining three division games will be played in Tampa. The Falcons, also 3-3 but perhaps exceeding expectations in the minds of most NFL analysts, had a tough draw in Week Seven with a game in Cincinnati. The Buccaneers lost their grip on the NFC South singles lead last Sunday but will have a chance to regain it this weekend.
Where Does the Turnover Go? – The Buccaneers haven’t lost a turnover battle in their last two games, but they haven’t won one either. Neither team has given it away once in Tampa Bay’s Week Five win over Atlanta or its Week Six loss to Pittsburgh, which is pretty incredible. This is the second time in franchise history the Buccaneers have played two straight games without either team committing a turnover. Obviously, it’s a very welcome trend on offense, in that Brady hasn’t picked up any interceptions since Week One, but defense usually thrives on takeaways. Even including these last two games, the Tampa Bay defense has ranked fifth over the last three seasons with 63 takeaways and the Bucs are tied for first with a +21 turnover margin. Some of this turnover drought, which also includes a Week Fourth loss against Kansas City by just one takeaway, has been luck on the bounce, as the defense has forced two fumbles in the last two weeks but has been unable to recover any of them. Pittsburgh also put the hogskin on the grass late last weekend with a snap that went wrong but Mitchell Trubisky narrowly beat Delaney for possession. Overall, Tampa Bay’s defense had nine takeaways in six games, but five of those came in a rush at New Orleans in Week Two, including four in one quarter. As previously mentioned, Tampa Bay’s defensive ranking of fifth in scoring and seventh in yards is good and well earned, but turnovers often make the difference between a win and a loss and the Buccaneers are looking to force a lot of them back.
KEY MATCHUPS
1. Buccaneers T Tristan Wirfs vs. Panthers DE Brian Burns
The Panthers saw their 2021 sack leader, Haason Reddick, head to Philly in free agency and currently rank 29th in sacks per pass game (4.41%). However, 2019 first-round pick Brian Burns remains as prolific and dangerous as ever, leading Carolina with 4.0 sacks, or nearly half of the team’s 9.0 total. Burns is yet to hit double-digit sacks in a season but he is making back-to-back totals of 7.5, 9.0 and 9.0 and is well on his way to making it big in 2022. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Burns has the fifth-fastest gain- off on snap between edge rushers, averaging 0.8 seconds. The Panthers moved him from side to side so he is likely to take a one-on-one fight with both Bucs tacklers Tristan Wirfs and Donovan Smith. In just his sophomore season in 2021, Wirfs was named a first-team Associated Press All-Pro and he is already considered one of the best right tacklers in the entire NFL. Wirfs is unusually agile and athletic for a man of his size, which allows him to consistently rank among the men and linebackers.
2. Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard vs. Buccaneers ILB Lavonte David
NOTE: This section originally pitted David against running back Christian McCaffrey, but the Panthers’ trade on Thursday made that fight moot. Carolina’s depth chart lists Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman as the number two defenders, and now one of them will be the new starter. Last season, Hubbard started 10 games while McCaffrey missed time with injury and recorded 612 yards on 175 carries plus 25 receptions for 174 yards. The Panthers are unlikely to change their offense after McCaffrey’s departure, meaning whoever replaces him will be looking at a lot of targets. This is especially true considering Carolina’s injury at quarterback. Tampa Bay’s defense actually dealt with McCaffrey a little better than most teams, only allowing him to exceed 100 yards from tussle in two of his seven games against them. One constant in that history has been Lavonte David, who has been at the heart of Tampa Bay’s defense since 2012. He will be instrumental in slowing down Hubbard, or Foreman if the Panthers go that route. This season, David is second on the team with 47 tackles, only one behind Devin White with 48 tackles, and he also broke two passes. David’s twenty-three stop is a run game as he has helped the Bucs defense allow the seventh-lowest yards-per-carry figure in the league so far. The Tampa Bay defense has not allowed an opposing running back to break for 100 rushing yards in a game against it since Chicago’s Khalil Herbert in Week Seven last season. David still has sideline-to-sideline reach but he has also been one of the best league coverage linebackers of his career.
3. Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. Panthers CB Jaycee Horn
As previously discussed, Todd Bowles is adamant about getting the ball to Evans more often than he has in recent weeks. Evans kept the Bucs only receiving a game for 100 yards this season, as he caught eight passes for 103 yards and two scores against Kansas City in Week Four. However, in the last two weeks he has four catches in each game and he has only been targeted four times in Pittsburgh. Opposing defenses often provide cover for defenders trying to contain Evans, either with two-high bullets or a shade of safety against him, which makes it more difficult to make big plays down the line. Still, Evans is a master of passing traffic and the Bucs should be able to keep him more involved no matter what style of defense they face. In previous years, the Panthers liked to shadow Evans with their top cornerback, James Bradberry. Bradberry is now in Philadelphia, but Carolina may be trying the same tactic with Horn. In Week One, Horn followed Cleveland’s Amari Cooper around formation, so it was a comfortable role provided by the Panthers for their impressive sophomore corner. Horn is dealing with a rib injury that kept him out of Carolina’s last game, but he returned to training on Wednesday wearing a no-contact green jersey. After being selected eighth overall in the 2021 draft, Horn broke his leg three games into his career and missed most of his rookie season. He became very strong in his sophomore year, however, allowing for a 23.8 opposing passer rating as he became a targeted defender, the best of any cornerback in the league.
4. Panthers C Pat Elflein vs. Buccaneers NT Vita Vea
The Buccaneers didn’t put much pressure on Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky in Week Six, sacking them just twice without another quarterback hitting in the game. Although Tampa Bay’s defense ranks third in the NFL with 21 sacks, its 26.1% overall pressure rate (according to Next Generation Statistics) ranks only 21st in the league. Playing against a Panthers line that has allowed 19 sacks, the Bucs will be looking for that level of pressure, and that could start with Vita Vea at center. Vea has 2.5 sacks on the season along with a five-hit QB, which is just one clear on Devin White’s team advantage, and he can also influence the Bucs’ overall passing rush without gaining stats by occupying multiple blockers. Carolina signed former Ravens center Bradley Bozeman in free agency but incumbent Pat Elflein held off the challenge for the starting job in the pivot. The Vikings’ previous third-round pick has been solid for the Panthers so far this season, taking every offensive shot and not drawing a single penalty over the first six games. Elflein got the job in part because Bozeman injured his ankle during training camp and was still fully recovered when the regular season started. However, Elflein has stuck around since then, despite a Week One game in which he had a string of poor exchanges with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
INJURY REPORT
DNP: Did not join the practice
LP: Limited participation in practice
FP: Full participation in training
WEATHER FORECAST
Mostly sunny, high 73, low 47, 5% chance of rain, 53% humidity, winds coming off the NNE at 8 mph.
GAME REFEREE
Chief referee: Craig Wrolstad (20th season, 9th season as referee)
BETTING LINE
INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Points Scored: K Ryan Succop, 41
Goals: WR Mike Evans/Leonard Fournette, 3
Passing Yards: QB Tom Brady, 1,409
Passer Rating: QB Tom Brady, 96.5
Rushing Field: RB Leonard Fournette, 280
Admissions: RB Leonard Fournette, 26
Receiving Yards: WR Mike Evans, 316
Points Scored: K Eddy Piñeiro, 43
Goals: RB Christian McCaffrey*, 3
Passing Yard: QB Baker Mayfield, 962
Passer Rating: QB P.J. Walker, 81.6
Rushing Field: RB Christian McCaffrey, 393
Admissions: RB Christian McCaffrey*, 33
Accepting Court: RB Christian McCaffrey*, 277
Interceptions: DT Derrick Brown/CB Jaycee Horn/CB Donte Jackson/LB Frankie Luvu, 1
TEAM STAT RANKINGS
Rating Foul: 20th (20.2 ppg)
Passing Foul: 6th (264.5 ypg)
Rush Attack: 32nd (67.5 ypg)
First Down Per Game: t-13 (20.5)
Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 2nd (3.64%)
Red Zone TD Pct.: t-20 (50.0%)
Passing Defense: 7 (193.3 ypg)
Rushed Defense: 14th (109.2 ypg)
First Downs Allowed Per Game: 4 (17.5)
Lower Third Pct. Allowed: 22 (42.7%)
Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 3rd (10.05%)
Red Zone TD Section. Allowed: t-29 (75.0%)
Scoring Foul: 26th (17.2 ppg)
Passing Foul: 29th (169.7 ypg)
Rush Attack: 26th (90.3 ypg)
First Down Per Game: 32nd (13.2)
Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 30th (10.56%)
Defense Score: t-23 (24.3 ppg)
Pass Defense: 17 (223.5 ypg)
Rushed Defense: 26th (133.3 ypg)
First Down Allowed Per Game: t-21 (20.7)
Lower Third Pct. Allowed: 23 (43.2%)
Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 29th (4.41%)
Red Zone TD Section. Allowed: 14 (54.2%)
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
NOTABLY QUOTABLE
What is the longest rivalry in the NFL?
What is the second oldest rivalry in the NFL? The Second Oldest Rivalry in the NFL The first game between the Cardinals and the Packers was on November 20, 1921, a week before the first Bears-Packers game was held on November 27.
What is the longest running rivalry in football? The Yale–Princeton rivalry is the oldest in college football, dating back to 1873. Yale and Princeton dominated the college football scene when this rivalry began, with Yale claiming 13 straight national titles and Princeton claiming eight between 1869 and 1894. Games 2018 was playing at Fenway Park.
What time is the Bucs Panthers game today?
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET. Location: Raymond James Stadium.
What is the Panthers vs Buccaneers channel? CHARLOTTE – The Panthers face the Buccaneers in Week 17 on January 1 at 1pm. This game will be live on FOX. The game will air in select regions across the country.
What channel is the Panthers game on today? CHANGE. Watch the Panthers game live on FOX.
