Skeleton Keys To Victory: Buccaneers vs Panthers

We are in the home stretch of the NFL season. Three games left to determine whether or not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be postseason bound or watching from home like the rest of us. It’s safe to say that Sunday is a pivotal game and the most important matchup of the season.

This weekend the Bucs will travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. Both teams enter this game at 7-7 with an opportunity to win the NFC South. This game isn’t technically an elimination game, but whoever loses this game will certainly have an uphill battle to make the playoffs.

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If the Bucs want to win this make or break game, they will have to play better than they have over the last two months. And most importantly, they will have to follow my skeleton keys to victory!

Don’t Let The Panthers Keep Pounding

The Panthers offense is honestly nothing too impressive. They are tied for 27th in total touchdowns scored and 26th in passing yards. Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator and current Panthers head coach Dave Canales doesn’t exactly have things firing on all cylinders. 

However, Carolina does have a decent rushing offense. They rank 9th in rushing yards and 13th in yards per carry. This running game is led by 6th yard running back Rico Dowdle, who has been a depth play for most of his career.

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This success is as much of a reflection on the Panthers offensive line as it is anything. Established veterans like Taylor Moton and Damien Lewis combined with ascending players like Ikem Ekwonu have made this a very good unit overall. If the Bucs want to stifle this Panthers offense, then that effort will have to be led by Vita Vea and the defensive line.

Aerial Assault

If Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers passing attack is going to figure things out this year then it has to happen this Sunday. We saw the return of Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan last week and both looked fresh. Now each has a game under their belt to get their legs back and now this group of playmakers is at full strength for the first time this season.

The Panthers are middle of the pack in terms of passing yards allowed this season. However, they have allowed the 8th most passing yards per attempt. That means when opponents are throwing the ball against Carolina they are doing it with a fairly high level of success. 

It feels like now or never for Mayfield this season. After a hot start, the Bucs quarterback has struggled over the last two months and has been a big reason for this team’s second half collapse. However, we’ve seen Baker get hot and play great. This seems like an opportunity to find his groove again and perhaps carry some momentum into the playoffs. 

Protect the Ball

One thing the Panthers hang their hat on is forcing turnovers. They have forced the 7th most interceptions in the NFL this season with 12. They are led by Jaycee Horn who is tied for the 2nd most interceptions by a single player this year with 5.

Baker Mayfield has thrown five interceptions in as many weeks after only throwing two in the first nine games. This has to be a game where he plays smart because this Panthers offense isn’t likely to put up big numbers. Even with all these excellent pass catchers, he can’t get too pass happy out there and make a bad decision. 

Note The Super Star

There is one player on the Panthers who I haven’t talked about yet, but he is a game wrecker and could swing this game in Carolina’s favor. That is defensive tackle Derrick Brown. He leads the team with 4.0 sacks and can make plays up and down the defensive line.

Considering that the Bucs are starting a pair of backup guards in this game, expect his name to be called a lot. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard needs to have a plan in place to help neutralize this under the radar super star.