Bucs Gameday

Buccaneers at Panthers: Week 16 Game Preview

Can the Bucs win a divisional game on the road despite major injuries on both sides of the ball?
Evan Winter|
How will Byron Leftwich's offense look without multiple key players?

The Buccaneers (10-4) blew their chance at taking home their first NFC South title in 15 years when they lost to the Saints in Week 15, but they have another chance to get the job done this week when they travel to Carolina to take on the reeling Panthers (5-9).

The Panthers are currently in last place in the NFC South, but as we saw last week with the Saints - anything can happen in a divisional game. 

And when you throw in the key injuries that are affecting the Bucs, it's easy to see why this game could get really interesting, really fast. 

Overview

What To Watch For

  • Beat-up Bucs: Tampa Bay's defense has been dealing with injuries all year long, so it makes sense that it's now the offense's turn to deal with some adversity. The Bucs will be without Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, and Mike Evans in this game. The defense is still hurting, too. Antoine Winfield Jr., Lavonte David, and Jason Pierre-Paul are all out, themselves. The reserves are going to have to step up in big ways this week, which is what they've done so far this year. But it does help that the Bucs are getting two key players back this week, as well.
  • The return of Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards: Both players are done serving their three-game suspensions and both players are still on the team. Regardless of which side of the fence you are on in regard to the Bucs' decision to keep both players, there's one thing that's indisputable between both parties: The fact the Bucs immediately need both players in a big way. The Bucs need Brown to help offset the losses of Evans and Godwin and they need Edwards to help offset the loss of Winfield. It will be interesting to see how they impact this game and the team moving forward.
  • Carolina's quarterback situation: It's been reported that Sam Darnold will likely play the majority of this game while Cam Newton sees goal line action. Two-quarterback systems rarely -if ever- work in the NFL, so this probably isn't the best idea. But at the same time, we've seen the Saints have success in the past with Drew Brees and Taysom Hill, so who knows. Either way, the Bucs have to make sure they're ready on defense for anything on every down and they can't let either quarterback get rolling or else they could find themselves in the midst of yet another NFC South upset.
  • The trenches: This is where the game will be won. The Panthers are down at least two starters on the offensive line and there's a chance Cameron Erving could miss this game, too. Tampa Bay sacked Hill twice last week against a Saints offensive line that was missing three starters, but it wasn't enough. The Bucs pass rush has to be more effective this week. And on the other hand, the Bucs offensive line was thoroughly embarrassed last week and are going up a just-as-good-if-not-better front seven in the Panthers this week. Whichever side of the ball wins the most reps -offensive or defensive- will be the reason why their respective team wins the game.
  • A big opportunity for the Bucs coaching staff: Yes, the Bucs are down multiple key players, but that just means it's time for Bruce Arians and Co. to show what they're made of. The Bucs literally watched the Saints beat them twice this year with their second- and third-string quarterbacks and there are other coaching staffs like the Titans, Ravens, Colts, and even Cardinals that have found ways to not just win, but win big despite numerous injuries to key spots. There is plenty of coaching experience between Arians, Byron Leftwich, and Todd Bowles, so they should be able to find a way to beat the Panthers despite the recent losses.

Impact Players

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • QB Tom Brady: Last week against the Saints was probably the most frustrated we've seen Brady as a Buccaneer. Can he correct course against the Panthers?
  • RB Ronald Jones II: Jones returns to the starting role he lost to Fournette in 2021. Can he reclaim the role, as well?
  • WR Antonio Brown: Brady needs a reliable target to throw to outside of Rob Gronkowski and Brown will be that guy. How will he fare against Stephon Gilmore, though?
  • ILB Kevin Minter: It's never easy to replace David, but Minter does a good job when he's in for the Pro Bowl linebacker. 
  • OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: JPP is out, which means the rookie first-round pick will continue to see a large chunk of playing time. He had a sack against the Saints last week and that should continue this week.
  • S Mike Edwards: Edwards' return couldn't have come at a better time. His playmaking ability will be needed over these next three games.

Carolina Panthers

  • Quarterback: It's simple: The Bucs can't let whomever is playing quarterback get hot at any time during this matchup.
  • RB Chuba Hubbard: Hubbard is a decent runner, but isn't much of a receiver. The Bucs need to shut him down so the Panthers offense can be one-dimensional.
  • Offensive line: Starters Pat Elflein and Dennis Daley are on the COVID list and starting left tackle Cameron Erving is questionable heading into this game. The Bucs pass rush has to take advantage of this in Week 16. 
  • DE Brian Burns: The former Florida State Seminole is one of the league's best pass rushers under 25, but didn't record a sack against the Bucs in both meetings last year.
  • LB Haason Reddick: Arians drafted Reddick when he coached the Cardinals, so he knows how much havoc the dude creates.
  • CB Stephon Gilmore: Gilmore has played an average of 98.5% of defensive snaps the last two weeks compared to 39%, so it looks like he's finally getting his footing underneath him. His matchup with Brown will be fun to watch.

Cool Stats

  • Shaquil Barrett needs one sack to join Simeon Rice (5), Lee Roy Selmon (4), and Warren Sapp (3) as the only players in team history with multiple 10.0-sack seasons.
  • Jones needs two rushing touchdowns to tie Warrick Dunn (19) for the seventh-most rushing touchdowns in franchise history.
  • The Bucs lead the NFL in points off takeaways, quarterback hits, rushing yards per game allowed, and yards per carry allowed since 2019.

*Stats provided by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Communications Department

Game Outlook

Yes, the Bucs are really, really beat up heading into this game and yes, anything can happen during a divisional matchup.

But this is still a game the Bucs should win. 

This is due to Carolina's extreme dysfunction at the quarterback position and on offense, as a whole. The Panthers have no identity after Darnold's initial injury, re-signing Newton, losing Christian McCaffrey, and firing Joe Brady. And then, there's the multiple injuries affecting that side of the ball. It's been an absolute disaster after the team started the season 3-0. 

The Bucs defense should be able to limit the Panthers offense in a large way. It's the Bucs offense that will face a stiffer test, however. The Panthers defense is legit and the front seven is one of the league's best. It doesn't matter how well the Bucs defense plays if the offense can't score any points. 

But the Bucs should be able to put points on the board this week. The defense should be able to give them a couple of possessions that start with great field position that the offense should be able to turn into points. The Bucs offensive line is still intact, too, which will go a long way in this game.

Ultimately, this game will come down to the trenches, the coaching staffs for both teams, and the quarterback position. The Bucs have the advantage in all three areas, therefore, they should win this game and bring home their fourth NFC South title.

Stay tuned to AllBucs for further coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and other NFL news and analysis. Follow along on social media at @SIBuccaneers on Twitter and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Published
Evan Winter
EVAN WINTER

Share on XFollow evan_winter