Buccaneers vs. Panthers: Week 18 Game Preview

Can the Bucs wrap up the regular season with a franchise-record 13th win?

Anyone feeling a little deja vu?

If so, your feeling(s) are correct. And that's because the Buccaneers (12-4) and Panthers (5-11) are at it again for the second time in just three weeks. 

Just about everything is laid out in terms of the postseason, but the Bucs still have something to play for: A potential No. 2 seed in the NFC and a shot to set the franchise record for most wins in the regular season. 

Therefore, the Bucs will be up and ready for this game. Bruce Arians said Monday that the starters will play, so expect to see a game in which the Bucs go about their business like any other week.

Will Tom Brady continue to break records for the Bucs in Week 18?

Overview

• All-time series: Carolina leads the all-time series, 24-18.
• Longest win streak: The Panthers won eight in a row from 2013-2016.
• Largest margin of victory: Carolina stomped the Bucs, 48-16, back in 2011.
• 2021 offensive and defensive rankings: The Bucs have the NFL's second-best offense (1st pass, 27th run) and they have the 14th-ranked defense (23rd pass, 3rd run). Tampa Bay averages 29.4 points per game on offense (2nd) and has allowed 21.0 points per game on defense (t-8th). The Panthers currently own the NFL's 30th-ranked offense (29th pass, 21st run) and the NFL's second-best defense (2nd pass, 19th run). They average 17.9 points per game (29th) on offense, while allowing 22.7 points per game on defense (19th).

What To Watch For

• The Bucs' response after a very turbulent week: In case you missed the entire slate of news over the past week - the Bucs have had it rough when it comes to the Antonio Brown debacle. The Bucs' reputation as a franchise and Bruce Arians' and Tom Brady's have been drug through the mud by Brown over the last few days, as well as some other Buccaneers (in clandestine ways). It will be very interesting to see how the Bucs respond after a week filled with distractions.
• A chance at history, again: The Bucs have a chance to set the record for most wins during the regular season if they win. Mike Evans needs 101 receiving yards to extend his streak of 1,000 receiving yards in seven consecutive seasons to eight. Rob Gronkowski needs a 100-yard receiving game to surpass Tony Gonzalez for the most 100-yard receiving games by a tight end in NFL history. Brady has a chance to break his own Bucs record of 40 passing touchdowns in a season. The Bucs have already broken so many records this year it's a little crazy to think more can be broken. And trust me, there are definitely more to be broken. The only question is: Can the Bucs get it done?
• Is Matt Rhule losing his grasp on the locker room: There's been a lot of controversy surrounding rule after The Athletic's Joe Person produced a rather damning report portraying internal frustration when it comes to the job he's done  in 2021. One component of the report is there's strife between Rhule and certain players and staff members, which is never good. However, several players like Robby Anderson, Shaq Thomspon, etc. have come out and said that Rhule hasn't lost the locker room or anything like that. The Panthers announced earlier in the week that Rhule will return in 2022. Based off what happens, this game could potentially give us a good view as to how the players really feel when it comes to Rhule.
• The Panthers' wide receiver situation: Shi Smith was added to the reserve/COVID-19 list a few days ago. Anderson didn't practice all week and is listed as questionable heading into this game. The potential absence of both players will leave the Panthers with just three receivers on their roster before kickoff. It's unlikely Smith plays and it's logical to think the same with Anderson, considering he didn't practice at all. The Panthers also elevated two receivers from the practice squad Saturday, which is a bit of a hint toward what's to come, but could still be a move simply for insurance purposes. Either way, it will be interesting to see who is on the field first and foremost, but it will also be interesting to see who's catching passes from Sam Darnold on Sunday.

Impact Players

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• QB Tom Brady: The Bucs have had a rough week, but if there's anyone who can guide the team through the misery, it's Brady. Carolina's defense is still pretty good, so the Bucs will need him, as always, this week.
• RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn: Ronald Jones II is out with a bum ankle, so it's Vaughn's time to be the lead back. Le'Veon Bell and even Kenjon Barner will be sprinkled in, but it's Vaughn's show this week. 
• WR Mike Evans: The Bucs' No. 1 receiver is fully recovered from his hamstring injury and will have his eyes set on his eighth straight season with 1,000 receiving yards.
• DL Vita Vea: Vea signed a huge contract extension Saturday night, so now it's time for him to go out and prove the Bucs made the right call against a pretty bad interior offensive line. 
• ILB Devin White: The last couple of weeks have not been kind to White. Can he rebound and get things going before the playoffs begin?
• S Antoine Winfield Jr.: It was good to see Winfield return to the lineup last week and it was even better to see him lead the team in tackles. It's clear how much he means to this defense.

Carolina Panthers

• QB Sam Darnold: Darnold will be on Carolina's roster in 2022, but there's no guarantee he'll be the starting quarterback. A big game against the Bucs could go a long way in helping him retain the starting gig.
• RB Chuba Hubbard: Hubbard wasn't impressive when these two teams met in Week 16, but he has a chance to make amends this week.
• WR D.J. Moore: The Panthers are having availability issues at receiver, but Moore is the team's No. 1 receiver and is still around. Can he shoulder the load this week?
• DE Brian Burns: Tampa Bay held Burns to his first game without a quarterback hit since Week 5 when these two teams met a couple weeks ago. Will Burns bounce back or will the Bucs keep him from getting to Brady again?
• CB C.J. Henderson: There's a good chance Stephon Gilmore doesn't play. If he doesn't, that means Henderson will be the main guy among the Panthers cornerbacks.
• S Jeremy Chinn: The Panthers use Chinn in all sorts of ways and he's a fun player to watch when he's on his game. Will he be able to make some plays against the Bucs?

Cool Stats

• Since returning from injury in Week 11, Gronkowski ranks third among all NFL tight ends with 481 receiving yards. He also ranks sixth among all tight ends in receiving yards/game this season (60.45).
• Brady needs 10 passing yards to join Drew Brees as the only players in NFL history with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons. He needs 119 passing yards to break Jameis Winston's franchise record for most passing yards in a single season.
• The Buccaneers have scored 470 points this season, the second-most in a single season in team history. They need 23 more to pass 2020 (492) for the most points scored in a single season in team history. They also need two more touchdowns to surpass 2020 (59) for the most touchdowns in a single season in team history.
• The Buccaneers have totaled 6,492 net yards this season, the second-most in a single season in team history. They need 157 more to pass 2018 (6,648) for the most yards in a single season in team history.
• The Buccaneers have 383 first downs this season, the second-most in a single season in team history. They need six more to pass 2018 (388) for the most first downs in a single season in team history.

*Stats provided by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Communications Department

Can Sam Darnold and the Panthers end their disappointing season on a high note?

Game Outlook

One of the scarier parts of the NFL season is when a team that still has something to play for (the Bucs) are going up against a team that has nothing to play for (the Panthers) in the final weeks of the season.

Especially when the competing teams are division rivals.

Anything can happen today in terms of plays called, plays made, attitudes - whatever. The Panthers are going to go all out in hopes of not just beating Brady and the Bucs, but also with the hope of messing up the Bucs' postseason trajectory in some form or fashion.

But with all that said, this should be Tampa Bay's game to take. It will be interesting to see how the team responds after the week-long Brown saga, but there are plenty of leaders with the right attitudes and mindsets to keep the team moving forward. 

The reserves are stepping up, too, which can only help. 

Add all of this in with a few key injuries for the Panthers and some controversy themselves and it's easy to see why the Bucs should take care of business and set a new franchise record for the most wins in a single season.

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