WEEK 2 PREVIEW: Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2
Carolina (0-1) @ Tampa Bay (0-1)
Raymond James Stadium - Tampa Bay, FL
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Spread: Buccaneers -9
The Carolina Panthers will hit the road for the first time in 2020 as they head to Tampa to battle against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Both teams had disappointing losses to open up the season, so both teams will be extremely hungry to grab that first win of the year.
What to expect: Panthers Offense
Christian McCaffrey took a while to get going last week and I think you'll see a slightly different game plan in week two. The theme will be to get the ball in McCaffrey's hands as much as possible and I wouldn't be shocked if he has 15 or more touches in the first half alone.
The Carolina offense likes to go quick, but when playing Tampa Bay they may want to slow things down and keep their defense off the field as much as possible. Tight ends Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz were essentially non-existent in the loss to the Raiders and will need to be more involved this week to open things up.
What to expect: Buccaneers Defense
When you look at the Bucs defense, there's not very many holes at any level of their defense. The front seven is phenomenal and could be one of the best front seven's in the NFL. Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, and William Gholston form a tough trio up front, while the linebacking unit consists of Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Devin White, and Jason Pierre-Paul. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is very creative and sends pressure from all over the place and at times, it's hard to decipher where the pressure will be coming from.
The Panthers offensive line will have their hands full with this group, which is why you will see Carolina try to either get the ball out quick or take shots down the field in man-to-man coverages. The offensive line only gave up one sack a week ago, but with this defense, there's not going to be a whole lot of time for Teddy Bridgewater to sit in the pocket and go through all of his reads.
Although the Bucs gave up 34 last week to the Saints, this will be a much improved defense that we will see this Sunday.
What to expect: Panthers defense
Carolina played the Raiders close in week one, but it wasn't because of the defense. They were shredded in the quick passing game as Derek Carr completed 20/21 passes underneath. This has to be taken care of this week as Tom Brady is known to get the ball out of his hands quickly.
There's room to improve in all three levels of the defense if we are being honest. The defensive line struggled to put any pressure on Carr, the linebacking unit was average at best, and the secondary was in disarray in week one. Carolina will likely put an emphasis on disrupting the pocket early and often with a shaky Tampa Bay offensive line. Don't expect them to load the box very often since the Bucs have so many weapons that can hurt you.
What to expect: Buccaneers offense
Despite a disappointing showing in week one, the Bucs offense has a lot of firepower. In the first game of the Tom Brady era in Tampa, the Bucs turned the ball over three times and allowed three sacks. With that said, this offense will be clicking in no time. For the Panthers, they're just hoping that they are catching them early enough in the season to where they are still trying to figure themselves out.
Everyone talks about the aerial attack of Tampa and rightfully so. However, they do have three really solid running backs (Ronald Jones, LeSean McCoy, and Leonard Fournette). Jones led the way on the ground last week with 66 yards on 17 carries, while Fournette was shut down gaining just five yards on five attempts. Head coach Bruce Arians will likely run the ball a little more this week after he saw what Josh Jacobs did on the ground vs Carolina in the season opener.
With a below average offensive line, the Panthers need to bring pressure from every which angle and force Tom Brady into some bad throws.
Key players to watch (TB): QB's are excluded
Offense: WR Mike Evans, WR Chris Godwin, TE O.J. Howard
Defense: DL Vita Vea, LB Shaquil Barrett, LB Devin White
Prediction: 34-21 Buccaneers
Even though Tampa Bay didn't look great in week one, they are in a much better position right now than the Panthers. They have a terrific defensive front seven and depth all over their roster. The Bucs depth will be the difference maker in the 2nd half.
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