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BUCCANEERS at PANTHERS

WHEN: Sunday, October 25, 2026 | WHERE: Bank of America Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Kevin Kugler | ANALYST: Daryl Johnston | SIDELINE: Allison Williams

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tony Castricone | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: Jay Recher

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Panthers Are The New Kings Of The South

Is there a path to victory for the Bucs to win in Carolina? Absolutely. Baker Mayfield’s return should provide an emotional lift for the team and hopefully his experience can lead to more touchdowns and less field goals this week. Scoring has been an issue for Zac Robinson’s offense, which has averaged 18 points per game, and the Buccaneers need to score well above 20 points to be able to keep up with a Panthers offense which is top 5 in the league and averaging 29 points per game.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and Panthers HC Dave Canales – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bob Donnan

Replicating the game plan Tampa Bay used to win in Dallas, which was a run-first, ball control game plan would be wise to help limit opportunities for Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan and Co. But it was more than that in the victory over the Cowboys. It was also winning the turnover battle 3-0, and that was the only time Tampa Bay has won the turnover battle all season. So the Bucs defense is going to have to create some takeways while Mayfield stays away from turnovers on offense. That could be a big ask.

Psychologically, this is Carolina’s chance to dethrone Tampa Bay as the kings of the NFC South. The Panthers won in Charlotte last year, which should give them some confidence, but then lost at Tampa Bay in Week 18 when a victory there would have clinched the division title for Dave Canales’ team. Instead, the Panthers backed into the playoffs as division winners by winning a tiebreaker with an 8-9 record. This is a chance for Carolina to deliver a knockout blow to Tampa Bay, move to 4-2, and take a commanding lead in the division while turning the NFC South into a three-way race. I think that happens.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Panthers 24, Bucs 20
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 3-3

Matt Matera: Baker Mayfield Gives The Bucs A Boost For A Win

There’s an old saying that “hungry dogs run faster,” and with the Bucs’ season on the line, Tampa Bay’s players must be starving. If the Bucs can’t get up for this game, they won’t be ready for any other game the rest of the year. It’s only October, but it’s still a must-win situation.

Having quarterback Baker Mayfield return for this team is going to provide the spark that this team desperately needs. He can help keep the offense in control despite what Zac Robinson calls. And with Carolina’s poor run-stopping defense, this could be a big game for Bucky Irving.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Kat Beutel P/R

I’m still liking the way that the Bucs defense has played besides a second half let down last week. That was more about the offense being unable to to move the ball than the defense being unable to get stops. Tampa Bay needs to put the pressure on Bryce Young. Maybe Rueben Bain Jr. builds on the confidence of making big plays and getting his first sack. And let’s be real, the NFC South is crap hill for a reason. Does anybody expect one team to run away with the division title? The NFC South defies logic, so the Bucs will win this crucial game.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Panthers 21
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 3-3

Adam Slivon: Bucs Fall Short In Carolina, Ending Their Chances In NFC South

The Bucs are in dire straits as they attempt to navigate the rest of the season. The team has done itself no favors with a 1-5 start. This isn’t where Tampa Bay wanted to be in October, but if they have any chance, they must win every NFC South game starting Sunday against the Panthers.

That is easier said than done given where both teams stand through six weeks. Carolina leads the division at 3-2, propelled by the league’s fourth-scoring offense. Bryce Young has never looked this good, with 11 passing touchdowns to two interceptions. Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish have another tough test facing Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. While Todd Bowles’ unit faces a high-scoring outfit on Sunday, I’m much more confident in that side of the ball than the Bucs offense.

Panthers QB Bryce Young and Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: USA Today

On one hand, Baker Mayfield’s return provides more energy. I don’t question his ability to lead the troops, but Zac Robinson’s play-calling limits what Mayfield and the group can accomplish. Robinson has no answers for getting his best wide receivers involved, as the passing game hasn’t looked like an NFL-level operation. The run game stalled during the last game and relies on Bucky Irving to do the heavy lifting rather than schematic innovation. Mayfield can gut it out, but will that even matter?

At this point, scoring 20 points is a lofty goal they’ve reached twice in six games. That hasn’t cut it and won’t be enough on Sunday, as the Bucs’ 2026 hopes and dreams will end, leaving the team on uncertain ground as the trade deadline looms.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Panthers 27, Bucs 20
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 2-4

Bailey Adams: Baker Mayfield’s Return Not Enough For A Bucs Win

It looks like the Bucs will have Baker Mayfield back under center for their NFC South opener against the Panthers in Week 7. That should be good news, and I do expect the offense to get some kind of boost from having him back. But given the way he played over the last half of 2025 and the first three games of 2026 (paired with what I’ve seen out of the way this Zac Robinson offense operates), I’m having a hard time buying Mayfield as some kind of savior for this team and its season.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN – Jim Dedmon

Maybe the Bucs offense plays a marginally better football game against the Panthers, especially if Bucky Irving can get going against the league’s 27th-ranked run defense. But I’m in a “believe it when I see it” stage with this offense, and I sure haven’t seen “it” yet this season (unless “it” is a whole lot of ineptitude). The Tampa Bay defense has actually been relatively good this year, and it’s just a shame that Todd Bowles finally has his defense back to playing well enough to win in a year that happens to feature an offense that can’t hold up its end of the bargain.

I really feel like we’ll see a lot of the same old story this week and painfully frequently throughout the rest of this season. The Bucs will be in it, but they’ll lose a one-score game.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Panthers 27, Bucs 22
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 3-3

Josh Queipo: Bucs’ Slide Continues With Loss At Carolina

Under the tutelage of offensive coordinator and first-year play-caller Brad Idzik, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has become a force. Young has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions for an offense that is in the top 5 and averaging 29 points per game. And his brand of football is perfect for picking apart the Bucs defense.

Panthers TE Tommy Tremble – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Ray Seebeck

By spreading the field and forcing defenses to declare themselves, Young can pick apart blitzes with quick-hitting throws. Not only does he have Tetairoa McMillan to throw to, but Jalen Coker and tight ends Darren Waller and Tommy Tremble have proven to be quality targets as well in the passing game. That will make it difficult for the Bucs to create pressure and force negative plays. Running back Chuba Hubbard can provide balance to Idzik’s offense as a chain-mover, converting third-and-short situations.

Carolina will potentially be without their star pass rusher, Jaelan Phillips. And while, that’s a huge blow to the their defense, the Panthers should still be able to create enough chaos with Derrick Brown, Princely Umanmielen and linebacker Devin Lloyd to force Baker Mayfield into a bad decision or two. I just have no faith in Tampa Bay’s offense under Zac Robinson to find a rhythm and take advantage of the things they do best to match the suddenly high-powered Panthers attack.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Panthers 24, Bucs 17
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 1-5

Nick Geddes: Panthers Prove To Be Team To Beat In NFC South

The Bucs travel to Carolina this Sunday for their first NFC South matchup of the season. Who would have thought that by the time Tampa Bay would get to Week 7 they would be 1-5, coming off three consecutive games in which undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels started at quarterback. Honestly, Daniels did well to secure one win for the Bucs, but now the stage appears to be set for the return of Baker Mayfield.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN – Jim Dedmon

Mayfield started the season off poorly, showing bad pocket awareness and turning over the football at an alarming rate. Hopefully we see a different Mayfield in Week 7 against a Panthers defense which has allowed 354.2 yards and 24.6 points per game. The Bucs offense, however, has shown me no faith that it will be able to rise to the occasion.

Tampa Bay’s offense has scored over 20 points just once this season; the Panthers have a top 5 offense and are averaging 29 points per game. This could be a track meet, and I’m not convinced Tampa Bay’s offense can keep up. This is an offense which struggles to score more than 20 points and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has proven through six games that he doesn’t have many answers as to how to get the best out of his group. It especially hurts that wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and right tackle Luke Goedeke will be sidelined for this one.

I’ll go with Carolina in this spot to improve to 4-2 on the season, as the Bucs’ slide continues.

GEDDES’ GAME PREDICTION: Panthers 27, Bucs 17
GEDDES’ SEASON RECORD: 3-3