BUCS vs. PANTHERS
WHEN: Sunday, December 3, 2023 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 4:05 p.m. ET | TV: CBS
PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tom McCarthy | ANALYSTS: James Lofton & Jay Feely | SIDELINE: Tiffany Blackmon
RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives
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: It’s Home Sweet Home For The Bucs, Who Win This Week
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
The last time the Bucs tasted victory was a 20-6 win at home against the Tennessee Titans four weeks ago. Tampa Bay’s defense helped end a four-game losing streak by getting after rookie quarterback Will Levis and keeping the Titans out of the end zone.
The Bucs defense has been ravaged on the road in the team’s last three outings – surrendering 39 points in a loss at Houston and allowing 27 points in each of the last two defeats at San Francisco and at Indianapolis, respectively. So perhaps a much-needed home game will provide the chance for a much-needed win.
The 1-10 Panthers have the least-talented roster in the NFL. It’s shocking that they were able to get their lone win against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, who are playing very good football right now. If there was ever a game where the Bucs could just show up and win based on talent in theory, it would be this Sunday against a Carolina team that just fired head coach Frank Reich and the Panthers’ running backs coach and quarterbacks coach.
Yet the Bucs make too many mistakes and have too many self-inflicted wounds to show up and win against anybody. They’re also beaten up, especially at inside linebacker where Lavonte David and Devin White won’t play due to his groin injury and a foot injury, respectively, and rookie SirVocea Dennis has been sick this week and missed practice. That said, the Panthers’ only real weapon on offense is 33-year old receiver Adam Thielen, who is averaging less than 10 yards per catch.
Led by another big day from Mike Evans, who has feasted on Carolina in the past, the Bucs offense continues to show signs of life. The Bucs offense is actually the better side of the ball right now with the collapse of Todd Bowles’ defense. Tampa Bay’s offense finds the end zone a trio of times against the league’s 30th-ranked scoring defense, and the Bucs beat the Panthers, 27-20, in a game that is closer than it probably should be.
REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Panthers 20
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 8-3
Matt Matera: I Don’t Trust The Bucs, But They’ll Win
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today
The Bucs haven’t done anything to make anyone believe that they can win this game without any drama attached to it. In a perfect world the Bucs would pummel the Panthers and win by double digits, but why should we think that’s going to happen?
What evidence do we have to say that the Bucs can put this game out of reach? Sure, they did it against the Titans two weeks ago, but keeping it close against the Bears, and losing by one score against the Falcons and Colts tells more of the story.
If there is something to look forward to on the Bucs offense one can point to the fact that it is getting closer to where the coaches want it to be from a points and execution standpoint. The Bucs have moved the ball down the field, even with a hobbled Baker Mayfield, but have just made silly mistakes to end several drives. Eliminate those mistakes and Tampa Bay could put up 25-plus on Carolina’s bad defense. Just keep finding Mike Evans and let him go to work.
I don’t care that Lavonte David, Devin White and Jamel Dean aren’t playing. Every team has injuries and good teams overcome them. This isn’t an excuse. The Panthers are a bad football team, especially on offense. They can’t let a struggling Bryce Young get the better of their defense. Tampa Bay’s pass rush has to get home. Someone has to step up because Todd Bowles’ blitzes may not work as well this week. Hopefully Markees Watts can see a couple of snaps.
The Bucs should win this game, but I don’t think they’ll make it easy on themselves. That hasn’t been the case for them lately.
MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 26, Panthers 17
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 7-4
Bailey Adams: Bucs Win To Renew Hope — Even If Just For A Week
Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
I’m really bad at this. At this point, you can check my prediction for a given week’s Bucs game and pretty much bank on the opposite outcome. But I’m gonna really put that to the test this week because I’m picking the Bucs over the 1-10 Panthers at home.
I don’t really believe in the idea of Tampa Bay turning things around over the next six weeks and making a run at the NFC South title. But I just don’t know if things have sunken low enough for Todd Bowles’ team that it’ll lose to 1-win Carolina. If that does happen … it won’t be pretty.
The Bucs are just a more talented team than the Panthers. They have a better quarterback, better receivers, a better offensive line and largely a better defense. There’s also the fact that they have their head coach and coaching staff fully in place whereas Carolina just fired its head coach this week. The last-place Panthers are in full disarray, while the Bucs aren’t quite to that point yet.
Tampa Bay should be able to run the ball on Carolina’s porous run defense, plus Mike Evans should be able to continue his recent domination over the Panthers. Defensively, I’m expecting Bowles to dial it up and send pressure on rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The Carolina offensive line is a mess, so the Bucs’ defensive front should be able to carry the load for the defense and help the unit get off the field.
The one worry is that the Bucs aren’t the healthiest team right now. Injuries on the defensive side and some banged-up contributors on the offense could cause problems, but I still think Tampa Bay overcomes all of that for a comfortable win that restores hope for itself — at least for a week.
ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Panthers 13
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 6-5
Josh Queipo: Bucs Win In A Game Where We All Lose
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Just last year the Bucs failed to beat a reeling Panthers team that had fired their head coach just less than two weeks prior. There is a world where Groundhog Day returns and it happens yet again.
But there are some key differences this year from last. One, the Bucs offense is better this year. Two, the Panthers offensive line and quarterback play are worse this year. And three, the Bucs are playing this game at home.
Change any one of those factors and I would probably give the nod to the Panthers. But Carolina is much worse right now than it was in the same situation last year.
The Bucs’ pass rush will be the key to the game. They have the players to get after Bryce Young. And head coach Todd Bowles will dial up enough pressure to force the Panthers offense into a low score.
On the other side of the ball, the Bucs’ strength on offense (pass protection) should help negate the Panthers’ biggest strength (pass rushers Derrick Brown and Brian Burns). That should allow the improving run game and solid passing attack to score enough points to overcome the dreadful Panthers.
QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 20, Panthers 16
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 7-4
Adam Slivon: The Bucs Have To Win This One – And Pull It Off
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Similar to the first Bucs-Panthers matchup last year, the Panthers are in shambles, even more than they were after trading running back Christian McCaffrey and being led by interim head coach Steve Wilks. Big things were expected from Carolina after they hired Frank Reich as the new head coach and drafted quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick after trading up with the Bears during the offseason. Their plan to be competitive has already backfired in a big way.
While it is far too early to dismiss Young as a starting NFL quarterback, the Panthers already fired Reich and sit at just 1-10 on the season with very questionable ownership. Take one look at their depth chart and it’s easy to see why they have struggled. On both sides of the ball, an already thin roster has been decimated by injuries, with 13 players currently on their injured reserve and others littered across the injury report.
With that being said, this is the week the Bucs need to win and capitalize on this golden opportunity to use this game as a momentum builder the rest of the way. Back at home and desperate to get a win, they have a straight path to the ‘X’ on their playoff map. To emerge victorious Sunday it’s going to take the defense stepping up and returning to their standard of keeping points off the board. This game lines up as one where Tampa Bay just has to not beat themselves and win in a manner where they do not just scrape by.
The offense has been steadily progressing this season but has yet to piece it all together. Could this finally be the week that both the pass and run game click at the same time? Baker Mayfield will surely hope he fares well against his former team, and in this one, I expect both he and the rest of the team to come out with a win and keep their season alive.
SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Panthers 10
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 8-3
