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BUCCANEERS at PANTHERS

WHEN: Sunday, October 23, 2022 | WHERE: Bank of America Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Kenny Albert |ANALYST: Jonathan Vilma | SIDELINE: Shannon Spake

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: Bucs Win, But It Ain’t Pretty

The Bucs should blow out the Panthers. They’ve done that before, including twice last year – 32-6 at Carolina and 41-17 at Tampa Bay. But they won’t, unfortunately. The Bucs offense is struggling with everything from Byron Leftwich’s play-calling to execution on offense to left guard Luke Goedeke’s continual struggles as a rookie. The only thing saving this offense, which is averaging 10 points less per game this year, is quarterback Tom Brady. He’s not nearly as prolific as he was a year ago when he threw for a league-high and franchise-record 43 touchdowns. But he has thrown for eight TDs and just one interception.

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On defense, the Bucs should have their way against a depleted Panthers offense that lost Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson to trades this week. Carolina has two quarterbacks on injured reserve – Sam Darnold and rookie Matt Corral – and starter Baker Mayfield is out with an ankle sprain. That means P.J. Walker, the team’s fourth option, will start again and he’ll only have D.J. Moore to throw to. So can the defense contain the P.J.-to-D.J. Show? Let’s hope so. A few sacks – maybe from Shaq Barrett for a change? – and some takeaways would be nice to see.

While the Bucs would need to win this game with some style points to appease the fans, they’ll rely on the majority of their points from their best player – kicker Ryan Succop. Yet, a win is a win, and moves the Bucs to 4-3 on the season, and more importantly, to 3-0 in the NFC South. Tampa Bay needs to get some momentum going as it faces a much tougher test on Thursday Night Football next week in Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 19, Panthers 9
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 2-4

Matt Matera: Reluctantly, Bucs Get The Win

Tensions are very high at the Bucs facility after they lost as a huge favorite the previous week. Todd Bowles has been called out, Byron Leftwich was lambasted during his weekly media availability on Thursday and a lot of players are under pressure to perform. There’s been so much focus on the Bucs’ struggles that we’ve hardly paid any attention to the Panthers, who are in the middle of a fire sale.

Bucs LG Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If you were to ask me if I’m more worried about the Bucs offense or defense at the moment, the answer without question is the offense. Until Luke Goedeke can perform better at left guard or the Bucs decide to make a change, it’s still going to be a concern. The Panthers’ defense might just be able to keep them in the game, and they’ll have Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis all over Goedeke. We’ll see if Leftwich remains stubborn in his play calling or if he’ll actually attempt to get the ball to his best wide receiver, Mike Evans. Maybe you’ve heard of him. 

Much like most of the season, it’s going to be on Tampa Bay’s defense to get them the win. For as good as they’ve been with creating turnovers and getting to the quarterback, they’ve done a poor job of getting off the field on third down. We’ve seen little pass rush from Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but it’s been a group effort getting to the quarterback. There’s no Christian McCaffrey so there shouldn’t be any excuse for stopping PJ Walker, who threw for 60 yards last week, and the rest of their offense. The Bucs have struggled with allowing points on their opening drive. They have to make sure they don’t give the Panthers a glimmer of hope of being close in this game.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 21, Panthers 10
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 2-4

JC Allen: Bucs Get The Job Done In Carolina

There isn’t much confidence in this Bucs team right now and for good reason. Execution has been bad, play calling has been bad, communication has been bad, it just hasn’t been a good month of football for this team. When your kicker is your most consistent player, that’s an issue and there needs to be some self examination. That’s exactly what the Bucs should have been doing this week while getting back to fundamentals and technique as they try and turn this ship around.

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have had the Panthers number in the past four contests winning by a combined 90 points. Though Tampa Bay’s offense has struggled to score anywhere close to the numbers they have the past two seasons. While Carolina is in a complete fire sale as they begin a full rebuild, they still have solid pieces on defense that could give the Bucs some trouble. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown will present yet another obstacle for rookie left guard Luke Goedeke and Brian Burns is an explosive edge rusher that will be trying to get after Tom Brady all game. Add in young promising corner Jaycee Horn and there are still enough pieces to stifle a struggling Bucs offense.

The Panthers offense is a completely different story. Already last in the league in total offense and 27th in points they traded their best offense weapon in Christian McCaffrey on Thursday night. Down to their third string quarterback, P.J. Walker, scoring and moving the ball just became and even bigger challenge. Sunday provides the Bucs defense an opportunity to show the last few games aren’t indicative of the team they are going to be down the stretch. They need to limit the Panthers already limited offense and create sacks and turnovers. If they can do that they should leave Carolina with a win.

ALLEN’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Panthers 10
ALLEN’S SEASON RECORD: 2-4

Bailey Adams: Bucs Win, But Do Little To Revive Confidence

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I guess I’ve been giving the Bucs far too much credit. I don’t think I’m alone in that, to be fair, because it doesn’t seem like anyone realized just how mediocre they are right now until Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. This team legitimately looks borderline bad, and we’re six games into the season. With as much talent as the Bucs have on their roster, looking the way they have has been inexcusable.

Now, with a Week 7 road game against the Panthers, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they’ll figure things out and dominate like we all thought they were capable of. But I’m done calling these games “get right” games. That’s what Atlanta was supposed to be in Week 5, then the Bucs barely escaped with a win. Week 6 against the Steelers was supposed to be another, but then the team got flat-out embarrassed by an undermanned Pittsburgh team. Tampa Bay is 3-3, and it has stumbled to that .500 record.

The benefit of the doubt I will give is this: I think even this version of the Bucs can take care of business against Carolina. That doesn’t mean a blowout win, though. They’re capable of running away with this one, but the same could’ve been said about the last two games. There’s plenty wrong with the offense, and the defense isn’t nearly as good as it looked in the first three games. This game feels critical given that Baltimore is about to come to town on a short week. I have Tampa Bay winning here and staying undefeated in NFC South play, but I have little faith that this will be a smooth day for Todd Bowles’ team.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Panthers 16
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 2-4

Josh Queipo: Bucs Stay Perfect In Division

This year has gone far from expectations in terms of what the team “looks” like. And that starts with the offense. But they are facing a team that is in full on rebuild mode after firing their head coach less than two weeks ago. This needs to be a game where the Bucs finally “look” like what they were expected to at the beginning of the season.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

On offense the Bucs should be able to have some success, but the Panthers defense is the lone area of the team that still looks like it can put up some resistance. This side of the ball still has a formidable pass rush led by Derrick Brown, Brian Burns, and Matt Ioannidis. Second year corner Jaycee Horn appears to be emerging as a young star. Linebacker Frankie Luvu is quietly having a good start to the year. But the Bucs offense should still be able to have some success.

The Bucs defense has an opportunity to shut down an offense that is shedding playmakers by the day. They are starting their fourth option at quarterback in P.J. Walker with injuries besetting Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Matt Corral. They just traded away starting receiver Robbie Anderson and running back Christian McCaffery. There is no reason the Bucs should allow more than 14 points. That should be enough to ensure a win. And a win puts the Bucs at 3-0 in division games while remaining atop the NFC South.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Panthers 10
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 4-2

Kasey Hudson: Bucs Move To 3-0 In NFC South

A make it or break it week 7 for the Bucs. After a performance in Pittsburgh Sunday, many questions came into play regarding the offense and if they can find a rhythm to compete this season. Tampa Bay’s struggled to generate any sort of offense against a depleted secondary and less than impressive pass rush. The Panthers are equally as bad and desperate as the Steelers. Creating another opportunity for this team to step up and execute.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Panthers defense ranks 32nd and the two interior guys for the Panthers have racked up 1 sack total. So Tom Brady’s Jersey should stay clean enough to make quality plays. Brady has a 51% chance of throwing for over 300+ yards, so no reason Mike Evans and Chris Godwin don’t get the yards they should have last week. Cade Otton will step into that TE1 role and hopefully will be relied on more after his performance versus the Falcons.

Bucs defense needs to use this game as a hard reset and stack up the takeaways! Vita Vea and Logan Hall should have a day. Especially is former Buckeye Center Pat Elflein is out. Shaq Barrett needs a big game versus right tackle Taylor Moton. Barrett has been pretty silent and low ranking in tackles the last two games and has just two sacks on the year. The Bucs need to deliver the Panthers a big loss before a short turn around hosting the Ravens on Thursday night.

HUDSON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Panthers 13
HUDSON’S SEASON RECORD: 3-3