TAMPA — When the Bucs “host” the Carolina Panthers Sunday in London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they’ll be facing a much different team than the one they edged on Thursday Night Football four weeks ago.
In the Bucs’ 20-14 win over Carolina at Bank of America Stadium, they left quarterback Cam Newton broken and star running back Christian McCaffrey beaten.
The league’s top run defense held McCaffrey to 37 rushing yards, his lowest total in any game with double-digit carries. And Newton re-aggravated a foot injury that dates to last season.
The Panthers have won three straight since, thanks in large part to Newton’s replacement, Kyle Allen.
Allen has emerged as a capable game manager — and it doesn’t hurt that McCaffrey rebounded from his Week 2 struggles to become the league’s leading rusher — with five touchdown passes, no interceptions, and, most importantly, a 3-0 record.