Week 7: Bucs Win If / Panthers Win If

ehinote · 2026-10-23T21:35:49Z

Week 7 and the Buccaneers are already in do-or-die territory. Some fans still see hope, pointing to a favorable remaining division schedule and the possibility of going 8-3 over the final eleven games. That is the equivalent of asking a baseball team to go 76-29 over their last 105 games. After going 3-12 over their last fifteen regular season games, it is a very tall order. But hey, there is a chance.Both teams know each other well. Panthers head coach Dave Canales spent time in Tampa as offensive coordinator in 2023. He knows Bowles. Bowles knows him. Carolina has looked genuinely dangerous at times this season while also looking very much like the Carolina Panthers at other times. Here is how both teams set themselves up for victory Sunday.BUCS WIN IF...Bucs on Offense: Baker Must Be Healthy and Robinson Must Be FlexibleBaker Mayfield must play and must be fully healthy. Not Baker managing a game with a compromised throwing hand. If he cannot throw at full strength, hand the keys back to Daniels. A limited Baker is not necessarily better than a healthy rookie.The bigger issue is Zac Robinson's approach. Through six weeks Robinson has gone all-in on one or two concepts per game and ridden them into the ground. Fifteen screens one week, zero the next. Run on every first down one game, abandon the run entirely the next. That is not a balanced offensive philosophy. This week the Panthers require a multi-level attack. Run Bucky Irving inside and outside. Get the ball to Godwin on intermediate routes consistently. With Egbuka out, lean on Hurst's size and catch radius downfield and Johnson's quickness across the middle. Attack every level of the defense. Be flexible, Zac.Bucs on Defense: Make the Panthers One DimensionalThe Panthers have put up big numbers this season including 37 against the Bears, 34 against the Falcons, and 32 against the Lions. But they build everything off the run game, and the Buccaneers own one of the best run defenses in the NFL. Take away Chuba Hubbard early, force Carolina into obvious passing situations, and Bryce Young loses the RPO looks that make him most dangerous.Keep generating pressure with the front four the way they did for three quarters against the Steelers. Tighter Panthers formations this week should help Bowles disguise blitz packages better. Give me a Trotter sack, a Walker sack, and a Parrish interception. That is the formula.PANTHERS WIN IF...Panthers on Offense: Get Hubbard Going and Unleash McMillanEstablish Chuba Hubbard in the run game and let Young work off RPO action. Young gets the ball out fast, which partially neutralizes an inconsistent pass rush. The biggest mismatch in this game is wide receiver Tetairra McMillan. McMillan can win at every level of the route tree and is a nightmare matchup for any corner. Get him the football early and often.Panthers on Defense: Let Derrick Brown EatThe Panthers defense has been up and down through it’s first 5 games. They gave up 59 to the Bears in week 1, but then held the Falcons to 3 in week 2. Even with Baker Mayfield probably back to start for the Bucs, this defense should best it’s 24.6 points per game allowed. Linebacker Devin Lloyd has been outstanding this season with 35 tackles and two interceptions through five games. He will be disruptive all afternoon. And defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who already has five sacks on the season, should feast against the interior of this Buccaneers offensive line. That matchup alone could define how this game plays out.FINAL WORDRemember last year when Bowles said teams who run 30 times against the Panthers tend to win? The Bucs got to 33 rushing attempts that day. And lost 23-20 with only 145 passing yards. A ridiculous pregame statement that became an even more ridiculous game plan. Classic Bowles. Keep it close. Lose anyway.Prediction: Bucs LOSE 27-17More at www.buccaneerblitz.comFollow us on Facebook

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OlafSnowfake

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One of the unedited parts of the broadcast was that Bowles encouraged Canales to open up the offense when he was here. This is part of that discussion and it gives some insight into the way Bowles looks at the game:

"If you score five times on drives, we’re going to win because our defense is going to help you that much.”

Posted : Oct. 27, 2026 1:59 pm

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Week 7: Bucs Win If / Panthers Win If

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