Panthers can play spoiler vs. Bucs
by Sharon Thorsland
Fresh an overtime win against the Cardinals, the Panthers are on the road to this Sunday to take on division rival Tampa Bay. And for the second straight week, they can play spoiler – a win over the Bucs would end their playoff hopes, as they have to win to try and keep pace with the Falcons. Knocking the Bucs out of the running won’t be easy though. They boast a potent offense that has averaged over 400 yards the past five games, and ranks second in the league in passing and seventh in rushing yards per game. Pro bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield is having an excellent season, he’s thrown for over 3.900 yards with 34 touchdowns, and he can also make plays with his legs. He’s picked up 308 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground.
Mayfield has plenty of weapons, staring with All-Pro receiver Mike Evans. The veteran is less than 200 yards away from his 11th straight thousand yard season, in spite of missing three games with a hamstring injury. But fellow veteran Sterling Shepard and tight end Cade Otton have been ruled out for this game, so look for rookie Jalen McMillan to play an ever bigger role in the offense, he’s got four touchdowns over his last three games. The Bucs also have a 1-2 punch at running back in rookie Bucky Irvin and Rachaad White. They’ve combined for over 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns, and White has another six through the air. The Panthers continue to struggle to stop the run, ranking last in the league in rushing yards allowed.
The Bucs’ defense has improved since these teams met last month, but they’re still allowing over 354 yards and 23 points per game. They’re best against the run, ranking 9th in the league giving up just 104 yards a contest. Star defensive tackle Vita Vea is a big reason why, the the 347-pound Pro Bowler is back from injury and has six sacks on the season. Veteran Lavonte David anchors the linebackers, the Pro Bowler leads the team in tackles and has five and a half sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. The Bucs struggled to stop the pass, though, they’re allowing over 250 yards per game, that’s 30th in the NFL. They’re dealing with all sorts of injuries to key players, including All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. .
The Panthers likely have a little extra motivation headed into this matchup – the Bucs stole one from them in overtime at Bank of America Stadium last month, the fourth straight time they’ve lost to their division rival. And of course they’d like to build on their win over Arizona, and knock the Bucs out of playoff contention at the same time.