How the Buccaneers can beat the Panthers

To be honest, the Panthers are not the team I imagined. They’re far from perfect, but unlike 2023, it feels like there’s a real team here. Bryce Young at least looked competent and the offense has a lot going for it. It is unfortunate that we have to face them in this state, but it is what it is. The fact is, the Buccaneers won some ugly games against Carolina last year, and they face a much-improved roster.

The most important thing for both teams is the running game. It’s a battle of terrible run defense in this matchup. Tampa is currently 16th in rushing yards per game and 25th in YPC. Not exactly great, in the clearly mediocre category. But the Panthers rank 32nd in rushing yards per game and 24th in YPC. To look at the flip side, the Bucs are fifth in YPC for their backs, while Carolina is tenth. That’s why I decided to put this piece together. Because both teams will be aiming for the same thing when establishing the run.

Chubba Hubbard will be one of the better defenders Tampa faces this year. That’s a compliment considering this team competed against Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson. Both the Panthers and Bucs have solid lines and should be able to get something going.

For the Bucs defense to stop the run outside, they need to make Bryce Young uncomfortable in the pocket. People made fun of them for spending too much on their O-line, but now they seem to be the ones laughing. The line has done pretty well in pass and run protection. It helped Bryce Young progress in his young career. Bucs need to change that. Their edge rushers have once again taken a backseat to the star DTs. Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey reported last week and must do so again. Especially since JTS is coming out (although we might not notice it as much).

I also think Mike Evans will have a pretty good game. He usually does pretty well against the Panthers, and hopefully today is no exception. He has 1,480 yards and 13 touchdowns in 19 games against them. Last week was a solid return from a hamstring injury, especially for his age. I can only hope his progress continues. Baker should include him early and often, although he finally had other receivers line up against the Giants.

Despite the Panthers’ progress in recent weeks, they are still near the bottom of the league in almost every statistic. The Bucs should be able to beat them, although there may be some tricks in the division. Tristan Wirfs will return and anchor an O-line against the team with the fewest sacks. Hopefully this can get the Bucs back to .500 and make the playoffs.

Want more from Devin? Click here and follow him on Twitter.

Follow, like and subscribe to Bucs Report

BucsReport.com

For more on this and everything the Buccaneers are doing, stay tuned hourly here on BucsReport.com