The Carolina Panthers head into Sunday with plenty of momentum, and they may get a familiar kind of break from the opponent as well. After beating the Philadelphia Eagles and their backup quarterback, the Panthers are now 2-0 against backup quarterbacks this season. On deck is Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers might be forced to choose between another backup or a starter working his way back from a dislocated throwing thumb.
That uncertainty is only part of the problem for the Bucs. Their season has gone sideways fast, with the only bright spot coming in a random Thursday night win over the Cowboys with Jalon Daniels leading the charge.
Otherwise, Tampa Bay has been stuck in the mud. At 1-5, the Bucs are desperate for anything to go right.
Carolina, meanwhile, is riding a two-game winning streak over teams that were supposed to be good in the Lions and Eagles, and the Panthers will be looking to keep building on that and extend their division lead.
A huge piece of that comes down to whether Tampa Bay can hold up in the middle. The Panthers’ interior offensive line will have its hands full with Vita Vea, who has yet to record a sack and has only been credited with four tackles, but is still plenty dangerous.
He’s not the same player he once was, but he remains a real problem on the defensive line. Even while being double teamed on 81% of his pass-rushing snaps, he ranks 15th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate for defensive tackles.
Robert Hunt has struggled this season, Damien Lewis is playing through an elbow injury, and Luke Fortner is Luke Fortner. Carolina needs to keep Vea contained if it wants Bryce Young upright and comfortable.
The middle of the field is another area where the Panthers may have a clear target. Bryce Young draws Alex Anzalone, and the Buccaneers brought Anzalone in with decent money to replace the retired Lavonte David as both a defensive leader and a coverage piece in the center of the defense.
That second part has not worked out. Pro Football Focus has him dead last among 75 qualifying linebackers, and he has been a major issue in coverage while looking slower in his age 32 season.
Carolina has already had success attacking that area, especially on RPO throws to Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. If the Panthers keep hitting those short middle-field looks the way they have been, they can turn them into bigger gains in a hurry.
Stopping Bucky Irving may be just as important for Carolina’s defense. Irving has been the only Tampa Bay skill player to really produce this season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and flashing his big-play ability with 165 yards against the Cowboys while looking like vintage LeSean McCoy.
Once he gets space, he’s one of the slipperiest backs in the league. That puts the burden on the Panthers linebackers, Bobby Okereke and Devin Lloyd, to close running lanes before Irving can get loose and start breaking tackles for long runs.
Then there’s the quarterback situation. Todd Bowles said Baker Mayfield will return to practice this week with an eye on playing against the Panthers.
That would be a very aggressive return, considering it’s still the beginning of his projected recovery timeline from the dislocated throwing thumb. But with Tampa Bay desperate, the Bucs may still try to push him back into action.
If Mayfield does suit up, the expectation has to be that his grip will be affected at least some. That opens the door for the Panthers defense to chase turnovers, whether that comes from errant throws or strip sacks.
In Other News...
Panthers Catch A Break As Buccaneers Face A New Offensive Problem
Baker Mayfield is expected back for a crucial Week 7 game against the Panthers, which at least gives Tampa Bay a familiar face under center as the NFC South race tightens. But the Buccaneers will have to adjust around a different kind of problem, with rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka ruled out because of a concussion and knee injury.
For Carolina, that changes the shape of a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. Tampa Bay still has options on offense, but losing Egbuka removes one of the pieces that has helped stretch defenses, and the Panthers will go into the game knowing the Buccaneers are facing a new wrinkle as they try to sort out their attack. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Trade Deadline Pressure Is Suddenly Building In One Spot
The cornerback room has become the clearest pressure point for Carolina as the trade deadline approaches, with injuries to starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson forcing the Panthers to lean on rookie Will Lee III and special teams contributor Akayleb Evans. NFL.coms Gennaro Filice pointed to that spot as the teams biggest need, and it is not hard to see why. The early returns have been uneven, and the Panthers are trying to keep pace in a season where every shaky spot on the roster gets magnified.
For a team with postseason hopes, the concern is less about surviving one game than about whether the current mix can hold up against the better passing attacks still left on the schedule. Carolina has enough incentive to keep looking for help, and cornerback is the one place where a midseason addition could change the feel of the defense almost immediately. The question now is whether the Panthers can find the right piece in time to stabilize a position that has suddenly gone from manageable to urgent. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision On Defense
With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both dealing with injuries, the Panthers have suddenly found themselves weighing whether to add cornerback help before the trade deadline. It is the kind of defensive wrinkle that can change the temperature of a season quickly, especially for a team trying to keep its secondary intact while staying flexible enough to handle what comes next.
One name being floated is Alontae Taylor, giving Carolina a possible fit if it decides to look beyond internal options. The problem is the same one that shadows so many deadline ideas: salary cap realities. Nothing has been confirmed, but the Panthers do appear to be staring at a decision point that could shape the back end of their defense. [Read more 🡒]