The Carolina Panthers head into Week 7 with a 3-2 record, but not every expert is buying into the momentum. Despite the strong start, most of the picks in Bleacher Report’s latest roundup are leaning toward Tampa Bay for Sunday’s divisional matchup.
A lot of Carolina’s early success has come through Bryce Young, who has been playing like an MVP candidate. Through five games, Young has thrown for 1,549 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. What stands out just as much as the raw production is how he’s handled the offense - he’s taking care of the ball, looking calmer in the pocket, and avoiding the kind of forced throws that can sink drives.
That steadiness has given the Panthers a much more dangerous offense and has pushed the conversation toward a possible playoff trip.
Still, the experts are skeptical heading into this one. In Bleacher Report’s weekly game picks, Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski, Wes O'Donnell, and Ian Hanford all weighed in, and only Davenport and Sobleski picked Carolina. The other five backed the Buccaneers, with the return of Baker Mayfield clearly factoring into the prediction.
Tampa Bay comes in at 1-5, but Mayfield is set to return after missing the last few weeks because of injury. That gives the Buccaneers a different look than the one that’s been grinding through recent games, and it may be enough to sway some picks in their direction.
Even so, this has the feel of the kind of divisional game that can go right down to the wire. The Buccaneers have been in close games this season, only to come up short, and Carolina knows the importance of avoiding a slip in a matchup like this.
If that pattern holds, the Panthers may need another late push in the fourth quarter to finish it off. So far this year, they’ve handled those moments well, and this game gives them another chance to prove it.
The Panthers and Buccaneers are set to kick off at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
In Other News...
Panthers Secondary Could Get A Huge Boost At The Right Time
Carolinas secondary may be getting some relief soon after spending two games without starting defensive backs Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Ahead of Week 7, head coach Dave Canales said both are recovering and moving in the right direction, a welcome update for a defense that has had to patch things together on the back end while waiting for its top corners to work back into the mix.
Horn is eager to keep progressing in his recovery, while Jackson has started to regain the speed and change-of-direction ability he needs to get back on the field. The Panthers could open their practice window in the coming weeks, which would at least give the team a better sense of how close it is to getting two important pieces back at a time when every bit of stability in the secondary matters. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Just Took Another Hit Before Buccaneers Game
The Panthers entered their matchup with Tampa Bay already dealing with a defense that has been patched together for weeks, and the latest inactive list only adds to the strain. Jaelan Phillips is out with a hamstring injury, while Thomas Incoom has been moved to injured reserve because of a calf issue, leaving Carolina to keep leaning on its next wave of depth.
Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are still on injured reserve as they work back from significant injuries, which has made the secondary a constant juggling act. To help fill the gaps, Carolina elevated Nick Hampton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad and activated Bam Martin-Scott from injured reserve, another reminder of how thin the margin has become on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Just Changed What Panthers Fans Should Expect
The Panthers offense has looked like a different operation this season, with Carolina sitting near the top of the league in both production and scoring. Derrick Brown has seen enough up close to point to Brad Idzik and Bryce Young as two of the biggest reasons for the jump, and it is a notable shift for a team that has spent recent seasons trying to find any real offensive traction.
Brown also put a practical standard on where this group should be headed, saying the goal is to get to the second round of the playoffs. For a Carolina team that has spent a long time chasing stability, that kind of expectation says plenty about how much the offense has raised the bar and how much more the Panthers now believe is possible. [Read more 🡒]