The Buccaneers went into free agency this spring wanting more toughness and more mileage on defense, especially along the line. That mission hasn’t fully come together in Tampa Bay’s trenches, where Vita Vea’s quiet stretch has been a major letdown and has left some Bucs fans wondering whether the team should have moved him to the Buffalo Bills instead of paying him - or even considered trading him before the deadline.
A'Shawn Robinson, though, has been one of the bright spots in the middle of that defense.
And Week 7 brings him a chance to make that point against the team he just left behind.
Robinson came to Tampa Bay from the Carolina Panthers, and he’s been one of the Buccaneers’ best defensive players so far. He has 19 tackles, a sack and two interceptions, and Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the NFL’s second-best defensive tackle. He also owns the league’s second-highest run defense grade.
The area where Tampa Bay still wants more from him is as a pass rusher. Robinson’s lone sack and seven pressures are solid, but they’re not the kind of disruption he brought in Carolina last season, when he finished with 5.5 sacks for the Panthers in 2024. If he can pair that kind of edge with the run-stuffing he’s already giving the Bucs, his season starts looking a lot closer to elite.
This matchup gives him the perfect stage. Tampa Bay is heading into its first big divisional rivalry game of the season, and it comes against the same Panthers team that knocked the Bucs out of a playoff spot at the end of last season.
Carolina arrives with the league’s top passing output per game under Bryce Young, but that success hasn’t carried over on the ground. Chuba Hubbard leads the backfield with four touchdowns and 4.8 yards per carry, though he’s hardly being called a superstar. The Panthers’ other backs have struggled even more, all running for fewer than three yards per carry.
So for Tampa Bay, the ask is simple: let A-Rob be the force the Bucs paid for. At $10 million per year, Robinson was brought in to make life miserable up front, and Sunday gives him a clean shot to show Carolina exactly what it’s missing.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Carries One Huge Buccaneers Question Into Panthers Game
Baker Mayfield has carried the Buccaneers through the first part of the season with the kind of toughness Tampa Bay has come to expect, and now he heads into Week 7 with a little extra attention on his right hand. Officially listed as questionable against Carolina, Mayfield was a full participant in practice all week after dislocating his thumb in Week 3, leaving the team to sort through the usual pregame injury-report suspense around its quarterback.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield looks ready to play, which is the key development for a Buccaneers offense that also has to navigate the absence of top receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has been ruled out with a concussion. Mayfield is expected to wear a custom glove on the injured hand, a small but notable detail for a team that would rather keep the conversation centered on the game plan than on what its quarterback is wearing when he takes the field. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face A Season Pressure Game In Carolina Shorthanded
Sundays trip to Bank of America Stadium carries a little extra weight for Tampa Bay, and it comes with a depleted roster on both sides. The Buccaneers head to Carolina on Oct. 25 with several players unavailable, adding another layer of difficulty to a division matchup that already has plenty riding on it. Fans who want to follow along can catch the game locally on FOX, with streaming options on NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket, while radio coverage is set for WXTB 97.9 FM and SiriusXM Channel 380.
The injury list is the bigger story for Tampa Bay, though, because it trims away some of the teams margin for error at a time when every AFC South-style slip in the division feels magnified. Carolina has its own absences to manage, but the Buccaneers challenge is figuring out how to get through a road game without some key pieces available, and how much it can still demand from a shorthanded group in a matchup that could shape the tone of the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get The Weather Break They Needed In Carolina
A much-needed break is waiting for Tampa Bay in Charlotte, where the Buccaneers are set to play the Panthers under sunny skies and mild temperatures around 65 to 70 degrees. After dealing with some less cooperative conditions in recent weeks, the setting at Bank of America Stadium should be about as clean as it gets for an offense trying to get back on track, with no rain expected and only a moderate breeze in the forecast.
The wind, listed around 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, should not force any real changes to Tampa Bay's game plan, especially with Baker Mayfield on track to return after missing three games because of a thumb injury. It could still be enough to add a little difficulty on the edges of the operation, particularly for the kicking game and for any longer punts, but the bigger picture is simple: the Buccaneers should be able to lean on their passing attack without the weather getting in the way. [Read more 🡒]