The Buccaneers are heading into Week 7 with plenty on the line, but the Panthers are bringing a version of Bryce Young that looks a lot different than the one Tampa Bay saw before. That’s the warning from Hayden Shapiro, who covers Carolina for EnforceTheSport, after a closer look at what has powered the Panthers’ surge on offense.
Young isn’t simply piling up pass attempts in this new-look attack. He’s doing it with far more precision, confidence, and control. Shapiro pointed to the quarterback’s growth in Brad Idzik’s RPO-heavy system as a major reason Carolina has opened things up around him.
“Bryce Young is not just throwing the ball a ton, but he’s doing it with pinpoint accuracy.”
He also noted that Young’s game has come alive in a setup that lets him play like he did at Alabama, when improvisation was a major part of his skill set. In this offense, he’s being trusted to create, and that freedom has helped him settle into the role.
For Tampa Bay, the route to worry about is the short in-breaking stuff to second-year wideout Tetairoa McMillan. Shapiro said McMillan may not do much after the catch, but his route running and ability to sit in zones can still create headaches.
That passing game has helped push Carolina to the top of the league in several key categories: No. 1 in passing offense, No. 2 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring at 29.2 points per game. The jump from last season has been dramatic, and Shapiro made it clear that it’s not just about a play-caller change.
The biggest driver, in his view, is the personnel Young has around him. Jalen Coker has flashed when healthy, McMillan has become one of the league’s premier young receivers, and Chuba Hubbard has added an edge on the ground that helps everything else work. Hubbard’s ability to run with power gives the Panthers a real threat on RPOs and play-action looks, and that balance has made Idzik’s offense harder to slow down.
“I think the main thing is the weapons that Young has in his holster; Jalen Coker has been remarkable when healthy, the aforementioned McMillan is one of the league’s premier wideouts at just 23-years-old, and Chuba Hubbard is running harder than he ever has.”
The Panthers’ rise has also come with a battered secondary, which makes their success even more notable. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, what Shapiro called arguably the NFL’s best cornerback duo, both landed on injured reserve after Week 2.
Even so, Carolina has managed to lean on backups and rookies and keep moving. That next-man-up approach, he said, has been missing in Charlotte for a long time and has only boosted the team’s outlook.
There is, however, a clear area where Tampa Bay can look to attack. Shapiro identified Akayleb Evans as a corner the Buccaneers should target, especially with rookie Will Lee III on the other side.
Evans has already been beaten enough to be noticed, with Jameson Williams topping 100 yards against him on Sunday Night Football in Week 4 and DeVonta Smith finding a rhythm when lined up across from him. If Emeka Egbuka gets those matchups, Shapiro believes it could swing the game.
On the other side, he pointed to the edge as the key place Carolina may try to lean on Tampa Bay. Rueben Bain Jr. has taken his share of criticism, but Shapiro said the rookie is doing what he’s asked to do by setting the edge and taking on blocks.
The Panthers got right tackle Taylor Moton back last week, and at his best he’s one of the league’s top pass protectors. Bain Jr. has never faced him, which adds another layer to that matchup.
There’s also one more name to watch if Tampa Bay is trying to contain Carolina’s passing game: Zyon McCollum. Shapiro said to pay attention to whether McMillan gets work against him, since McCollum is questionable.
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Bucs Get The Weather Break They Needed In Carolina
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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 🡒]