The Bucs finally gave themselves something to feel good about in Week 7, and that’s exactly why the day’s few sour notes stood out. Tampa Bay walked into Carolina carrying the weight of a 1-5 start, then flipped the script with a ruthless 43-13 win over the Panthers. It was a season-best showing, a full-team blitz that left very little room for disappointment.
Still, even in a game that went almost entirely right, a couple of moments and performances stood out for the wrong reasons.
One of them came on defense with ILB SirVocea Dennis.
Todd Bowles had found something promising against the Steelers by leaning on 4-3 looks with Christian Rozeboom as an extra linebacker, but Rozeboom landed on injured reserve this past week, opening the door for Dennis to handle that role. The first big test didn’t go well. Darren Waller, a 34-year-old tight end, got loose and made Tampa Bay pay.
The Panthers answer!
Bryce Young connects with Darren Waller for a 50-yard touchdown!
📺: FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/5rHghBbZV0
- FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 25, 2026
For a defense that spent most of the afternoon dictating terms, that touchdown was the kind of breakdown the Buccaneers would love to erase. Waller blowing past Dennis down the seam was a rough look, and it landed in a game where there were so few mistakes to point to.
At this stage, it only adds to the sense that Dennis’ future in Tampa Bay is slipping away. A fifth-round pick in 2023, he had chances to carve out a lasting starting job last season.
Instead, he didn’t do enough to hold onto a starting role this year, and then got exposed when given another opportunity.
There was also the matter of Ted Hurst III, who barely had a chance to leave a mark.
This wasn’t really a shot at Zac Robinson so much as a note that there wasn’t much to go around in the passing game. Hurst was targeted once, and it turned into a 21-yard pass interference call.
Robinson leaned on the run to control possession, which helped Tez Johnson finish as Tampa Bay’s top receiver with two catches for 33 yards. Hurst didn’t record a catch, and with Emeka Egbuka out, this felt like one of the first real openings for the third-round pick to break through.
That breakthrough can wait. The Bucs were far more interested in the lopsided win than any individual disappointment, and rightfully so.
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 🡒]