Sunday afternoon should tell the NFC South story a lot more clearly. Carolina enters Week 7 trying to keep its grip on first place, extend its winning streak to three, and move to 4-2 - which would put the Panthers two games above .500 for the first time since they started 3-1 back in 2001.
They’ll try to do it at home against a Tampa Bay team that arrives at 1-5 and fresh off a painful 26-19 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. The Buccaneers watched a 16-3 fourth-quarter lead disappear in that one, but they do get a boost with Baker Mayfield back after a three-game absence.
The matchup carries plenty of division history. Tampa Bay and Carolina have been NFC South opponents since 2002, though they first played back in the Panthers’ debut season in 1995. Carolina has the edge in the all-time series, 26-25.
These clubs split their two meetings late last season. Carolina ended a five-game slide in the rivalry with a 23-20 win in Week 16 at Charlotte, then Tampa Bay answered with a 16-14 victory two weeks later on a Saturday in Tampa.
The run game is one place Tampa Bay can lean. Bucky Irving ranks ninth in the NFL with 452 rushing yards.
Carolina, though, has steadily tightened up against the run after getting shredded for 291 yards by the Bears in Week 1. Over their last two wins, they held the Lions to 46 rushing yards and the Eagles to 35, for a combined 81.
Carolina’s offense has also come to life in a way it didn’t last year. Through five games, the Panthers are averaging 29.2 points per game and have scored 16 offensive touchdowns.
At this point last season, they were 2-3 and putting up just 20.4 points per game with 11 offensive TDs. Brad Idzik’s offense has clearly changed the tone.
Bryce Young has been efficient and has spread the ball around well. Five Panthers have at least 10 receptions, and all five of them - Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble and Chuba Hubbard - have two touchdown catches apiece.
There’s also pressure on the Tampa Bay front seven, where David Walker has stepped in and led the Buccaneers with four sacks and six QB hits after missing his rookie season in 2025 with a torn ACL.
As for Young’s history against Tampa Bay, the numbers are solid. In six games against the Buccaneers, he has thrown seven touchdown passes and been intercepted only twice. The downside: he has also taken 15 sacks, lost one of his five fumbles, and Carolina is still 1-5 in those games.
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 🡒]