TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In a flexed matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, all eyes are on the division.
After falling to 4-7 after a frustrating loss to the Indianapolis Colts during Week 12 and the Panthers sitting at 1-10, Tampa Bay is hoping Sunday’s home matchup will be a much-needed victory, as the team is still eyeing the playoff prize.
With the Buccaneers’ defense playing sluggishly against the Colts and the offense not being able to convert on crucial third downs, the Bucs suffered their seventh loss, which has many fans and players frustrated.
“We’ve got to execute. We get down there on the 1[-yard line], inside the 1[-yard line] in the first quarter, we’ve got to execute. We’ve got to execute. We can’t have penalties at the wrong time, we can’t get sacked at the wrong time. It’s a group effort,” Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday.
Despite the Panthers picking up star rookie quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall draft pick in 2023, the team has only secured one win – a 15-13 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 8.
The Panthers released head coach Frank Reich on Sunday following the team’s NFL-worst 1-10 start in his first year in Carolina. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach, the team announced.
“You can’t revamp your team in a week. [Carolina Panthers Interim Head Coach] Chris [Tabor] is a great coach, he’s been a great special teams coach, he’ll be a good head coach. You can’t revamp your team in a week, so you concentrate on the scheme. I’m sure they’ll tweak some things, but we’ve got to worry about the things we can correct ourselves and go out and play them and see what happens,” Bowles said.
INJURY REPORT
Buccaneers:
- LB Lavonte David – Did not participate
- CB Carlton Davis – Limited participation
- CB Jamel Dean – Did not participate
- LB SirVocea Dennis – Did not participate
- OLB Yaya Diaby – Limited participation
- DL Mike Green – Did not participate
- QB Baker Mayfield – Full participation
- LB Devin White – Limited participation
Panthers:
- S Vonn Bell – Did not participate
- S Jeremy Chinn – Limited participation
- P Johnny Hekker – Did not participate
- OLB Yetur Gross-Matos – Limited participation
- OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. – Did not participate
- CB CJ Henderson – Full participation
- CB Jaycee Horn – Limited participation
- TE Hayden Hurst – Did not participate
- OLB DJ Johnson – Limited participation
- G Cade Mays – Limited participation
- T Taylor Moton – Did not participate
- WR Laviska Shenault Jr. – Did not participate
- WR Adam Thielen – Did not participate
- TE Tommy Tremble – Did not participate
- G Chandler Zavala – Did not participate
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Buccaneers will host the Carolina Panthers for the first time this season. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m.