In this Carolina Panthers Week 7 preview, the Panthers face their second divisional matchup of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Once again, Carolina faces uncertainty at the opposing team’s starting quarterback position.
Against the Eagles, the Panthers still managed a win, but questions lingered, as they weren’t in control of the game the way most expected.
Heading back home to Bank of America Stadium for the first time since their Sunday Night Football victory three weeks ago, what can the Panthers do to silence lingering questions about whether this team’s winning identity is legitimate?
A Ship Without Its Captain
The Buccaneers’ trajectory this season is certainly not what they expected. After starting the season 0-2, franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb during the team’s Week 3 loss against the Minnesota Vikings.
Now rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels has to steer the ship, and so far, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.
In Daniels’ three starts since Mayfield’s injury, he has two losses and one win, including a surprising upset over the Dallas Cowboys. The rookie quarterback has just 501 passing yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions. After starting 0-3 and going 1-2 in Daniels’ starts, the Bucs have slipped to 1-5, certainly not the situation head coach Todd Bowles envisioned coming into this season.
However, the Buccaneers may have their captain back sooner than expected. Mayfield returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering his thumb injury, giving Tampa Bay renewed hope that its franchise quarterback could return against Carolina.
Head coach Todd Bowles has yet to name Sunday’s starter, with a decision expected Friday. For the Panthers, that means preparing for two different quarterbacks rather than assuming they’ll face Daniels for a fourth consecutive start.
Now, one could argue the Panthers just need to keep the Buccaneers’ offense contained, and the game should be over quickly. However, if the Eagles taught Carolina anything, it’s to be wary of a good defense, and that’s one of the Buccaneers’ only bright spots.
While the Panthers’ offense ranks second in total yards and first in passing yards, the Buccaneers can lean on a fourth-place defense in yards allowed.
The key is that Tampa Bay allows only about75.5 rushing yards per game, so the run will be difficult to establish.
Who’s Behind Chuba?
Will Carolina finally find a complementary back for Chuba Hubbard? Hubbard is on a good pace this season, already accumulating over 400 rushing yards, and when he has 20 or more carries, the Panthers are 2-0.
However, he still seems to struggle with change-of-pace downs and gaining short yardage when running up the middle. Carolina has been stopped in third-and-one and fourth-and-one situations when Hubbard has been forced to run straight up the middle.
His initial complement was Jonathan Brooks, but with Brooks sidelined again with injuries, most, if not all, of the workload has fallen on Hubbard. With Brooks out and AJ Dillon getting little game time, the Panthers recently elevated running back Anthony Tyus III from the practice squad to the active roster.
It’s still unclear whether Tyus starts on Sunday, but if he gets the nod, how will Dave Canales and company integrate him into the offense?
The Line Must Hold
This will sneakily be another test for Bryce Young and first-year play-caller Brad Idzik. Can the offense control the pace and efficiently put points on the board to keep Daniels on the back foot?
A key factor will be whether the Panthers’ offensive line fixes mistakes and makes key adjustments.
After missing an extended period with a blood clot in his lungs, Taylor Moton is back and seems to be picking up right where he left off. He’s returned to right tackle, where rookie Monroe Freeling filled in through the start of the season.
Freeling hasn’t necessarily struggled, but it definitely looked like he was learning on the go.
Now, with him recovering from a knee injury, the question is: Does Carolina move him back to his more familiar position at left tackle, or rest him longer and let him learn from the sidelines before returning to the right side?
While the Panthers still figure out player placement, another O-line question is whether they can reduce penalties that stall drives.
So far this season, the Panthers have been flagged most often for false starts and offensive holding penalties. The offensive line is plagued by pre-snap issues and miscues like ineligible men downfield. This has been apparent since Week 1. From a fan’s perspective, the instinct is always to blame the ref first. “How could they call that?” “There was nothing there! What are you, blind?”
But it all boils down to discipline, especially from some of these veteran players. Do the Panthers have the personnel to overcome it?
Pressure Makes the Difference
Generating a pass rush will once again be a focal point for Carolina, but the Panthers may have to do it without Jaelan Phillips. After aggravating his hamstring injury against Philadelphia, Phillips missed Wednesday’s practice, and head coach Dave Canales said he does not expect the outside linebacker to play Sunday.
With one of Carolina’s primary pass rushers likely sidelined, who will step up to generate pressure? And can Devin Lloyd lead his fellow linebackers in neutralizing the Buccaneers’ running game?
Whether it’s Mayfield or Daniels under center, can rookie cornerback Will Lee III, who has been showing flashes lately, continue developing against sophomore standout Emeka Egbuka, who finished second to Carolina’s own Tetairoa McMillan in Rookie of the Year voting last season?
Last week, the Panthers expected an easy win, but it turned into an ugly grind-out where they seemingly escaped with the win rather than claiming it.
This week, Carolina must correct those mistakes and deliver a more decisive victory to extend its winning streak to three games.
Final prediction: Panthers 27, Buccaneers 17.
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