The talented offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just couldn’t make a comeback this time at home against the stout defense of the Carolina Panthers. The last couple of games they made impressive efforts to make the outcomes more competitive than the games actually were. This time the Buccaneers did get blown out 17-3.
Week Eight Tampa Bay Buccaneers Takeaways
Panthers Secondary Limits Buccaneers Receivers
The stars of the Panthers defense (of which there are many) are mostly littered in the front seven. But the stars of the defense against a star-studded Bucs receiving corps and a nimble quarterback in Jameis Winston were Carolina’s secondary. A special nod goes to the corner backs of James Bradberry, Kevon Seymour and Daryl Worley. They shut down Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard in ways that have yet be seen this year.
The Buccaneers threw 191 passing yards after passing for at least 300 yards in five consecutive games. It was their lowest output this season. Brate and Howard have caused headaches for defenses in recent games but Mike Adams and Kurt Coleman with the aid of the linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis held them to just 80 receiving yards combined on six catches.
The difference was in the match ups against Evans and Jackson. Those two clearly had the advantage as far as track record and raw talent but it was the trio of Bradberry, Seymour and Worley who prevailed. Evans, who was primarily defended by Bradberry, had five catches for 60 yards. Jackson, who was usually played by Worley, had just three catches for 37 yards. Adams and Kuechly also pitched in with two interceptions.
Second Quarter Futility Continues
The Buccaneers won’t win many games by scoring just three points but it has to be tough on a team’s psyche when they are always trailing going into halftime. The Buccaneers have been consistently slow starters this season ever since their game against the Minnesota Vikings. They have struggled in the first quarter, but at least they have been competitive in some of them.
It’s a completely different story once they get into the second quarter. The Buccaneers have been outscored in the second quarter 44-7 in their last six games. Surprisingly, that touchdown came against the New England Patriots, who only outscored them 10-7 in the second frame. It’s the main reason why the team has lost four of its last five games and now sits essentially eliminated from playoff contention in an extremely weak NFC conference.
Just One Stalled Drive Can Derail a Struggling Team’s Confidence
The Buccaneers trailed the Panthers 7-0 after one quarter, but it appeared their offense was about to get some momentum going midway through the second quarter. Doug Martin was running the ball well for about 12 yards and Winston had racked up 27 yards to his two tight ends Brate and Howard. He also completed an 11-yard pass to Humphries.
But the drive ended up being decided by three negative plays. The Buccaneers were at the Carolina 33 when they committed two consecutive penalties. Left tackle Donovan Smith was penalized for illegal use of hands and right tackle Demar Dotson committed a false start. Then the offensive line allowed Julius Peppers to sack Winston and force a fumble, which was recovered by Coleman. The Buccaneers didn’t get much else for the rest of the game.
