Gil Brandt of NFL.com suggests that if Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud has a solid game, the Bucs have a good chance of winning Monday night.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com writes a piece of what he thinks will be the key matchup in the Bucs game with the Panthers Monday night. In short, if linebacker Barrett Ruud can shut down the Panthers running game, the Bucs have a solid chance of winning.

In fact, Brandt seems smitten with Ruud.

Ruud is a fourth-year player, in his second year as a full-time starter. He plays every down, makes all the defensive calls, and is a very aggressive competitor with the ability to play in space. Ruud led the Bucs with 169 tackles in 2007 and has 95 tackles through 12 games this season — that’s almost double the team’s second-leading tackler, veteran LB Derrick Brooks. He also has two interceptions and three sacks. Ruud is a very underrated player.

The way the Bucs offense, specifically Chucky’s play-calling, loves to try to dink-and-dunk opponents to death, the Bucs defense better be strong. Joe doesn’t believe the Bucs can come from too far from behind against the Panthers. So Monte Kiffin’s defense better be up to the task, just like when the teams played earlier this year at the CITS.