Only One Real Challenge For Bucs Against Stinking Panthers
December 20th, 2025
Stop him!
Yes, the Bucs’ pass defense is so bad, watching it causes brainfreeze. You know, like when you were a kid trying to chug a Slurpee?
Joe believes this game tomorrow between the Bucs and the Stinking Panthers boils down to how the rotten Bucs pass defense can defend a truly erratic quarterback. Sometimes, the height-challenged Bryce Young is good. Other times he looks like a UFL backup.
The Bucs actually have a decent run defense, No. 9 in the NFL for average rushing yards (101) per game.
Defending the run shouldn’t be a problem if current trends continue for Carolina, as pointed out by Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis.
* Over their past five games, Carolina has a 31.3% success rate on rushing plays (31st), down from 45% prior (7th).
* The Panthers have gained 10 or more yards on 16.9% of their plays, ahead of only the Browns (15.4%).
So now, can the Bucs stop Young, who is 0-4 against a Todd Bowles defense? Joe suspects as much as Carolina coach Dave Canales loves to run the ball, he will be stubborn and that may very well play into the Bucs’ hands.
December 20th, 2025 at 10:11 am
Their D loves to overload the right side of the O line, so Goedeke will have his hands full.
December 20th, 2025 at 10:15 am
No worries!
Bucs are PANTHERS READY!!!
December 20th, 2025 at 10:27 am
There are stats after stats that show just how dismal Bowles’ defense has been. 3 yrs in a row and nothing changes. Same rotten tired scheme. Same wide open middle of the field game after game after game. This team is desperate for a real NFL HC.
December 20th, 2025 at 10:29 am
The Carolina Shrimp. Good Grief. If he can not stop him The Curse of Bowzo will settle in on Tampa. I think Canales and his Shrimp will choke.
December 20th, 2025 at 10:46 am
The few times I’ve watched the Panthers….have noticed Young NEVER runs. Odd for a little dude
December 20th, 2025 at 10:46 am
Only one real challenge? They are better than the Falcons and the Saints, the challenges will be plenty.
They have a lot of people back healthy, but they still don’t have a pass rush and they still don’t have guards on the offense
Not trying to be pessimistic, this is just reality of the last several weeks
December 20th, 2025 at 10:47 am
BucU
Walk the plank brotha. No one has time to listen to your whining
December 20th, 2025 at 10:59 am
DEBO, too bad nobody with the Bucs are listening to BucU. Otherwise some of what he says would be cleaned up. But noooooo.
December 20th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Sad prediction that I hope doesn’t happen. Bryce Young career day 400+yards and 4Tds. Please Todd get back to fundamentals. You know like at least being close to the receiver before he the ball gets there. Fire over confident mistake prone clueless opposing qb loving Bowles! Immediately.
December 20th, 2025 at 11:06 am
Baker Bowl Says:
December 20th, 2025 at 1:49 am
I think it’s a culmination of everything wrong with the defense. The guys up front aren’t getting to the QB fast enough and when they do, they’re missing those tackles. I’m not saying the coverage guys should be getting let off the hook, they also have to be better, but their job is being made harder than it needs to be.
I also could be because teams are more prone to either running less often or abandoning the run game quicker than usual because of Vita Vea. I doubt this to be the case as he hasn’t been the Vita Vea that we’ve seen before, but he still does warrant that extra respect. If only we had a healthy Kancey next to him 🙁
Immediately I went to fact check this, we are the 4th in least rushing attempts against and 9th in most passing attempts against. Tie that in with 6th in completions allowed and 4th in yards per game allowed, it adds up. Where it gets interesting is despite teams rushing against us far less than others, we allow the 9th most rushing yards per game.
I say all this to say, I think the defense is playing very poorly everywhere. I just think the pass D is getting more shine and notice because it’s easier to see. When Sam Darnold evades a sack attempt in the pocket and then finds a wide open receiver for a touchdown, it’s easy, and understandable, to first blame the guy who was supposed to be covering him.
Yeah. I agree 100% with this. Vea is a beast the most disruptive on the line. He needs a complimentary like sapp had Booger. Or any combination of Rice, with Spires or White. Pass rush n coverage go hand in hand.
4-3.. 4 rushers always rush 1 hanging back for QB step ups or scrambles, from 4-3 could be the whole line. Or 3 with 1 dropping back with 1, 2, or 3 blitzers but if there is a coverage blitz ie lbs or safeties i1 or 2 on the dline needs 2 drop back. Creates confusion on the oline. Confusion on the QB. Same concept in 3-4 except 4 linebackers can cover n 4 linebackers can blitz. I’m not giving up on the 3-4 but right now our team has 4-3 personnel. CBS need 2 walk up even if it’s done. No more cushion
December 20th, 2025 at 11:18 am
‘Joe believes this game tomorrow between the Bucs and the Stinking Panthers boils down to how the rotten Bucs pass defense can defend a truly erratic quarterback.’
I think Dave Canales learned a big lesson from his 2 losses to the Bucs last year, and he won’t repeat those mistakes. In BOTH games, the Panthers passed it a LOT more than they ran it. The Bucs on the other hand ran it MORE in each game than they passed it … and won both games. Baker Mayfield was meh in our 1st game against the Panthers last year, a 26-23 win in overtime. He completed 22-of-34 passes for 240 yds & 1 TD and was sacked 4 times, and threw TWO costly INTs. Bucs also only converted 2-of-12 third downs, but thanks to our excellent running game (30 runs for 239 yds &1 TD) we dominated the TOP (39:31 to 27:39).
In our 2nd win against the Panthers though (48-14), Baker was on fire. He completed 27-of-32 for 359 yds and 5 TDs, and was only sacked twice. Bucs actually ran it MORE than they passed it that day (40 runs for 202 yds) and again dominated the TOP 41:11 to 18:49. And in the process we converted 10 of 14 third down opportunities, and amassed 551 total yds. THAT’S how you kick a$$ and take names.
Dave Canales knows that his team isn’t a quick-strike team. In every win they’ve had this season except for their win over Atlanta, the Panthers have (1) run the ball MORE than they passed it; and (2) won the TOP (or broke even in 1 game). That’s how they win, by controlling the game with their Run Game. Ironically the Bucs aren’t nearly as good at stopping the run this year as they’ve been in the past.
December 20th, 2025 at 11:24 am
I can fix the defense in two easy steps.
1) The DBs need to stay within 10 yards of a receiver instead of watching the offense run by them.
2) Tell someone to cover the swing pass for a change.
December 20th, 2025 at 11:34 am
“Where it gets interesting is despite teams rushing against us far less than others, we allow the 9th most rushing yards per game.”
Read this again, it’s the 9th least. Not most, as totals go up as you descend toward the bottom of the ranking list. Meaning it’s the Minnesota Vikings who allow the 9th most rushing yards on a per game basis and are 30th in the rush attempts per game.
December 20th, 2025 at 11:54 am
Tired Says:
December 20th, 2025 at 11:24 am
I can fix the defense in two easy steps.
1) The DBs need to stay within 10 yards of a receiver instead of watching the offense run by them.
2) Tell someone to cover the swing pass for a change.
5 yards. David at olb. Let him rush n cover the mid flat. Drop Tykee or Winfield 2 the middle. Deion jones or SVD blitzing
December 20th, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Bryce Young has the 5th worst passer rating in the league against the blitz at 76, so expect to see Bucs bringing the house tomorrow.
December 20th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Where the Heck is Kancey? Pec tear should be healed…we need ya Kancy
December 20th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Saw Kancey mentioned elsewhere. He said not coming back this year
December 20th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
If Canales were smart he would play their backup QB. Ala Jake DelHomme, the panthers backup always destroys the Bucs !
December 20th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
The Bucs have a Bowles problem and possibly a Baker problem. Baker has had a lot of magical moments as a Buc and love the dude’s attitude and effort. But his shortcomings have been evident lately. Too jacked up to start games, gets happy feet, sees ghosts and his record in primetime games is alarming. Hoping this week with all the weapons a QB could ask for, that he settles down, hits his back foot and lets it rip.
If the Bucs lose this game, Bowles is toast and depending how Baker plays, his days could also be numbered.