Bryce Young Versus Todd Bowles
October 24th, 2026
As wacky as it seems, it’s the Panthers that comfortably can claim they have the best quarterback in the NFC South.
Through five games (Carolina is 3-2), Bryce Young has thrown for a whopping 1,549 yards with 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. His yards-per-game total leads the National Football League.
Last year, the Bucs and Panthers had must-win games in Week 18. The Bucs triumphed in bad weather in Tampa.
Young was 24-for-35 for 266 yards with a 2 touchdown passes and 1 interception. The Panthers converted just one third down and that was a huge difference in the rather ugly game.
The Bucs won 16-14 and, go figure, Carolina nearly beat the Rams in the playoffs a week later.
In Week 16 last season, Young carved up Tampa Bay in a Panthers victory.
He threw touchdowns against man coverage and completed 81 percent of his passes against the Todd Bowles soft zone.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Panthers (via NFL Pro): Bryce Young was particularly effective when targeting the outside numbers on Sunday, connecting on 10 of 16 attempts (62.5%) for 116 yards and both of his touchdown passes. While he completed 17 of 21 attempts (81.0%) against zone coverage for 118 yards, his two touchdown passes came against man coverage.
This season, however, the Bucs defense is much better, but so is the Panthers offese.
What intrigues Joe about this game is the Bucs will be facing a quarterback and a coaching staff highly familiar with the Bowles defense. Will the Bucs defense be able to stay stout? The Steelers, when they finally decided to throw on Sunday, had strong success. And Aaron Rodgers and playcaller Mike McCarthy were a duo very familiar with Bowles.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Eeeks. Suddenly the Panthers look like a team that doesn’t suck.
Even with a Bucs win tomorrow, how much confidence do fans have that a win could be the catalyst for several wins a row?
This fan, not confident at all. We’ll see, or not see, what this Bucs team is truly made of by 4pm tomorrow.
As for me, I’ll be doing something rather exciting like raking up all the acorns in my yard and spending a week grinding them into flour. That sounds much more enticing than watching the Bucs lose. Yet again.
Still, Go Bucs !
October 24th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Panthers are a good football team. Not great but good.
And they have the best qb in the division and it’s not close.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
I’ll be cutting the grass with a pair of scissors.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:26 pm
The Todd Bowels lead Yucs will lose tomorrow, guaranteed.
He is the reason for the 3-12 record in the last 15 games.
The NFL has figured out the wide open Swiss cheese passing scheme.
It absolutely sucks out loud and it has been this way a long time.
The Glazers are just used car salesmen. Pathetic.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:42 pm
worst OC in the league. Has no idea how to use WRs in multiple sets. Worse than Grizz. No imagination, every defense knows exactly what he is going to do.
A true dumb ass. Needs to look at Coen’s playbook. This offense has some weak links, but all Zac does is expose our weak links to other teams. Hard to watch this epic stupidity every week.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Congratulations to the Bucs owners. You needed someone to follow up TB12, a difficult task. You got him. You finally had a franchise QB. Then you proceeded to ruin him by letting the coach that could have made their mutual careers and success for the franchise get away. To add insult to injury you then hired an even better coach that produced even better results with Baker and let him get away. Now you have 160+mil invested in a QB that likely won’t recover, at least not with this team. WHAT A BUNCH OF FOOLS !
October 24th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
@D-Rok,
We don’t want wins. We want Bowles gone and higher draft slot. There is no point in winning any more this season.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Can we vote on the game already? 20-13 Carolina.
October 24th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
@Ace,
Naw, it’ll either be a high-scoring game or very low-scoring game.
Bucs likely will lose in the same fashion they have lost for the last 15+ games: by less than 7.
Hey, at least the Bucs aren’t getting obliterated! (Yet).
October 24th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
@Skunk,
Hard to argue with your logic.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Maybe our idiot owners will figure out that the two trophies they have were won with offensive minded coaches as opposed to defensive geniuses that the game passed by years ago and finally hire a good your offensive minded coach….look at the Bears and Jaguars, they finally figured it out and are reaping the benefits so pay attention Glazers, wake up and smell the coffee please! How are ticket sales these days you idiots?
October 24th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Let it burn. 8-9 is the worst case possible. Honestly – it’s over, let it burn.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
“D-Rok Says:
October 24th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
Hey, at least the Bucs aren’t getting obliterated! (Yet).”
Yes, I’m quoting myself because I had a flashback to the ’80s – where a young lad like myself stood at the counter of the BB-gun shooting gallery and even if we didn’t do great, often we got a consolation prize, like a plastic ring with a hard candy on top to slurp on.
So many excuses with this team. The consolation prize? “Hey, we kept it close and competitive and didn’t get blown out.”
So many failures across this entire organization. Me? I aint handing out no consolation prizes for the Bucs being “close to winning.”
SMH, even if I’m dating myself by conjuring up images of a young lad at a country fair….
PLAY BETTER BUCS.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
Canales took over a sh#t show in Carolina, and has done a good job turning the franchise around. Todd took over a SB caliber team, and has turned us into a sh#t show. It would be fitting if Canales drives the final nail in the coffin.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
The coffin was nailed shut last December. All we have now is zombies waiting for their new coach.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
“young lad at a country fair….”
Correction: County fair.
Sorry, I got it write it better next time.
October 24th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
The Bucs have the best head coach so that’s a win regardless of the outcome.
October 24th, 2026 at 2:12 pm
whats funny to think about if the steelers special teams coach didnt fall into bowles lap imagine having last years specials team added to this fiasco. coaches like thomas Mcgahey and charlie strong are still jobless. while canales is reviving a number 1 draft pick bust and coen doing the same with the previous much maligned lawrence .
October 24th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
McBay…tell your daddy that he’s getting fired at the end of the season…