Two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum will face off this coming Sunday in Charlotte when the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers go head-to-head with the NFC South cellar dwellers, Carolina Panthers. Here's a preview of the Bucs vs Panthers matchup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers installed as -11 favorites
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their four-game winning streak snapped in Week 15, losing 9-0 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football. Tom Brady had difficulty solving the Saints' defense again as he was shut out for the first time in his last 256 starts (including playoff games).
He was pressured all evening long by the Saints, with Brady getting sacked four times. That pressure forced Brady to commit mistakes, with the seven-time Super Bowl champion fumbling the football and throwing an interception late in the game.
Brady has now thrown eight interceptions against the Saints in four regular season games played since joining the Bucs. It did not help matters for Brady that he lost three of his main offensive weapons in the game against New Orleans. Leonard Fournette and Mike Evans suffered hamstring injuries while Chris Godwin injured his knee after a low hit by safety P.J. Williams.
One day after that embarrassing loss to the Saints, the Bucs got even more terrible news with Godwin now ruled out for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL in Week 15. Godwin, who is set to become a free agent in March, finishes the season with 1,103 receiving yards, 98 receptions, and five touchdowns.
Reinforcement is on the way for the Bucs, though, with Antonio Brown set to return following a three-game suspension for producing a fake vaccination card.
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Carolina Panthers enter Week 16 as +11 underdogs
Carolina's losing woes show no sign of ending as the Panthers crashed to their fourth consecutive defeat with a 31-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. The Panthers are languishing at the bottom of the NFC South standings with an abysmal 5-9 record, trailing the division-leading Bucs by five games heading into their Week 16 clash.
To make matters worse for Carolina, the Panthers dropped down to 13th place in the NFC with the loss to Buffalo. After starting the season 3-0, the Panthers lost nine of their next 11 games to tumble out of the playoff picture. They trail seventh-ranked New Orleans by two games with just three games remaining in their schedule.
For the Panthers to grab the much-needed victory against the Bucs, they will need Cam Newton to deliver the goods against their division rivals. He struggled in the loss to the Bills, completing just 18 of 38 passes for 156 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Newton showed he can still make an impact with the ground game, running for 71 yards and a score on 15 carries against Buffalo.
He will be tested, though, by a Tampa Bay defense that did not allow a single touchdown in Week 15 against New Orleans.
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