Buccaneers: Carolina Panthers Players to Watch in Week 8
By Brian DeFeo
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been extremely cold lately. So have their opponents this week in the Carolina Panthers. Both are on a multi-game losing streak and each are looking up at New Orleans.
The first division game for the Buccaneers this season will be a huge game for their playoff hopes. The Bucs, (2-4), really need a win in the division to have a shot at winning the division title.
The Panthers, (4-3), have been up and down this season but are 3-1 on the road. Cam Newton is coming off back to back losses where he’s had only two touchdowns and six turnovers. Jameis still has the lingering shoulder injury but performed better than expected in the three-point loss to Buffalo. While the Panthers offense hasn’t been elite this year Cam always finds a way to make big plays against Tampa.
The Panthers are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears where they failed to score a touchdown and the quarterback only had four completions. Luke Kuechly is expected back this week which will help the defense that only allowed three points last week. If Cam limits his turnovers he can put up huge numbers but if the Buccaneers can win the turnover battle they should win this game. The Panthers may not have big-time weapons on offense without Greg Olsen they can still get points and their defense is stout. Let’s take a look at some key players the Bucs should watch for on Sunday afternoon.