Why game against Panthers is a must-win for Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit the road to take on their division rival Carolina Panthers. Here is why this game is a must-win for the Buccaneers.

In a lot of ways, the Carolina Panthers showing up now on the schedule for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could not be at a better time. It is the perfect opportunity for a “get right” game for the Buccaneers. Why is that? Well, even though they are division rivals, the Panthers are quite possibly the worst team in the entire NFL. That said, this is still a must-win game for the Bucs.

Currently, the Buccaneers are tied for first place in what we thought was a weak NFC South. We do still think that, but just in a different way since the Bucs haven’t been as up to snuff as we thought they would be at this point in the season. They are currently tied with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons play the Cincinnati Bengals, and while it’s safe to project that as a loss, this season has been so out of pocket anything can happen so the Bucs can’t afford to go 3-4 and hope for the best elsewhere.

This is even with the Falcons being a team many thought would be as close to tanking as you possibly can be in the NFL, but they’re winning. Speaking of tanking, the Panthers suddenly find themselves even closer to tanking than we thought the Falcons would be. They’ve fired their head coach, and are now shopping pretty much every and any remote star they may have on the roster.

The Bucs have their issues, sure. They haven’t been what they thought they would be, and frustration is setting in, to the point of panic for a select few. Full-scale panic is a little farfetched to be fair . However, if the Bucs lose to THIS team, then it’s safe to say that panic is officially warranted.

Yes, the Buccaneers are on the road, and it is a divisional game which means that pretty much anything can potentially happen. The thing is, given the make up of the two teams currently, and where they are both at, the Bucs have to get things done on Sunday, especially with Tom Brady at quarterback as opposed to whoever the Panthers just happen to trout out there.

On paper, this game should not even be close. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should roll. They should turn their pirate ship around in the process and what could be a turning point of the season. Having said that, games are played on the field, not paper, and they cannot take their divisional opponents lightly. This is a must-win game, and must be prepared as such.