Even though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally got back to winning ways in Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season with a 20-17 victory over the lowly Arizona Cardinals, there was little about the actual performance on the field that was suggestive of a W, particularly in the second half when the Bucs offense sputtered and Baker Mayfield began throwing ducks.
But what really hurt the perception of the Buccaneers victory was watching what the young, quietly rising Carolina Panthers team did to an NFC Super Bowl contender. Because whereas the Buccaneers got completely torched by Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football last weekend 34-7, the Panthers won a shootout against the Rams 31-28 with Bryce Young decisively outplaying the current MVP favorite.
While Young's performance was a shot across the bow at Mayfield, the Bucs were so thoroughly beaten by the Rams that the Panthers win over Los Angeles this Sunday should really be taken as another ding against Todd Bowles as the man in charge of the Bucs franchise.
The Buccaneers can't beat the true top teams
Dave Canales set Young up perfectly to succeed against the Rams, as he had all the answers for Sean McVay and his pass rush. Meanwhile, Canales and the Panthers also did enough to make decisive plays against Stafford and the Rams, picking off the former Super Bowl winning quarterback twice.
The Panthers were ready for the Rams, whereas the Bucs did not look like they belonged on the same field as them, even though the Bucs were hyping themselves up as Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the season. But against the sort of team they will have to beat in order to make it that far in the postseason, the Bucs completely wilted, Meanwhile, the Panthers won in the clutch.
Bowles can't coach the Bucs to punch above their weight and win tough games against tough teams. He couldn't do it against the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, or Rams this season. Meanwhile, Canales and the Panthers just did.
Bucs fans are growing tired of their team playing too conservative, making horrible tackle attempts, not being able to force turnovers, and not being able to rush the passer. Tampa Bay are not playing well on either side of the ball, and they are outright bad against the great teams like the Rams. But these teams are beatable with the right game plan, as Canales and Carolina showed, and this result places even more pressure on Bowles to prove he's the right guy for Tampa.