If anyone sees a picture of the Buccaneers defense on a milk carton, don’t be surprised. With the Panthers offense able to move the ball without any resistance in the first half, this game was only ending with the Bucs taking another ugly loss. There is not a single player from the defense who will leave Charlotte, NC with his head held high. Many of the offensive players will also fall into this category. After the Bucs fall to 3-5 after a 28-42 loss to the Panthers.
Tampa fans were deflated by the performance against Pittsburgh after the magic of weeks one and two. Fans thought the performance against Chicago was the worst they’ve seen in awhile. All was forgiven as most teams have that one stinker every so often. Fans now will be heartbroken to realize that the Buccaneers had worse in store.
By week six many fans and talking heads were wondering who the real Bucs were. Surely the sacking of Smith would make a difference to the defense? Sadly not after giving up 426 yards to the Panthers, and now fans will be wanting to clear house. After the embarrassment that took place against the Panthers it’s hard to disagree.
This was a game in which anything that could go wrong did. Even calls made by the officials were lopsided and didn’t give relief. Statistics will show that the offence performed again; however those that watched the game will know this isn’t the case. Many might even point at the 21 unanswered points scored by the Buccaneers.
This is what is known as “clutching at straws”. The only time this Bucs team looked effective was when the Carolina players were asleep. The Panthers has stopped trying after being in front 28 points. As soon as Newton needed to extend the lead and ice the game, he did. Everything was far too easy for the Panthers who did exactly what they wanted, when they wanted to do it.
For anyone wondering who the real Tampa Bay Buccaneers are, watch the first half of the game. It’s great to see the defense making plays and the offense marching down the field. But is it still great if it doesn’t mean anything?
The best thing that has come from this game is that even in the abject disappointing performance, some questions have been answered.
Yes Fitzpatrick is the better choice at QB right now.
No Duffner is not the right man to be the defensive coordinator long term.
Finally the worst news for many Bucs fans will be that, with the season almost effectively over, is it time for another rebuild?
