Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Sterling Shepard appeared on a podcast with DJ Siddiqui of Forbes Magazine to discuss the Bucs upcoming matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

The Bucs find themselves fighting not only for the division but for their playoff lives against the Panthers.

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The Buccaneers had a tough loss against the Atlanta Falcons last week, but they were fortunate that the Panthers also lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

So now, it comes down to this game, and Shepard gave the keys on what the Buccaneers must do if they want to beat the Panthers.

Shepard said the key to defeating the Panthers is not make costly mistakes.

“Just the small details,” Shepard said. “When you get this late in the season obviously, most of your playbook has been out there, so teams get a good jump or a good idea about what you guys are going to do. It’s just going to come down to the small details and being on top of everything. That’s what guys are focusing on now is, just not shooting ourselves in the foot, whether it comes to small penalties and the mental part of the game, I think that’s huge for us.”

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The Bucs had a huge lead against the Falcons in the fourth quarter, leading 28-14, before losing 29-28.

After the loss, head coach Todd Bowles had strong words for his team after the defeat; in fact, witnesses say he went on a profanity-laced tirade against his team. According to reports from ESPN, the problem is not with veteran players like Baker Mayfield, Shepard, or Mike Evans. The issue lays within the young players who haven’t quite learned that killer instinct, which frustrates their head coach.

At one point, the Bucs were considered a serious contender in the NFC, but they have lost six of their last eight, including two in a row. Now they face a Panthers team whom til Sunday, briefly sat alone at the top of the division.

Although the Panthers are not as talented as the Buccaneers, they remain a serious threat if nothing else because of the play of their defense and quarterback Bryce Young. As Shepard mentioned, they can’t afford to make dumb mistakes against the Panthers whom they face twice this month.

Another factor is that Bowles’ job may be on the line if the Bucs don’t make the playoffs this season.