Chris Lea and Pat Welter preview the Carolina Panthers game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as both teams fight for the division title and a playoff spot.
Hi. Welcome to the field, everybody. We’re here at Bank of America Stadium. This is right before the Panthers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined with Pat Walter. I’m Chris Lee, and this one has a big game feel, and you don’t get that often with the Carolina Panthers. You could sense it coming in, right? Just more fans in the streets, harder to get in the building, which is a good thing because this is arguably, Chris, the biggest Panthers game since what, the 2017 season, which is saying a lot, and it should be because. They control their playoff destiny, which is something you never thought you’d say at the beginning of the season. Yeah, one of the interesting things about that just coming in as well, just to go back to that really quickly, is that normally when you come into Panthers games you see a lot of fans from the other teams over here. It’s a very easy ticket to get if you want to see your team and you can’t see them in Dallas or in Philadelphia or in Green Bay. You come to the Carolina Panthers to see them. But yes, this game, big game field, has a lot riding on it, essentially. The last 3 games of the season, this game next week versus the Seahawks, and then again versus Tampa Bay, but this time on the road, um, all of these are going to have to deal with the Panthers whether or not they go to the playoffs, right? If you beat Tampa Bay twice, you’re going to the playoffs. If you win this game and win the Seahawks, you have a good chance of going to the playoffs if Tampa Bay loses another game. So there’s a lot riding on this game for the Carolina Panthers, and They’re an underdog technically in this one in particular, and they’ve been rising to the occasion this year when they’ve been an underdog. Look, they alternate wins and losses for the last 8 weeks straight. This is their week to win. So the yo yo is in their favor right now or the roller coaster because if they win this week, they lose next week. That’s OK because as long as they beat the Bucks in the final game, they are in. And the question is, can they do it? And as inconsistent as Carolina has been, Chris, they are far more. Consistent than Tampa, who started off the season, I believe, 4-1, 5-1, and are 2-6 since to drop to 7-7. They’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries. Baker Mayfield has been not protected well from his offensive line. Um, so I like the Panthers’ chances in this one. If they could, you know, stick to their formula, run the ball, not turn it over, play, bend, don’t break defense. We talk about it from Tampa’s standpoint. They hit, hit it out of the park. Two years in a row with offensive coordinators. First you had Dave Canales, who’s now here at the Carolina Panthers. He left. And then you had Liam Cohen, and he’d had a great year last year. Now he’s with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and now all of a sudden you’re trying to find your offense and what your identity is, uh, at this point in the year. And you have Mike Evans back for this game, which is going to be good for them. Uh, but at the end of the day for the Carolina Panthers, uh, if they can focus on what they need to do, run the ball, control time of possession, and. If their defense can be a little bit more stingy than what they were last week at the end of the game versus the Saints, they basically let the Saints march down the field in like 5 or 6 straight plays in that last drive last week to let them go score the touchdown, and it was just way too easy. If they can make sure they’re a little bit more stingy this week on defense, you’re a little bit more healthy now, control, time of possession. You can probably win this game and give yourself a good chance to go to the playoffs. It’s going to be an interesting coaching chess match because of that familiarity you talked about with Dave Canales and Todd Bowles. They know each other well, right? And Canales talked about that a little bit this week. Like, yeah, like I know what Todd Bowles likes to do. I think everybody does. The guy likes to blitz, but what Dave Canales wants to do is focus on the calls that work for him. He said if he gets too concerned with what Todd Bowles is doing, they aren’t going to execute well. But just looking at the stats, Chris, Bucks defense. Is great against stopping the run, not as good against stopping the pass, so that would factor in that Bryce Young might be the one that actually has to win this game. That’s a good point with that. The Panthers have been inconsistent. If you talk about the inconsistencies on offense, that’s been an inconsistency in the passing game. You can have 168 yards passing one game. You can have 448 another game. Look like you’re the best passer ever for the Carolina Panthers. Who’s gonna show up on the field for, uh, you know, for the Panthers as far as Bryce Young? You’re gonna have the, the good Bryce Young, or you’re gonna have the OK Bryce Young? That’s pretty much what you get with him, um, so, uh, that’s gonna be a big factor for them. But ultimately making sure you’re keeping the ball in your hands too, like figure out that running game. They’re good with stopping the run. But you got to figure it out at least enough to stay on the field. That’s been a touch and go thing with the Carolina Panthers this year. They can stay on the field, keep the Bucks’ offense off the field, make the defense tired. That’s a good recipe for winning. Last point for me is, I have confidence because this Carolina team is, dare I say, clutch. Big game, Bryce, baby. Alabama, Bryce. Versus the Rams, versus the Packers, the Cowboys. I think he has some of the most game-winning drives in the league since 2023. 2023. Didn’t come through last week versus the Saints, but they’ve been good in big games, and that would lead you to believe that they’re going to show up. This one, it could possibly happen, uh, this game. So, hey, as you said before, they’re due for the win. If you go with the yo yo, this is it. Then they lose next week, then they win in Tampa, and then they lose first week of the playoffs. But it’s all good. At least you get to the playoffs with that plan. We’ll see what happens. Kickoff at one o’clock, guys.