Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Carolina Panthers: How To Defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Carolina Panthers must return to form by using the rushing attack to control the Monday Night Football matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and win

The Carolina Panthers are looking to halt their tumultuous start to the 2016 season when they host their NFC South rivals in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs find themselves in the same position; 1-3 and riding a three-game losing streak. For Carolina to win this game they must return to form behind one of the most powerful running attacks in the NFL..

Coming into Week 4, the Panthers are without reigning NFL MVP, Cam Newton. Newton has been ruled out of Monday’s game due to concussion issues he suffered against the Atlanta Falcons. Former starter turned backup, Derek Anderson, is filling in for his first start of the 2016 season. The last two games that Anderson started were also against the Bucs where he combined for five touchdowns, no interceptions, and two wins. He’s facing a depleted Bucs team again on Monday Night Football where he should be able to win.

Still, the Panthers should lean on the rushing attack that’s brought them much success in the past. Jonathan Stewart is set to make his return after missing recent games due to hamstring issues. When coupled with Cameron Artis-Payne, Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert, this group is finally back at full strength. The question is whether or not the offensive line can match their abilities.

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In the loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Panthers ended with 49 rushing yards. This was the first time since the 2014 season in which the Panthers did not earn at least 100 yards on the ground. The offensive line has been a major problem protecting the quarterback, but overall they’ve still done a solid job in moving the defensive line to control the running game.

Tampa Bay’s defense has yet to face a team that is built to run the ball quite like the Panthers. To this point, the Bucs are allowing only 95.8 yards per game. Carolina, on the other hand, is averaging 121.8 yards per game, one of the top 10 units in the league. With Anderson filling in as the backup, expectations are that Carolina will focus on the rushing game to control the clock and the tempo of the game. Anderson is a veteran who knows how to make the right decisions, but limiting his exposure helps cover up the potential weaknesses that his inclusion in the game creates. Even without Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers still need to run the ball often as long as they do not get down early; forcing themselves to play catchup through the air.

The Panthers need to get this win over the Bucs if they are going to avoid falling far behind the rest of the NFC South. The Buccaneers are struggling in their own right and the Panthers are an equipped team with the available tools to win this game. With Anderson at the helm and even without Stewart, a heavy dose of running the ball seems to be the best path towards a Panthers victory on Monday.

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