Bucs @ Panthers...And Here....we...GO!
by JasonDLT on Dec 2, 2008 10:29 AM EST
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PrintWell, despite the poor predicitions from some of your fans (so much for Brees burning the Bucs), we are here. 9-3 vs. 9-3, mano-e-mano - the battle for control of the NFC South.
As Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are", so we know both teams are great football teams coming in - but the question is which team is better?
Well, if you go by recent body of work, you'd have to say Tampa Bay. Carolina has struggled to beat Oakland, Detroit, AND Green Bay, while the Bucs took Minnesota and Detroit to the woodshed and shut down Drew Brees. Statistically, the Bucs are better on offense, defense, and special teams. If we go back to the last meeting as an indicator, Carolina came in playing some of their best ball of the season, while Jeff Garcia was just getting back into the groove as Bucs QB...and the result was 27-3.
In divisional rivalries anything can happen and I truly believe that if the Panthers are going to win this game, they must force the Buccaneer offense into mistakes. If the Panthers can get some turnovers, get a short field for Delhomme and the offense, then that will definitely help.
If the Bucs protect the football, I think they win this game going away. The Panthers aren't going to be able to run the football on the Bucs defense and its going to force Delhomme to win the game. I don't know if he still has the juice to get it done.
Yes...yes...I know...he did it against Green Bay. Surely you're not going to compare Green Bay's defense to the Buccaneers. Add to that the Bucs have won two of the last three trips to Carolina and Jeff Garcia is 9-2 lifetime against Carolina...I feel real good about my team's chances.
You may commence in your attacks!
Come visit JC De La Torre's Tampa Bay Sports Blog
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In the first game...
Our o-line was not intact. We were missing one or two starters I believe. Also, the blocked punt spotted the Bucs a TD so hopefully the Panthers have corrected that mistake. Finally, this game is in Charlotte, under the lights and scrutiny of Monday night which is sure to benefit the Panthers.
I agree the Panthers will struggle to run the ball. I agree the last time the Panthers Run D got killed by Warrick Dunn but that should be corrected.
I’ll be putting up the usual Q&A post over at SBN affiliate Buc em
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Premature
I think there maybe a little bit of premature celebration going on there. Granted this isn’t a give-me game either way, but don’t think it will be as easy as you make it out to sound.
Is this the official Q&A thread from Buc’em?
I am not affiliated with Buc Em although I do post over there.
Please don’t get me wrong, we haven’t counted any chickens yet and we do understand the challenge the Bucs have going on the road in that crazy Monday Night atmosphere.
I just believe the Bucs are the better team….the better team doesn’t always win or else no one would bet. So nothing’s guaranteed.
Come visit JC De La Torre’s Tampa Bay Sports Blog
Stats
If you want to point out stats, how about these:
The Panthers held the Saints to fewer points than in either of your games
The Panthers held Drew Brees to few yards than in either of your games
The Packers rank ahead of the Bucs in points per game (5th vs 17th)
The Packers rank ahead of the Bucs in offensive yards per game (12th vs 14th)
The Packers rank ahead of the Bucs in passing yards per game (228.9 to 217.4)
but stats are for losers, right? :)
According to John Fox they are :)
Sure, let the Bucs come in all smug from their earlier victory. If the Panthers can stop the running game and get some pressure on Garcia they will be alright.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
The Packers also put 31 points on your defense. I hope you don’t think you’re going to hang 35 on the Bucs D, that’s not happening.
In fact, let’s talk points. 31 to Green Bay, 45 to Atlanta (ouch), 22 to Detroit (we gave up 20, so I’d call that a push) oh and let’s not forget 27 to Tampa Bay…27 just happens to be the most points the Bucs defense gave up all season (in a week-before-the-bye not playing your best game on the road against KC).
And yeah, you’re right, the Panthers did do a better job on the Saints – we did a better job against the Lions, Minnesota (beat them, btw), and Green Bay. What’s the point?
Here’s numbers for you -
The Bucs > The Panthers
On Offense -
Total yds (14 vs 17)
Passing (12 vs 22)
3rd down con % (17 vs 26)
4th down con % (9 vs 28)
On Defense-
Pts (4 vs 7)
Total yds (4 vs 11)
vs. the Pass (3 vs 12)
vs the Run (9 vs 18)
Interceptions (6 vs 23)
Sacks (20 vs 23)
On Special teams
Kick Return Ave (1 vs 9)
Kick Return coverage (5 vs 9)
Punt Return coverage (5 vs 8)
Kicking (2 vs 10)
Punting (11 vs 21)
There’s others but you get the idea….
JC De La Torre
Come visit JC De La Torre’s Tampa Bay Sports Blog
What's the point?
That’s exactly my point. You can throw out as many stats as you like, but at the end of the day it will come down to which team has the most points when the clock reaches 0:00 in the 4th quarter. Not who’s better in which stat category.
As big as this game is it may decide nothing
Even if the Panthers win they still have a match-up with the Giants looming. The Bucs in turn have to go to ATL next. They could lose and still win the division if the Panthers fall to the Giants and they beat the Falcons.
In the end the Panthers will want to win just because ITS THE BUCS!!!!
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
You know, it's funny you can make those comments about statistics....
Right after the season of Super Bowl 42. The Patriots clearly had the upper hand in all categories of your so-called ‘statistics’ and was having one of the best seasons of all time. They were the only team since the Miami Dolphins of 72 to ever go undefeated in the regular season. Yet none of the statistics, none of the announcers predictions, none of it made a bit of difference once the Giants came in and beat in their face.
Conclusion? You can whip out all the statistics you want and it won’t make a bit of difference. Forget about them. Let’s talk about your games.
You guys BARELY beat the Saints last week. You came one good drive from losing that game while we flogged the Saints in week 7 30-7.
What’s up with that?
Oh, and remember when you let a 3rd round Kansas City rookie run all over you for over 100 yards? They were ahead by two scores and came within a field goal of beating your oh so mighty team. It might not hurt to mention that the rookie only has about 300 yards for the season. Ouch. Bet you didn’t know that did you? Of course, the Panthers shut the Chiefs down in week 5 34-0.
I don’t know what happened to the rookie in that game.
Oh and how can anyone forget your game against the Dallas Cowboys, the only team that they were able to beat with Brad Johnson at the helm. Where was your defence? Not a single interception in the game, and everyone knows he flings it everywhere.
Even the Rams beat them, and that’s just a damn shame.
But of course, none of that makes any difference. You have statistics. You can slip that under your pillow and sleep soundly at night.
Here’s my prediction. I predict that there’s going to be lots of happy people in Bank of America stadium on Monday.
None of them will be wearing red.
"Once again the trowsers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
Yes, statistics do not play between the lines, I agree with that and it will come down to Monday night who is the better football team that very night. It happend to the Rams in Super Bowl 42 and it was reversed on the Patriots last year. The Rams would have beaten the Patriots 9 times out of 10 that year…but that one game was the one that got played. Same thing with last year, the Pats beat the Giants 9 out of 10 times…but the one is all that matters. I’ve very cognezant of that fact and I make no illusions that it’s a lock that the Buccaneers or Panthers win on Monday night. Frankly, I think its going to be one of the best, most hard fought games of the series and my prediction is there while be several long faces in Bank of America Stadium on Monday night and none of them will be wearing red.
The Bucs are a nightmare matchup for the Panthers.
Their run D is exceptional, which will stifle Williams/Stewart and force Delhomme to make plays (gulp) against a team that runs the Cover 2 as well as anyone in the league.
Offensively Garcia is the prototypical QB for defeating the Panthers – mobile, accurate and with the patience to hit the checkdown. With the Cover 3 system Trgovac/Fox employs the checkdown is always there. Against a QB like Garcia that’ll lead to some long drives for points which could help the Bucs control the game.
Mobile QB's do hurt us
and those dump down passes kill us too. We will have to keep Garcia in check
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Tampa Bay has allowed only one hundred yard rusher, the aforementioned Jamaal Charles of Kansas City in a game that admittedly wasn’t our finest.
Tampa Bay has also allowed only ONE rushing touchdown all season, that also in the Kansas City game (I forget who the runner was, it wasn’t Charles).
The Bucs shutdown Adrian Peterson. We shut down Michael Turner, Marion Barber, Matt Forte, Reggie Bush/Pierre Thomas/Deuce McCallister (twice), Kevin Smith, and yes…DeAngelo Williams and James Stewart.
The Bucs don’t fear the run and they want you to pass – that’s where the defense makes its name. The only thing preventing the Buccaneers from being undefeated right now is their offense…and that’s where Carolina really needs to attack and force mistakes. The Bucs offense, especially on the road, can be forced into errors – do that, you stand a great chance to win. Otherwise…
good stuff
I have to admit, I like it. I want everyone to think the Bucs are better. The Panthers need to show up ready to play against a foe they know is not a cake walk. If we play like we did against Oakland, the Raiders would actually beat this time around. We have to bring our A game, and if we don’t, we don’t deserve the division title. I don’t want to lose to the Bucs and then win the division because we beat so and so and the Bucs lost to so and so. I want to come out and beat them straight up and finish the season as the straight up winner, not some team who got it by default (look at the AFC and NFC West for examples.) Jeff Garcia gave us fits when he was in Philly and in Tampa and Warrick Dunn has been our nemesis for years, especially when he was the #2 RB behind Michael Vick. If we don’t like it, we need to come out and shut those guys down. Otherwise, let’s get ready to host a wildcard game. If we lose to them and to the Giants, at 11-5, we could miss the playoffs because the Cowboys, Redskins, and Falcons might also be 11-5. We need to be 13-3 to guarantee a 1st rd bye.
Definitely understandable…the Bucs also play better as an underdog.
Even with their tough schedule, I don’t see the Panthers missing the playoffs – even if they lose to the Bucs this week. You got a damn good football team with the ingridients to make some playoff team miserable. I just hope its on the road and the Bucs get that bye. :-)
Okay Panther fans – call your shot -
I’m going Tampa Bay 24, Carolina 17 in a good, hard fought battle that may come down to the final moments. What do you have?
20-16 Panthers is mine
And the Panthers put up 301 yards!!!
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
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