Mission: Carolina Panthers

The 9-6 Bucs wrap up the regular season with a battle against their division rivals, the 6-9 Panthers. This will be the Buccaneers 500th game as a franchise, and they look to go out on top. With a playoff spot secured, the Bucs might rest their starters, as they did in last week’s loss to the 49ers. The Panthers will be trying to salvage a disappointing season.

Much like the Bucs last opponent, the Panthers are towards the bottom in almost every offensive category. They are 29th in the league in points per game and 30th in total yards per game. They are 29th in passing yards per game. The Panthers are 25th in the league or lower in 8 offensive categories, including total first downs. Even if the other quarterbacks are healthy, expect to see Matt Moore start. He has been the most consistent Panther QB this season, leading his team to a 1-1 record over his starts. The Bucs will have a tough time with the running combination of DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams. The Panthers are 7th in the league in total rushing plays. The Panthers also have a dangerous receiver in Steve Smith. Their defense isn’t ultimately powerful, but they are lead by Jon Beason, who has 127 tackles, and is one of only twenty players with 100 tackles or more. They also have the dangerous Julius Peppers, and Deke Cooper.

Even if the Bucs take a break with their starters next week, the Bucs defense is still one of the best in the league. They are 2nd in the league in total first downs, and 1st in total touchdowns. Even with the three touchdowns scored against them, Tampa still has some of the best numbers on the defensive side of the ball. They are in the top 5 in several categories still, and have a hard time slowing down, even with the backups playing. Even though everyone was snubbed, the Bucs still deserve credit that they don’t get.

Playing in their 500th game as a franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to end this season on top. Last year, they were 4-12, their worst record in many years. This season was a complete turnaround, and even if they wind up with a 9-7 record, we can still call it a victory. The Bucs have found their quarterback, their defense is back, they’ve won the South, and they returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the first time in franchise history, game number 498. No matter what happens, we should all be proud of what our team has accomplished.