The Panthers fell to 0-2 with a disappointing 31-17 loss to the Buccaneers. Here are four winners and four losers from today’s game.
Winner: WRs D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson
Wideouts Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore were a big reason why Carolina stayed in this game in the second half. They combined for 229 yards off 17 receptions, with Anderson’s longest catch stretching 39 yards and Moore’s going for 30. Anderson’s signing is beginning to look like one of the better offseason moves by the team this year.
Loser: QB Teddy Bridgewater
Two interceptions and a fumble doesn’t make a pretty stat line for a starting QB. The blowout first half of this game not only saw Bridgewater lose a fumble, but it also saw a most-bizarre interception off of what appeared to be a simple screen to Christian McCaffrey. Bridgewater threw another pick in the second half and finished with a lackluster 83.2 passer rating.
Winner: DT Woodrow Hamilton
Just a day after being called up from the practice squad, Hamilton made an impact in the first half. He also had one of the few defensive highlights of the game with a fumble recovery off a sloppy Brady-Fournette handoff. Hamilton made a solid case to be called up to the 53-man roster permanently, especially if their other defensive tackles keep struggling.
Loser: DT Derrick Brown
The interior defensive line failed at pressuring Tom Brady all game and rookie DT Derrick Brown made things even worse with two third-down penalties. In the first half, Brown was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on a late hit. Later in the game, he was called for a hands to the face penalty. Both flags gave the Buccaneers lucky breaks when they needed them.
Winner: RB Christian McCaffrey
The best back in the NFL had yet another strong game – unfortunately this time it ended with an injury scare. McCaffrey only rushed for 59 yards off 18 carries, but he also punched in two touchdowns before exiting the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury. While Mike Davis held his own in lieu of McCaffrey’s injury, the offense definitely can’t afford to lose No. 22 for any amount of time.
Loser: Offensive line
To blame the entire loss on Bridgewater would be unfair. The offensive line played a role in Teddy’s failure, allowing seven quarterback hits and five sacks. When a QB gets pressured constantly, turnovers are the inevitable result. This offensive line needs to give Bridgewater more time to work this scheme than they did today.
Winner: DE Brian Burns
Burns was one of the brightest spots on what has been a notoriously hopeless Carolina run defense since 2019. Heading into this divisional matchup, the team knew Tampa Bay’s trio of Ronald Jones, Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy had the potential to run all over the Panthers’ inexperienced defense and break through to their even more inexperienced second level. However, Burns had a few nice tackles for a loss, quietly preventing a massive stat line for any of the three opposing backs.
Loser: Matt Rhule
The decision to call a fake punt on a fourth and two from the Tampa Bay 36-yard line in the second quarter was bizarre at best. Tampa’s defense was not fooled in the slightest and the play failed. This staff is quickly learning the NFL is not college football, although a transition period for the group was expected given the lack of experience all around.
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