Carolina Panthers (2-15) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8): 0-9
The Buccaneers had one mission in this meeting: to win against the Panthers. It's done. A victory which ensures them the NFC South title and the number 4 seed for the playoffs. As for the manner, we will come back.
We must be clear: against almost any team in the league, Tampa Bay would have lost this meeting. In 10 drives, the attack led by Baker Mayfield (20/32, 137 yards) only obtained 14 first attempts. 7 punts, 3 field goals, 9 small points, normally, defeat is assured. But, luckily for them, they were facing the Panthers.
There are things that are debated, others not. Who is the MVP this season? Who is the greatest player in history? The biggest franchise? So many debates that can keep NFL fans entertained for hours. But, to the question of the worst team of the 2023 season, the answer is obvious: the Carolina Panthers.
Once again, they gave us a mess of football, especially offensively. Bryce Young (11/18, 94 yards, 1 lost fumble), so bright and full of confidence in college, looks panicked as soon as he receives the ball. Which is understandable, when you throw to receivers wearing mitts, all behind such a porous line. The Panthers also achieved something that hadn't happened since the Browns in 2008: not scoring a single point in two consecutive games.
Tampa Bay in the playoffs, but what to do there?
Obviously, against an opponent such as the Panthers, victory was obvious for the Buccaneers. However, there is nothing encouraging about it. The main thing was to win, but what will they be able to do in the playoffs, when they host the Cowboys or the Eagles, depending on tonight's results? Their defense remains solid, with talented players, but the attack is rarely weak for a division champion. Additionally, Baker Mayfield appeared injured late in the game, which doesn't bode well.
For two seasons, the NFC South has been redefining the terms of a draw division. However, as surprising as it may seem, there is improvement. Last year, the Buccaneers won the division with a negative record. From there to say that Baker Mayfield is better than Tom Brady, we must not overdo it, but it is also proof that it takes very little to go to the playoffs when you play in the NFC South. Every year, there is a one in four chance of playing the first round of the playoffs at home, when other divisions, the NFC East, in particular, have two teams with more than 10 victories, one of which will have to travel to Tampa next week.
Carolina deep in the hole
The Panthers, for their part, hope to forget this nightmarish 2023 exercise as quickly as possible. The objective is clear: to continue a reconstruction that is badly off to a good start. As a reminder, Carolina will not have a first-round draft pick next season, which they traded last year to go up for Bryce Young. A choice, moreover, which would have been number one, because the Panthers finish this season with the worst record, by far.
The Carolina staff will have to roll up their sleeves, because there is work. We must strengthen this attack as quickly as possible, because although his rookie season was complicated, Bryce Young still showed in sequences that he has something under the hood. A line and targets, that's what Carolina needs. But, like the Jaguars in their day, the Panthers will probably have to overpay players to convince them to join the worst NFL team.
