The Carolina Panthers looked like the team of old with the 17-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and limiting critical mistakes had much to do with that.
Eight games into the 2017 season and the Carolina Panthers have looked like one of two teams. On one side, they are the offensive threat that everyone expected them to be, moving the ball and racking up yards at will. Then there’s the other side of the coin in which they struggle on both sides of the ball. In their 17-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, the Panthers looked like a team that made its way back to the organization’s style of play.
While Sunday’s game wasn’t perfect, it was the type of mix that allowed them to find the balance on offense that has been widely missing this season. The story always begins with how well Cam Newton plays, and he had a “mediocre” stat line of sorts, as he completed 18 of 32 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown. He threw one interception, which continues his trend of a turnover plagued season.
Newton hasn’t faced the open criticism that hit him hard early in his career, but if this problem doesn’t get corrected soon the Panthers may find themselves on the outside looking into the post season once again.
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The good sign is that the Panthers offensive line played well. Newton was not sacked at all in this game as the Bucs defense struggled to get to him. For only the second time this season, Newton remained upright and didn’t find himself taking additional hits in sacks.
Rushing wise, the offensive line also performed well in that area. The Panthers rushing core gained 100 yards on 31 attempts, pushing above the 97.3 rushing yards per average that followed them into this game. Seeing the Panthers get back to running the ball to control the pace of the game — especially during the 17 play drive in the first quarter — brought back memories of the team that has performed well on the ground in recent years.
Defensively, the Panthers welcomed back Luke Kuechly and Kurt Coleman, two of the more important players in this defensive unit. Together they combined for 17 total tackles, and ignited the defense to play what seemed to be their best game of the year. They forced three turnovers while only allowing the Bucs to convert 2-of-12 third-down conversions. They also sacked Jameis Winston three times, getting pressure with only their front four.
Coming into this game, Tampa Bay led the league in passing yards per game at 312, but Carolina kept them to only 210 yards through the air. The pressure that Winston faced forced him to throw two interceptions, one to Kuechly and the other to Mike Adams. The Panthers defense was known for their ability to force turnovers and again, this unit looked like they were back to that form in today’s game.
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The Panthers earned a vital NFC South victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this afternoon. This division is historically very difficult and all three of the four teams remain viable contenders to the NFC South crown. This was a game that the Panthers had to take and their performance allowed them to get back to what made this organization a solid team in the past.