Carolina Panthers: 3 Bucs players to watch against the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers should keep an eye on these three Buccaneers.

Last Sunday the Panthers took a hard loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but week two is approaching fast so it’s time to hold up the old Panther mantra. This week is the first of two matchups against our divisional foes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also had a rough start to their season. With the divisional drama coming to your TV screen this Thursday night here are three players who might get your attention.

#12, Chris Godwin

For the last couple of years the Buccaneers have touted a phenomenal wide receiver corps headlined by Mike Evans. However, the departures of DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries have left the Buccaneers short of proven talent. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin remain the leaders of the Buccaneer wide receiver corps. Godwin has to prove that he can handle being a go-to target for prime time divisional games on the road.

In 2018 Godwin had two receptions for forty yards in the first matchup against the Panthers. His second try was much better with five receptions for one hundred and one yards and a touchdown. He showed no signs of slowing down on Sunday with three receptions for fifty-three yards and a touchdown against the 49ers. On Thursday he’ll have a chance to continue this upward trend, but he’ll have to get past James Chadberry and company to do that.

#45, Devin White

The Buccaneers ended the 2018 season ranked twenty-seventh overall in yards allowed per game, twenty-fourth in rush defense, and twenty-sixth in pass defense. These lackluster stats prompted the selection of six defensive players to help bolster overall performance. Revered linebacker Devin White was Tampa Bay’s round-one selection in 2019 so more is expected from him than anyone else.

White is expected to be an upgrade from Kwon Alexander who departed to San Francisco in the offseason. From what we’ve seen so far, White has that potential.
White was credited with five solo tackles against San Francisco, ranking third best on the team. Thursday night will be White’s first chance to square off against a divisional opponent in the regular season. It will also be his first time suited up on NFL prime time TV. A lot of pressure is on him to help handle the McCaffrey conundrum, but the Bucs are well aware and are ready for it.

#4, Ryan Griffin

Quarterback debacles are tough to watch. One person is held accountable for the entire outcome of a team sport. Last year we saw a rotation between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick with the latter being praised for his performance as a starter in the early portion of the year. Winston’s return and Fitzpatrick’s struggles that followed warranted Jameis to resume the starting job. An up-and-down year for both Winston and Fitzpatrick ultimately led to Fitzpatrick getting cut at the end of the year and Winston retaining the starting job.

This year is beginning to rhyme with last year. After a tough start against the 49ers Jameis Winston is in the hot seat. With Blaine Gabbert still recovering from a dislocated shoulder this may very well be Ryan Griffin’s time to shine. With an impressive preseason that amounted to a quarterback rating average of 100.78 we might just see a repeat of last year.