4 Panthers players who need to step up against the Buccaneers

Curtis Samuel – Carolina Panthers WR

Curtis Samuel‘s quest to become a prolific wide receiver in 2020 didn’t get off to the best of starts on Sunday. He did manage to catch five of seven targets, but his 38 receiving yards came as a result of little yardage after the catch.

There were timing problems between Samuel and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater throughout. Hopefully, this is something that will improve with more time on the field. But the former Ohio State star will need to start performing at the level he is capable of if he wants a big-money deal next spring.

With so many other options available to offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Samuel has to make the most out of whatever targets come his way. There is only one football to go around and the stronger his production, the more he will receive in the way of targets.

NFL teams always ride the hot hand and the Carolina Panthers should be no different. The Buccaneers do have some questions to answer regarding their secondary and this is something Samuel might be able to take advantage of with so much attention on the likes of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson.

There is a lot riding on this season for the 2017 second-round pick. But handling the pressure shouldn’t be a problem and a big performance in Week 2 is not entirely out of the question.