4 players the Panthers need to gameplan better for in Week 10

Which Buccaneers players do the Carolina Panthers need to contain better in Week 10?

The Carolina Panthers are going in search of revenge when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. Their first NFC South divisional matchup of the season went the way of Bruce Arians’ men and a similar result in this one would leave Matt Rhule staring at a 3-7 record and a five-game losing run.

This is not entirely unexpected when one considers just how many changes were made across the Carolina Panthers and relatively little in the way of time to prepare for the campaign thanks to COVID-19 disruption. They can take some comfort in the fact this team is competitive when firing on all cylinders, but getting to that next level and possible playoff contention will take another strong offseason of recruitment.

Tampa Bay doesn’t have this problem. Tom Brady’s arrival to a loaded roster on both sides of the ball has left expectations at an all-time high and although the Bucs have started well, on the whole, they are sure to be motivated for this one following their demoralizing beatdown at the Saints on Sunday Night Football.

If the Panthers want to end a concerning recent slide, players and coaching staff alike need to do a better job of containing these four Bucs players who made a big difference in Week 2.

Leonard Fournette – RB

Leonard Fournette announced himself with the Buccaneers thanks to a standout display against the Panthers earlier this season. The running back took advantage of Carolina’s suspect ability stopping the run to record 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns from just 12 carries, which also included a 46-yard score that all-but iced the game.

Things haven’t gone according to plan for the former first-round pick since then. Fournette has found life tough making his presence felt in the offense and is still losing the lion’s share of the carries to Ronald Jones.

However, the Panthers need to be wary whenever Fournette lines up in the backfield as they should be all-too-aware of the damage he can do in space.