What are some keys to a spoilsport Carolina Panthers victory in Week 16 against the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The Carolina Panthers playoff hopes may once again be dashed before the final whistle blows on the regular season, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing left to play for.
While, yes, there is an argument to be made that the team is better off losing their remaining games so that their first-round pick becomes more valuable – an argument I happen to agree with – tanking has always been a controversial topic and isn’t exactly fun for fans to experience.
There is also the fact that a collapse like that may cause owner David Tepper into drastic action regarding head coach Matt Rhule, which would be a complete reset after just two years.
Nevertheless, these articles are meant to be positive and give a realistic path to victory for this Panthers squad and that’s what this will be. No matter the overall circumstances.
In Week 16 the Panthers will play host to the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are fresh off a drubbing by an undermanned New Orleans Saints that was nothing short of an embarrassment for Tom Brady his teammates.
On top of that all-important defeat, the Bucs also lost their top three playmakers for an extended period of time with Leonard Fournette and Mike Evans injuring their hamstrings and Chris Godwin tearing his ACL and spraining his MCL on a tough hit to the legs that sparked controversy over the league’s defenseless player rules.
With that said, Tampa Bay still won it all last season and the mark of a championship team is its ability to overcome adversity and it doesn’t get much more adverse than that.
Spoiling the Bucs’ bid to win their first division title since 2007 will be no easy task for this foundering Panthers squad. But there are some fairly simple ways that they can make life easier on themselves.
With this in mind, here are four keys to victory for Carolina in their final home game of the season.