5 Buccaneers players the Carolina Panthers must keep quiet in Week 16
By Jason Huber
Shaquil Barrett – OLB
Two years removed from an incredible season when he put up 19.5 sacks, Shaquil Barrett is still a huge threat on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.
After a bit of a “down” year in 2020 by his usually high standards, Barrett has nine sacks this season and continues to make life tough for opposing quarterbacks when he can.
Barrett has at least one quarterback hit in all but one game this season and has caused signal-callers across the NFL to lose 56 yards total this year with his impressive takedowns.
The Buccaneers defense is one of the league’s best, holding teams to just 89 yards per game on the ground. Barrett doesn’t have the toughest of tasks this week with the Carolina Panthers starting Chuba Hubbard at running back and Cam Newton at quarterback.
With Lavonte David out, Barrett will have to step up his production this week and while Matt Rhule figures out when he wants to switch between Newton and Sam Darnold, the edge defender is going to try and take advantage by messing up the flow of the Panthers offense.
Whoever is running the Carolina offense, must watch out for Barrett. And the struggling offensive line might have their work cut out keeping the player out of the backfield.