4 pivotal matchups that will decide Panthers at Bucs in Week 18

What will be the matchups to keep an eye on come Sunday for the Carolina Panthers at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18?

Well, we can at least say this about the Carolina Panthers this season. They were consistent.

The team went into Sunday an underdog, but not by much, against a New Orleans Saints team that was missing multiple key contributors from an early-season matchup that the Panthers came out on top of. However, that just wasn’t in the cards this time around.

A typical second-half collapse and inability to truly adjust along with the competition once again doomed Carolina and there was little chance of victory after going behind late in the third quarter.

The defense was able to hold the Saints out of the end-zone until halfway through the fourth quarter and the Panthers still somehow found a way to lose. Showing just how inept the offense has become.

Even a third straight 1,000-yard season by D.J. Moore hasn’t been enough to get things back on track. We are wasting the prime of Moore and not giving others the opportunities to develop, this team is going nowhere.

Carolina Panthers could use a change in direction.

What Carolina needs is a reset. But whether team owner David Tepper will be willing to make the necessary decisions to make that happen.

But enough negativity, the fans have one more chance to see their team play this season on Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While there isn’t a great chance it will be a victory, we can still enjoy the last glimpse of the white, blue, and black.

That last glimpse, however, will come against a Buccaneers team that has a lot left to play for and that is a scary proposition for the Panthers.

It won’t be easy, it won’t be pretty, might be better off as a loss, but there are some matchups that are worth keeping an eye on nonetheless.