5 Buccaneers players the Carolina Panthers must keep quiet in Week 18
By Jason Huber
Sean Murphy-Bunting – CB
The young cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed eight games after an injury he suffered in Week 1. But Sean Murphy-Bunting came back playing at a high level, which is another significant boost for this team’s Super Bowl defense.
Without Murphy-Bunting, in addition to some other secondary injuries, the Buccaneers’ secondary was visibly not the same and his return has made them a scary postseason threat once again.
Murphy-Bunting had a solid day two weeks ago against the Carolina Panthers with a tackle for loss and pass defended. He is still looking for his first interception of the season and will look to secure this at the expense of turnover-prone Sam Darnold in Week 18.
Last week, Murphy-Bunting was late to the game due to some travel and COVID-19 struggles, leaving him to not start and only play in 15 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps. So he will certainly be looking for a bounce-back game against the Panthers at Raymond James Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether Carolina will switch up its offense due to it being the final game. But rookie receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. is done for the year and Robby Anderson is also banged up – leaving D.J. Moore as the only reliable option for Darnold once again.