Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-7 start in 2024
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers at Buccaneers - Week 13
- Date: Sunday, December 1
- Time: 4.05 p.m. ET
- Venue: Raymond James Stadium
The end of the 2024 campaign is mercifully in sight for the Carolina Panthers at this juncture. Their business end of the season through December begins with a trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which will see Dave Canales go back to the team he left this offseason to take the head coaching job with an NFC South rival.
Canales spent one season with the Buccaneers. He played a leading role in helping quarterback Baker Mayfield get back to his old self and earn a ton of money along the way. There will be a sense of sentiment attached to the contest, but it'll be all business when game time arrives.
The Panthers haven't exactly shone against the Buccaneers in recent seasons. Tom Brady torched them on countless occasions during his stint with the franchise. Mayfield had no trouble ruthlessly disposing of his old employers in their two meetings last season.
While Canales will know how to counteract Tampa Bay's threats better than anybody, doing it is another matter. The Buccaneers don't have Chris Godwin after the wide receiver suffered a brutal season-ending injury when real momentum was building. But they boast Mike Evans and a decent enough defense capable of making things difficult for the Panthers in this one.
Just who'll be under center in Carolina by this point is anyone's guess. Andy Dalton wanted to start in Week 9 but was held back by Canales. The margin for error is incredibly slim where Bryce Young is concerned. There are also murmurings that the signal-caller could still be traded before the deadline to factor into the equation.
- Prediction: Carolina Panthers loss (2-10)
It's hard to see how the Panthers' dismal run against the Buccaneers will end despite their up-and-down campaign. If Canales found himself 2-10 at this stage, it won't be much longer before the national media begins speculating about his future given team owner David Tepper's impulsive decision-making previously.
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