Panthers vs. Buccaneers 2013, Week 8: Live coverage, score updates and more

The evolution of Newton as a passer has changed the face of the team. It’s a modified case of addition by subtraction, with the offense simultaneously asking less of the third-year quarterback while also allowing him to make more choices on the field. It’s a phenomenon known in Carolina as “Letting Cam be Cam,” and this combination has made Newton to trust his teammates organically, rather than having his hand forced.

In past seasons a needlessly complicated offensive scheme resulted in a noticeably uncomfortable quarterback. Newton clung onto the one raft that was always there, wide receiver Steve Smith. An over-reliance on the veteran made Newton a one-trick passer. Opposing defenses learned to bracket Smith, which turned the Carolina offense into feast or famine -- there were times they would turn out highlight reel plays, but equally as many where drives stalled due to Newton’s inability to find other receivers in short yardage situations.

The Panthers’ play calling and game plan was equally impressive, prompting James Dator at Cat Scratch Reader to praise offensive coordinator Mike Shula for keeping things simple.

On the other side, the 0-7 Bucs are lost, frustrated and on the verge of mutiny. Roughly 12 hours after NFL.com’s Mike Silver published a telling article citing sources within the locker room saying that Schiano has lost the respect of his players, fans in the half-empty Raymond James Stadium could be seen clamoring for the second-year head coach’s departure. Hoisting signs, wearing paper bags over there heads and, at least in one instance, donning a Breaking Bad-style HazMat suit, fans made it clear they are ready for a coaching change sooner rather than later.

The Buccaneers didn’t do much scoring Thursday night against the Panthers, but they did find opportunity to scare the uninitiated with their celebratory cannon. Cam Newton tried to dodge an imaginary cannonball and Steve Mariucci just lost his composure entirely:

Trust is a word you’ll hear repeated a lot by Panthers’ players, and it’s the core reason the team is above .500 for the first time in five years. Newton is trusting his offensive players, while the normally conservative coaching staff believes its players are able to handle their jobs without micro-managing.

The Panthers are no longer an easy out. This is a team full of confidence, showing an ability to beat teams in a multitude of ways. Newton’s latest incarnation is the accurate pocket passer, something he hasn’t shown in the past. On Thursday night he completed 72-percent of his passes, throwing two touchdowns and running in another, all without a turnover.

[UPDATE: head coach Ron Rivera said after Thursday’s game that Johnson suffered a pull, not a tear, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Johnson expressed his frustration with the injury after the game, and could not say whether he would be available next week against Atlanta, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.]

Johnson was closing out the Panthers’ 31-13 win in the final minute of the game when he went down. He remained on the field before being taken by cart to the locker room. The team hasn’t made an announcement on his status, but losing one of the defense’s top pass rushers would dampen a win when Carolina is looking to make a push in the second half of the season.

Overall, it was exactly the sort of listless performance Schiano didn’t need if he hopes to remain in Tampa Bay next season, or even for the few weeks.

The Panthers’ offense put together two impressive drives to start the game, racking up 150 yards on its first two possessions to take an early 14-3 lead. They punted three times to close the half, however, allowing the Buccaneers to stay within shouting distance, 14-6, at halftime. The Bucs had a pair of drives stall inside the Panthers’ 30-yard line, giving the sparse home crowd in attendance some hope that the team could mount a second-half comeback. Alas, Newton and the Panthers’ front seven proved too strong.

The Panthers are sending the Buccaneers to an 0-7 record, and Bucs fans came prepared to publicly lambast their scapegoat, Greg Schiano. First, there was the standard brown bag over the head, replete with a “Schiano is worse than MRSA” message (and a Twitter handle, because head-baggin’ is a great opportunity to build one’s personal brand):

And then there’s this guy wearing the signature Breaking Bad yellow hazmat suit reading “SCHIANO” because ... well, I don’t really know:

Update: Johnthan Banks returned in the second half and remains with the first-team defense.

Banks went to the sideline with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, and it was later announced that he went to the locker room for further evaluation.

The Buccaneers’ defense clamped down on the Panthers’ final drive of the half sacking Cam Newton on 2nd down in Bucs territory to force a sailed pass on 3rd down and a punt.

• NFL Week 8 picks: Halfway there | Watchability

No coach is guaranteed to keep his job following an 0-6 start, but in this case there are extenuating circumstances. Schiano has alienated himself from his players and a report Thursday indicated he has lost the team’s locker room following a series of events that led to the release of quarterback Josh Freeman. One player likened playing in Tampa Bay to “being in Cuba,” referencing the coach’s totalitarian approach to leadership.

The Buccaneers are 7-15 since Schiano became head coach in 2012. Tampa Bay played well early in his tenure, and looked like a playoff team, but lost five of its last six games to finish at 7-9. Uneven quarterback play carried into the 2013 season, where the struggling offense ranks 31st in yards and points, respectively.

Full inactives:

Dwan Edwards, DT - Hamstring

In his article, Silver quotes multiple sources within the Tampa Bay organization and around the league who claim that Schiano’s totalitarian approach to leadership makes working or playing under him an unbearable experience. Since his days at Rutgers, where he led the Scarlet Knight’s to one of the more impressive turnarounds in recent college football history, he has been known as a controlling figure, and several players, including one that likened playing under Schiano to “being in Cuba,” told Silver his my-way-or-the-highway approach has alienated him from the locker room.

“He gathered us before we practiced and told us that if Belichick said something to us on the field, we should listen,” one current Bucs player told Silver. “He said, ‘Treat their coaches like they’re your coaches.’ We were like, ‘Huh?’ When we practiced together, whatever Belichick wanted, he did. It was hilarious -- here (Schiano) is, acting like Mr. Tough Guy all the time, and when Belichick wanted something, he was like, ‘Yes, Bill.’ ”

Doug Martin is out and Tampa Bay’s chances of beating Carolina Thursday night probably went out the window at the same time.

The winless Buccaneers declared their star running back out of the Thursday Week 8 battle where the spread opened at 3 points and climbed all the way to -7 for the Panthers at one book monitored by OddsShark.com.

Carolina has won three of its last four games and is now 3-3 on the season and two games back in the division. Cam Newton is playing extremely well as of late and his performance combined with Carolina’s solid defense have the Panthers looking like a possible playoff contender.

Tampa Bay swept Carolina last season, but the Panthers lead the head-to-head matchup 13-9 since 2001.

Team doctor Robert Heyer told the Charlotte Observer about the futility of trying to eliminate MRSA:

Teams have medical staff on retainer for precisely these kind of judgement calls, but it would be interesting to see how the Panthers’ diagnosis of the situation differs from that of doctors in New England and Atlanta, where both teams took extra steps to prevent an outbreak.