The Carolina Panthers opened the 2013 season with a 1-3 record and head coach Ron Rivera was on the hot seat. Then a switch was flipped and the team's defense was arguably the best in the league, leading the Panthers to win a total of 11 of their final 12 games. They won the NFC South and a bye in the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... didn't fare quite as well.
Panthers vs. Buccaneers 2014 game preview: Early NFC South hostilities to begin season
Cam Newton is injured but will start for the Carolina Panthers, as they hope to get an early lead in the NFC South with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
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Tampa Bay, an NFC South rival of the Panthers, went just 4-12 last season. The Bucs ended up firing head coach Greg Schiano, who just about everyone seemed to dislike. They eventually brought in former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith, a man who should be able to keep control of what is a rather young and inexperienced team.
These two organizations went in completely different ways last season, and the Panthers should be favored here, but anything can happen when you have divisional rivals. Let’s take a look at both teams:
Meet the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers would be happy if their defense could come somewhere close to Carolina's this season. Smith is a defensive coach and Leslie Frazier has been brought in as the coordinator. With guys like Gerald McCoy, Dashon Goldson, Mark Barron and Alterraun Verner, there's definitely some defensive potential there.
Those guys are going to be counted on to keep this game close, too. It's not that the Buccaneers absolutely won't be able to score on the Panthers, it's just going to be incredibly difficult. Then you have the fact that quarterback Cam Newton is dealing with some injuries, and the Buccaneers could do themselves plenty of favors if they manage to get to Newton early and often.
Offensively, there's Josh McCown at the quarterback position. He replaced Mike Glennon when Smith came in, and played well for the Chicago Bears when Jay Cutler was injured. He's got one of the toughest tests he'll face this season in the Panthers, but Tampa Bay will be counting on running back Doug Martin to provide enough assistance to put some points on the board.
Meet the Panthers
Carolina has one of the three best defenses in the NFL, at least until it's proven otherwise. Last season it was arguably the best, getting good pressure on quarterbacks, stopping the run and preventing quarterbacks from having big passing games. Contending with McCown isn't exactly "easy" per se, but it could definitely be considered a warm-up with Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees among the quarterbacks the Panthers will face this year.
Defensive end Greg Hardy was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL last year, but he's dealing with a potential suspension. Fortunately for the Panthers, this won't keep him out of this game, so he'll be free to harass McCown all he wants.
Offensively, we mentioned Newton’s injury, and that’s a definite cause for concern. He has a rib injury and, while this is something quarterbacks typically play through, it will definitely have an effect on him Sunday. He had offseason surgery on his ankle, which was already leading many to question whether he’d run the ball as much as usual, and the fractured ribs now seem to make that proposition all too risky. Still, plenty of quarterbacks have played with fractured ribs and thrown the football quite well.
Injuries
For the Panthers, the only person on their injury report at all is Newton. He’s listed as questionable with the rib injury, but he was a full participant in practice on Friday. He’ll play and he’ll finish the game if he’s not beat up too bad by the Buccaneers’ defense, though his performance might take a hit.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have eight players on their injury report, including five players (William Gholston, Bradley McDougald, Rashaan Melvin, Louis Murphy and Da'Quan Bowers) declared out. Cornerback Mike Jenkins is a big name appearing on the list -- he has a hamstring injury and is listed as probable. He'll play, but he may not take as many snaps as usual.
Follow the Fun
Buccaneers:
Panthers:
Odds
The Panthers opened up as three-point favorites and that line has held on some books, while others have dropped to -2.5 in favor of Carolina, the road team, according to Odds Shark.
Next Week
Tampa Bay will have another home game next week, hosting the St. Louis Rams on Sept. 14. The Panthers will have their home opener on the same day, hosting the Detroit Lions.
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