Panthers @ Bucs

[BLUE 1,026]

By JEFF BARTL

STATS Senior Writer

(AP) -- Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly signed lucrative extensions with the Carolina Panthers this offseason to anchor their respective sides of the ball for many years to come.

 

Newton's latest performance helped the Panthers get off to their best start in 12 years, but Kuechly hasn't taken the field since suffering a concussion in the opening week.

 

The defense - with the addition of a veteran pass rusher - again could be without Kuechly as it looks to make life difficult for Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jameis Winston on Sunday in Florida.

 

Carolina is 3-0 for the first time since winning its first five and making the franchise's lone Super Bowl appearance in 2003. Newton, who signed a $103.8 million extension in June, ranks 28th in the NFL with a 56.6 completion percentage, but he went 20 of 31 for 315 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground in last week's 27-22 win over New Orleans.

 

It was just the second time in his last 29 games that Newton threw for at least 300 yards. Greg Olsen caught both scoring passes and registered a career-high 134 yards.

 

"We can throw for 300, but if he runs for a touchdown and converts a couple of third downs with his legs, those are game-changing plays," Olsen said. "He was great. What can you say?"

 

The Panthers' defense surrendered 380 yards, but only 70 of them came on the ground. It ranks second in the league in points allowed per game at 16.0 and third in opponents' average yards per rush at 3.34.

 

Most of that has been accomplished without Kuechly, who signed a $62 million extension three days before the season began. He left the opener against Jacksonville in the second quarter with a head injury and has missed the last two.

 

Kuechly wasn't at practice Wednesday, and Carolina could choose to keep him out again Sunday with the bye week following.

 

The Panthers also lost defensive end Charles Johnson to a hamstring injury and placed him on injuried reserve with a designation to return no earlier than the Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas. To compensate for that loss, Carolina dealt a conditional sixth-round pick in 2016 to Chicago for Jared Allen, who passed a physical and is expected to start against the Bucs (1-2).

 

He'll be reunited with former Bears teammate Charles Tillman, who signed with the Panthers in the offseason and gave his endorsement to acquire Allen.

 

"He's a pass rushing specialist and he plays the run very well," coach Ron Rivera said. "He rushes with violence. He doesn't just sit there and work one way or the other, he's got counter moves. We watched a lot of tape on him just to make sure that this could potentially be a fit for us."

 

Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was Minnesota's head coach in 2011 when Allen's 22 sacks for the Vikings tied for the second most in NFL history. Frazier and coach Lovie Smith will be tasked with keeping Allen and the rest of the Panthers' defense away from Winston, whose 52.2 completion percentage is the worst in the league.

 

Smith still believes Winston is coming along well after he finished 17 of 36 for 261 yards, one touchdown and one interception in last week's 19-9 loss at Houston. He was sacked seven times through the first two games but wasn't brought down by the Texans' vaunted front line.

 

"He learned something new each week, which rookies do," Smith said. "Again, there's a lot of us that need to play a lot better - of course him included - but we're going to win a lot of games with him."

 

The Bucs are tied for 29th in the league in scoring at 16.3 points per game and 27th in rushing yards per attempt with 3.56. Winston has their only touchdown on the ground.

 

Tampa went 1 for 12 on third down last week, and Winston's completion percentage dips to 40.6 with all three of his interceptions coming in those situations.

 

Now he's focused on helping the Bucs end a 10-game home losing streak.

 

"It's about team development," Winston said. "When we start gelling and start clicking right, I know we're going to have some success."

 

Carolina has won four straight meetings, including both last season when Newton sat out with injuries. Newton has a 64.6 completion percentage with passing 10 touchdowns and six on the ground in six career games against the Bucs.

 

Source: Hosted.Stats.com

[Milla4Prez63 678]

10 consecutive losses at home is sad. Carolina would be a nice team to snap that against but I'm not sure if this squad is up for it.

[BucD+ 648]

My prediction...

 

Cam will rush for 2tds and pass for 2tds

Olsen will have a field day as I don't see anyone being able to cover/stop him.

Some noname WR on the depleted WR group will also have a big day. Bucs secondary is awful and Banks, their only good DB is out with an injury.

Bucs won't be able to stop their run game because they're undisciplined

 

The "too many penalties" won't get fixed and they'll continue to plague this undisciplined Bucs team.

Even though the Panthers' OL has issues, the Bucs won't be able to touch Cam. Hell, they couldn't even get to Mallett with the Texans' OL issues. He had all day to throw and so will Cam. Especially with his freakish athletic ability.

 

Lovie keeps saying the little undisciplined things will get fixed but we haven't seen it all last year or this year. Guys on defense are still out of position, which in this scheme especially, the breakdowns hurt leaving people wide open. No discipline in the run defense with guys also out of position, and of course, the undisciplined penalties.

 

We consistently keep hearing Lovie saying "we'll get it fixed" and we have yet to see it.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I wouldn't say Banks is the only good DB. Tim Jennings has played very well after getting here on such short notice.

Regardless, Lovie's decision to straight up cut Revis for money to sign FAs is a disaster as every FA we used that money on is either gone or should be, except Clinton McDonald. Lovie hasn't done much right since getting here.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Milla4Prez63

[FartWaffles 1,857]

If Alfred Blue can run all over your defense behind a patchwork o-line that consisted of an UDFA rookie (Lamm) and a guy that that had been on the team for less than a month, (Aboushi) then I expect field days for Cam and JStew on the ground.

[BucD+ 648]

Pretty much, Fart.

 

But yeah, Milla. Lovie hasn't done much good for this team. It reminds me of the Raheem Morris undisciplined, badly coached teams. Not AS bad (yet), but still the same old undisciplined shit and the inability to correct issues.

[Thanatos 2,847]

J-Stew isn't going to be playing, latest news out of Charlotte. It'll be Cameron Artis-Payne with Fozzy Whittaker backing him up and Brandon Wegher in reserve.

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Bucs declared RCB Johnthan Banks, S Major Wright, C Evan Smith, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE Luke Stocker and WR Russell Shepard inactive for Week 4 against the Panthers.

Banks is week to week with a knee issue. Mike Jennings and Tim Jennings will be the Bucs' starting cornerbacks. The matchup couldn't possibly be juicier for Cam Newton. Brandon Myers is starting at tight end.

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Stewart (leg) is active for Week 4 against the Bucs.

As is Mike Tolbert (groin). J-Stew has been a disappointment thus far, but is a strong RB2 against the Bucs' weak defense.

Inactive for the Panthers are WR Jerricho Cotchery, S Dean Marlowe, RB Brandon Wegher, LB Luke Kuechly, OT Daryl Williams, OL Amini Silatolu and WR Kevin Norwood.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Mike Evans and his brick hands. He stays dropping passes. Smh

Edited October 4, 2015 by DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

...and their kicker is a straight up wasteman...

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I think this is worse than Raheem honestly. 3-17 under Lovie including 0-10 at home. That's just pathetic. If Lovie sticks up for Brindza again he needs to be pack his bags tomorrow.