The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 7 matchup with the Carolina Panthers is a get-right game. The season is not going as expected by many. That includes QB Tom Brady, who came out of retirement for one more season with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has lost three of the last four games and their offense has mostly looked dreadful.
Brady is off to the worst start to any season of his pro career. He has thrown just eight touchdown passes through six games, his fewest since his first year starting in New England. Things have looked particularly bad in the red zone. That is a clear sign that Brady really misses tight end Rob Gronkowski.
This week, the Buccaneers will attempt to do what the Los Angeles Rams did last week; soundly defeat the Carolina Panthers to get mojo back on their side. The Bucs are the biggest favorite of the week, according to FanDuel. But nothing has come easy this season for the Buccaneers.
So, let's get to the Buccaneers Week 7 predictions.
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4. Buccaneers defense forced 2+ turnovers
As poorly as the Bucs offense has performed this season, the defense has mostly done a good job. Outside of the game against the Chiefs, Tampa Bay has allowed a total of 62 points in the other five games. That is an average of 12.4 points per game. This week the Bucs defense will likely have the easiest assignment they will have all season.
The Panthers offense is abysmal. It's quite literally a one-man show. Christian McCaffrey has accounted for the vast majority of the team's offense. He has 393 of the 542 team rushing yards. He is also the leading receiver, and it's not close. McCaffrey has 33 catches for 277 yards. The next closest is Robby Anderson with 206 yards receiving and he isn't even on the team anymore.
Baker Mayfield is still a few weeks away from returning. Last week, the Panthers turned to former XFL quarterback PJ Walker. He went 10-for-16 for a measly 60 yards before being replaced by Jacob Eason.
Awesome. Let's hope the offensive scheme looks the same too pic.twitter.com/KA3Ie9gkUW
— Panthers Spain (@PanthersSpain) October 19, 2022
Sam Darnold returned to practice on Wednesday, but he has already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
I cannot imagine the Panthers doing much offensively. That will put a lot of pressure on whoever starts at quarterback. Interim coach Steve Wilkes said that Walker will get the start this week. So, you can expect turnovers and poor play.
3. Leonard Fournette has a big game vs. Panthers defense
Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette has had an up-and-down season thus far. He has had a couple of really big games, but had some stinkers mixed in as well. Surprisingly, he only has one rushing touchdown this season. That is about to change. With the Bucs passing game struggling to find consistency, look for Brady to hand it off quite a bit Sunday.
The Panthers rush defense is among the worst in the NFL. They are allowing over 133 rushing yards per game, that ranks 26th in the league. With Tampa Bay expected to hold a sizable lead for much of the game, that will lend itself to plenty of work for Fournette.
2. Tom Brady is more efficient, but still not his usual self
With the Buccaneers defense looking at a mouth-watering matchup, and Fournette facing a sub-par rush defense, Brady probably will not need to do too much through the air. I'm not saying that he will go into Justin Fields territory and throw the football 15 times. Just don't look for a huge game from the legendary quarterback.
I think Brady will pick his spots to look downfield. Both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are fully healthy now. Russell Gage has taken on the third receiver spot in the slot with Julio Jones still banged up.
Brady has come under fire after video showing him screaming at his offensive line surfaced during last week's loss to the Steelers. He has since talked about how he was trying to inspire and motivate his teammates. However, Brady himself has not been playing well, whether he admits it or not. I think he will look to try and find a rhythm this game.
The early success on the ground will lead to eventual success through the air. Look for Brady to toss a couple scores Sunday.
1. Buccaneers crush the Panthers
The Buccaneers have not looked good, especially offensively. Yet, they are 10.5 point favorites with an over/under of 40.5. That is an implied total of 25.5 points for Tampa Bay. This game should not be close and Brady, Fournette and the offense will have their best game since the loss to the Chiefs.