The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-5 and the Carolina Panthers are 3-2 heading into their Week 7 NFC South matchup. Records aside, this game could carry real playoff implications down the line. The division is mediocre enough that whoever wins it will likely be the only team from the NFC South playing in January, just like last year.

A to Z Sports’ Kole Noble, who helps cover the Panthers joined me to help break down this week’s game. A Buccaneers win helps the team move to 1-0 in the NFC South, which only helps their chances of getting back on track.

So with that being said, let’s dive in.

Dave Canales has completely changed the culture in Carolina

Bucs fans know Dave Canales well from his one season as offensive coordinator in 2023. It was an up-and-down ride, but you could see the guy had some moxie as a coach. He jumped straight into the Panthers job in 2024, and after a rough first year, Carolina won the NFC South in 2025 despite an 8-9 record.

The Panthers look like a whole different team this year and Canales’ approach is a big reason why. He’s one of the “good-guy” coaches, someone who keeps the focus internal and doesn’t call people out publicly. Carolina isn’t chasing gaudy point totals, either. The Panthers are simply trying to get the job done any way they can, which is exactly what happened in last week’s road win over the Eagles.

Optimist bully. That’s how Baker Mayfield once described Canales, and while that’s paraphrasing, it’s pretty much on point. He’s always looking for the positive angle, and it’s clearly led to success in Carolina.

Now the Panthers have to prove they can stack wins. They beat Detroit in Week 4, had a Week 5 bye, and had nearly two weeks to prepare for Philadelphia. Turning around against a familiar division rival is a different test.

Bryce Young is leading a lethal passing attack

Canales handed play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik this season, and the result has been an offense that’s more aggressive than we’ve seen in the past. Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards per game, and he’s attacking deep and over the middle with confidence.

Jalen Coker returned against the Eagles and immediately made a 32-yard catch that changed the game. Even without him, Tetairoa McMillan put up near-historic franchise numbers against the Lions, rivaling Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith Sr. Both receivers are averaging over 10 yards of average depth of target, and Coker ranks top 10 in yards per route run.

Tommy Tremble caught two touchdown passes last week, and Darren Waller had been productive in the red zone before that.

That layered attack is a problem for a Bucs defense that has struggled at the second level with Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter, even though Trotter has shown promise. The secondary has been good, with Zyon McCollum playing some of his best football and Jacob Parrish still looking promising despite getting beat by DK Metcalf a couple of times. Benjamin Morrison might also play this week despite his quad injury.

The Buccaneers are going to need the pass rush to step it up again after sacking Rodgers five times in Week 6 and the secondary must continue to play at the high level we’ve seen all year or else the Panthers will move the ball with ease.

Where the Buccaneers can attack the Panthers defense

Let’s be real: this Tampa Bay offense has no direction right now. Emeka Egbuka is nowhere near what he was through six weeks last season, Chris Godwin seems capped at four or five targets a game, and Jalen McMillan is hurt. Ted Hurst has been the biggest bright spot in the passing game, but he’s a third-round rookie out of Georgia State and shouldn’t be expected to flip the passing attack on its head in a positive fashion.

The good news is Carolina’s weakness lines up with what the Bucs need. Ejiro Evero’s defense has improved since giving up 59 points in a Week 1 loss, but the outside cornerbacks are a glaring issue. Akayleb Evans and Will Lee have been targeted 38 times over the last two games, allowing 317 yards. Lee alone was targeted 13 times against the Eagles, drew two defensive penalties, and gave up a touchdown to DeVonta Smith.

Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are both out, with Jackson not expected back until mid-November and Horn likely out until December.It also doesn’t sound like general manager Dan Morgan will make a trade to fix it. Anything is on the table with Zac Robinson calling plays, but he has to exploit this matchup.

The strength is the second level. Devin Lloyd is playing at an All-Pro level. According to Pro Football Focus, Lloyd’s 27.0 pass rush win rate leads all linebackers with at least 25 pass rush snaps, and he has 10 pressures and two sacks. Bobby Okereke, a late training camp addition, has been a great fit, too.

It’s a little ironic. The Buccaneers wanted to fix their linebacker room this offseason, had a shot at Lloyd, and chose Anzalone instead. Regardless, the Buccaneers must be ready for Lloyd and his counterparts on Sunday.

X-factors to watch for both teams

Chuba Hubbard is the offensive player to watch. He has back-to-back games of 120-plus rushing yards and three touchdowns over that stretch, and he went from 10 carries in Week 1 to 28 last week with Jonathan Brooks and AJ Dillon out. If Hubbard churns out yards for four quarters, it takes a ton of pressure off Young.

Defensively, it’s Lloyd. On special teams, running back Trevor Etienne, who just returned from injured reserve and is a dangerous kick and punt returner.

That’s a real concern given how shaky Tampa Bay’s special teams have been. With this Bucs team, there’s never a snap where you can relax, and Carolina has enough weapons to make them pay for any mistake.

For the Buccaneers, this has the makings to be a big Chris Godwin Jr. game. Emeka Egbuka is currently dealing with two separate injuries, one being a concussion that could hold him out of the game if he’s unable to pass protocol.

Regardless, Bowles made it clear on Wednesday the Buccaneers need to get Godwin Jr. more involved. With those words and the Panthers’ injuries at cornerback, it makes all the sense in the world for Godwin Jr. to have a big game.

On defense it’s easily David Walker. He’s the team’s sack leader with 4.0 sacks in less than 100 defensive snaps. That’s extremely impressive and he’s getting better each week. The only question surrounding him and this is through no fault of his own, is just how much will Bowles play him?

Regardless, this is a winnable game for both teams and believe it or not, the Buccaneers will take a big step forward when it comes to getting back on track if they can pull off a victory.