When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field at Raymond James Stadium against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the second time in a span of just 14 days that they have seen their teal-clad division foes. It's a vagary of NFL scheduling formula that emphasizes intra-division matchups in the season's final weeks in the hopes of having as many meaningful games at the end as possible, and it's not terribly uncommon. The Bucs and Panthers also met in Weeks 16 and 18 in 2021, and Tampa Bay and Atlanta had the same double-dip in 2020.
Tristan Wirfs, the Buccaneers' Pro Bowl left tackle, isn't a huge fan of that particular scheduling quirk.
I hate it," said Wirfs on Wednesday, though he didn't seem too broken up about it. "It feels like a little game of chase because you played them two weeks ago. And some of these guys, we've played each other for years, so they know what you're going to do already. I just saw you two weeks ago."
The Panthers won the first meeting in Charlotte on December 21, but it was a very even matchup in many ways. The Bucs produced 296 yards and 20 first downs to 275 and 16 for the home team. Both teams converted at least 50% of their third downs. Carolina took a 23-20 lead on a field goal with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter and the Bucs' efforts to tie or win it on a final possession ended in an interception on the Panthers' half of the field. That was the game's only turnover, and combined with a first-and-goal sequence that fourth quarter that disappointingly ended in a field goal for the Buccaneers, was the difference in the outcome.
The next week, both teams lost, the Bucs by three points to the Dolphins in Miami and the Panthers by 17 at home to the red-hot Seattle Seahawks. That set up a (sort-of) winner-take-all rematch in Tampa this weekend, though the Panthers could still win the division with a loss if Atlanta also beats New Orleans on Sunday. Since neither team has had much time, or probably the inclination, to dramatically change its game plan from two weeks ago, quarterback Baker Mayfield says the outcome this time will simply come down to who executes a similar plan more effectively.
"We didn't execute," said Mayfield of the Bucs' recent string of close losses, including Week 16. "And it wasn't that we were outmanned, outgunned, it was pure execution, doing the same things we had done right hundreds of times and doing it in the game that we didn't execute. It wasn't about the injuries. Is that a factor in it? Yes, but we were all on the same page no matter who was in there. It's about execution, doing the little things right and going against a division opponent again, it's the same thing."
On the aforementioned game-sealing interception in Charlotte, Mayfield was moving up and to the right in the pocket to get a throwing lane to fire off a short pass to wide receiver Mike Evans. Unfortunately, Evans interpreted the move as the beginning of a scramble drill – which Mayfield said in postgame was understandable given some earlier plays in the game – and adjusted his route just as the quarterback was throwing the ball. The result was a pass that went directly to Panthers safety Lathan Ransom.
"I kind of hit on it after the game, but just little things here and there. Obviously, the turnover late — never going to question Mike's instincts on that scramble drill aspect of it. Would love to have that back, but penalties and little things that shot ourselves in the foot on offense is what really killed us in that game on multiple drives. Having penalties, some false starts and just being able to pick up the pressures when they're there."
It is a series of plays such as that that have led the Bucs to the brink after a promising 6-2 start, and each one stung at the time. Some were learning experiences, some were just fluky. But Mayfield and the Bucs' offense can't let past mistakes dictate what happens in the one remaining game that counts.
"[You] have to have a short memory, and I do," said Mayfield. "I know what the priority is and that's winning Saturday. To be able to completely forget what's going on? No, being the competitor I am, [I am] frustrated with where we're at. I am able to compartmentalize and be able to focus on Saturday."
