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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TJ's Take: 3 Keys to Beat the Panthers

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  1. Take Advantage of Derek Anderson Being in There** The Bucs are set for their second meeting with the Panthers and will once again take on backup QB Derek Anderson after facing him in Week One. This Bucs team looks different than the season opener, however. In recent weeks the Buccaneers pass rush has been constantly pressuring opposing QBs and the coverage in the secondary has greatly improved. This defensive improvement must be continued and established quickly on Sunday. Disrupting Anderson, making him uncomfortable and not giving him an opportunity to beat us down the field is critical in pulling off a win.2. Improve Play by the Bucs Offensive Line For the past three games, the Bucs' offense has struggled to consistently run the ball and the line has had growing problems in protecting QB Josh McCown. That trend cannot continue this week as they face an outstanding front seven from Carolina this week. The offensive line must open up some running lanes early and, more importantly, not allow McCown to be knocked around the way he was in the Motor City last week.3. Find a Way to Play Mistake-Free Football
    Two more trends are going in the wrong direction as we near the end of the season: penalties and turnovers. In the game versus the Bengals two weeks ago, the Bucs forced three takeaways but those positive players were offset by an inexcusable 13 penalties. Last week, the Bucs saw turnovers and penalties together again. That will be a deadly combination against the Panthers. The team must keep the mistakes to a minimum if they want to avenge the earlier season loss to this NFC South rival.
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