Following a two-game win streak, the Carolina Panthers now have the chance to host their first home division matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Outside of maybe the season-opener, this game has the highest potential for storylines. Hall of Famer and Panthers legend Luke Kuechly will be in attendance, receiving his HOF Ring of Excellence at halftime.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield may also be healthy and play in this contest. Mayfield has regularly peddled his motivational story about how the Panthers “cut him” back in 2022.
This story, as most Carolina fans know, is erroneous - the Panthers were the lone team to take a chance and trade for Mayfield once he was supplanted in the Deshaun Watson mega deal. Mayfield also requested his release from Carolina after flaming out.
Interim Head Coach Steve Wilks would promptly grant his request, allowing the Los Angeles Rams to give him one last chance, which helped revive the quarterback’s career.
Of course, national media coverage has disregarded this part of the story in past Carolina/Tampa matchups, or when Mayfield previously faced Steve Wilks-coached defenses.
If Mayfield needs to conjure motivation for his games, so be it. The NBA’s greatest-ever player famously did the same thing. But Mayfield’s “revenge game” gimmick should not be the focus here.
In fact, the Panthers will likely be the team looking for revenge. In Week 18 of last season, Carolina had the chance to clinch the division in a rainy Tampa Bay game, but fell short - partially due to multiple incorrect calls from the officiating crew.
Bad refereeing aside, this is a chance for Carolina to exorcise the mistakes of last season and set up a 2-0 lead in the NFC South.
Carolina will likely be favored in this game, but as we’ve discussed in the past, being favored does not guarantee a win. Let’s take a look at what the Panthers need to do in order to preserve the streak and gain ground in the division.