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Buccaneers have a clear target against the Panthers in Week 7, but Carolina’s surging offense won’t make it easy

The Buccaneers face a must-win game in Week 7 against the Panthers and the good news is they can definitely pull off a victory if they play like they did in Week 5.

Yardbarker

Published: Thursday, 22 October 2026 at 3:12 PM

Key Things to Know

A to Z Sports previews Tampa Bay's Week 7 divisional matchup against the surging Carolina Panthers.
Tampa Bay can target Carolina's injured cornerback group, which is currently missing Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.
Carolina quarterback Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards per game under offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.

The Story in 60 Seconds

The 1-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a critical NFC South matchup in Week 7 against the 3-2 Carolina Panthers. A to Z Sports suggests Tampa Bay must target Carolina's depleted cornerback unit, where injuries to Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson have left vulnerable backups exposed. However, the surging Panthers enter the divisional contest with momentum behind quarterback Bryce Young and head coach Dave Canales following consecutive victories.

Tampa Bay aims to exploit Carolina's secondary through Chris Godwin Jr., especially with Emeka Egbuka battling injuries. To counter, the Buccaneers' defense must contain running back Chuba Hubbard and withstand linebacker Devin Lloyd, who leads all qualifying linebackers in pass-rush win rate this season.

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