Buccaneers vs. Panthers: Full Report Card Grades for Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took yet another step toward securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, falling on the road to the Carolina Panthers 19-17 at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday.
The Bucs were able to hold Carolina to field goals for most of the afternoon, but it ended up being enough to give the Panthers their fifth win of the season and keep them in the hunt for the NFC South title.
Derek Anderson had another successful day against the Bucs, starting once again in place of an injured Cam Newton. Just as he did in the Panthers' Week 1 victory over Tampa Bay, Anderson found the soft spots in the Tampa 2 for most of the afternoon, this time to the tune of 277 yards and a touchdown.
Both Greg Olsen and Kelvin Benjamin went over 100 yards receiving for the Panthers, with Olsen leading the team with 10 catches for 110 yards. Jerricho Cotchery hauled in Carolina's only touchdown of the day, finishing the game with five catches for 47 yards.
The Panthers outgained Tampa Bay 390-287 in total offense, racking up 28 first downs to the Bucs' 15.
The Bucs used an eight-yard Mike Evans touchdown catch to take an early 7-3 lead, but two of Graham Gano's four field goals would give the lead back to the Panthers momentarily.
Tampa Bay would take the lead just before the half on a 48-yard Patrick Murray field goal but came out flat on the first drive of the third quarter, turning the ball over deep in its own territory and setting up a short touchdown drive for the Panthers.
Another Gano field goal would stretch the Carolina lead to 19-10, but the Bucs weren't done just yet. Josh McCown connected with Vincent Jackson three times for first downs on a scoring drive that ended with a 16-yard scramble by the quarterback for the touchdown.
But that was as close as the Bucs would get, as Carolina salted away most of the clock late in the fourth quarter, giving the ball back to the Bucs on their own 10-yard line with 23 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. A prayer from McCown was intercepted by Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, sealing the win for Carolina.
The Bucs dropped to 0-5 in the division with the loss, with only a Week 17 matchup with the New Orleans Saints standing between them and a winless record within the NFC South this season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Josh McCown struggled yet again this week, failing to execute an efficient offense behind a shaky offensive line.
McCown completed just 13 of his 28 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while taking three sacks and fumbling three times. One of the two fumbles lost by McCown set the tone for Carolina storming back into the game, as he coughed it up inside his own 10-yard line to set up the Panthers' first touchdown of the day.
McCown made his best play of the game with his feet, scrambling for a 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to bring the Bucs within two points.
It's hard to fault any quarterback who has trouble playing behind such a weak offensive line, but McCown was billed as a savvy veteran who would take care of the football, and he continues to make costly turnovers.
GRADE: D
Running Back
2 of 10
Another week, another tale of two halves for the Tampa Bay ground game.
Doug Martin racked up a season-high 92 yards in the first half on just eight carries, sparked by a 63-yard run in the first quarter. In the second half, however, Martin would manage just four yards on six carries.
Rookie Charles Sims flashed some the ability that made him too good for the Bucs to pass up in the third round of the 2014 draft, tallying 79 total yards on his 10 touches. Sims finished second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards, with all three of his catches coming on the final drive of the first half that set the Bucs up for a go-ahead field goal.
This unit clearly has the talent to do some damage, but it's held back by a weak offensive line and an unwillingness to stay committed to the run in the second half.
GRADE: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
This group continues to be held back by the poor play of the offensive line and, by extension, the quarterback.
Vincent Jackson took a while to get going but ended up leading the team with six catches for 70 yards, proving he still has what it takes to consistently move the chains. Mike Evans caught just two passes for 13, but he made one of them count for six points. Evans now has 11 touchdown catches on the year, tying Mike Williams' single-season rookie record for the Bucs.
Russell Shepard's 23-yard catch was the only other reception registered by a Tampa Bay receiver or tight end all game. Shepard replaced an injured Louis Murphy, who left the game after taking a scary shot to the knee.
Evans and Jackson made a few plays today, but the rest of the unit was nonexistent. But again, it's tough to fault this group considering what it has to work with up front and at quarterback, which keeps its grade somewhat respectable.
GRADE: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
At some point, I could easily copy and paste last week's offensive line grade breakdown and just apply it each week moving forward.
Tampa Bay continues to lose the battle at the line of scrimmage on offense, failing to sustain a consistent ground attack and keeping its quarterback under duress. McCown was sacked three times and forced from the pocket far too often, while 81 of the 130 rushing yards gained by the Bucs running backs came on two of their 21 carries.
Doug Martin was bottled up in the second half, managing just four yards on six carries, and a false-start penalty on the first play of the third quarter set the tone for a terrible first possession coming out of halftime.
This group was shuffled a bit this week, with Demar Dotson moving to left tackle from the right side and Oniel Cousins starting at right tackle, but the results were the same as most other weeks.
GRADE: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Especially considering it was missing both starting defensive tackles for most of the game, this unit performed admirably and continues to show encouraging signs for the future.
Jacquies Smith keeps showing up as the Bucs' most consistent pass-rushing threat, notching another half-sack to give him 6.5 sacks on the season. The waiver-wire wonder has been one of the brightest spots for Tampa Bay in an otherwise dark season.
Akeem Spence started in place of the injured Clinton McDonald, notching three tackles and a key fumble recovery. Gerald McCoy left the game after hyperextending his right knee, but Da'Quan Bowers performed admirably in his place, especially against the run.
Three sacks are nice, but the pressure wasn't consistent enough to keep Derek Anderson from exploiting the holes in Tampa Bay's back seven. Still, considering who this line was missing, it was a solid performance.
GRADE: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Bucs were down a starter in this group yet again this week, but they continue to watch a potential future starter emerge.
Lavonte David was in the starting lineup despite leaving last week's loss with a scary head injury, and he looked like the same old All-Pro Bucs fans have come to love. David posted 12 total tackles along with his first sack and third forced fumble of the season.
Danny Lansanah keeps proving his value on a weekly basis, this time filling in for Mason Foster as the starter in the middle. The training camp standout tallied eight total tackles, along with 1.5 sacks, and his versatility gives the Bucs valuable depth in this unit.
Orie Lemon made a couple of impressive stops, including one on special teams. He's made the most of his limited opportunities over the past few weeks and is putting himself in position to stick with the team beyond 2014.
This group played fairly well against the run, but it still struggled to contain the opposing tight end in coverage, allowing Greg Olsen to lead the Panthers with 10 receptions for over 100 yards.
GRADE: C+
Secondary
7 of 10
Despite facing Carolina's backup quarterback for the second time this season, Tampa Bay's secondary still had no answer for the Panthers' passing game.
Derek Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, picking apart the soft spots in the Tampa 2 all day long and taking advantage of the mismatches provided by his massive rookie target, Kelvin Benjamin.
Alterraun Verner dropped a key interception that would have kept the Panthers from stretching their lead to two scores in the fourth quarter, but he did force a key fumble deep in the Bucs' own territory that kept Carolina off the scoreboard earlier in the game.
The one plus for this unit was its ability to clamp down inside the red zone, not allowing Benjamin to use his size to score, as he's done so often this year. Still, this performance was no step forward for Tampa Bay's defensive backs.
GRADE: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
Tampa Bay's special teams turned in a solid performance in most areas, but the struggles in the punting game reared their ugly head once again.
Rookie kicker Patrick Murray continues to prove his worth, connecting on a 48-yard field goal, the likes of which have been fairly automatic so far this year. His punting counterpart, however, didn't have the best day. Michael Koenen averaged just over 35 yards per kick, despite having one that went 50 yards.
Both coverage teams got the job done, preventing any big returns.
The Bucs are likely to look for a cheaper, more effective replacement for Koenen this offseason, but the rest of this unit looks good.
GRADE: B
Coaching
9 of 10
Lovie Smith avoided any huge mistakes in the game-management department, and the penalties that have plagued the Bucs for most of the season were few and far in between this week.
The biggest shortcoming in this department continues to be the lack of identity on offense due to the absence of offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo was thrust into a difficult position, and his inexperience as a play-caller continues to show.
In all, it was a fairly decent coaching job from Tampa Bay's staff, but it wasn't enough to propel the team to victory.
GRADE: C-
Final Grades
10 of 10
As has been the case in far too many games this season, it was just too little, too late for the Bucs on Sunday.
Tampa Bay's patchwork offensive line continues to hold it back, keeping the team from being able to establish a consistent rushing attack and making Josh McCown uncomfortable in the pocket. On defense, the Bucs forced the Panthers to settle for field goals for most of the afternoon, tallying three sacks and forcing a key turnover deep in their own territory.
But in the end, the offense wasn't able to take advantage of its opportunities for yet another week, keeping the Bucs winless within their division.
GRADE: C-
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