Panthers vs. Buccaneers Preview: Going Down With the Ship

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

In a battle of NFC South cellar-dwellers, the Panthers travel to Tampa to face the winless Buccaneers.

Carolina recorded their first win of the season last week, beating Washington 20-17 in a game marked both by a gutsy, 10-yard run by Jake Delhomme to preserve the win, and by the return of Julius Peppers. After a slow start to the year, Peppers logged two sacks against the Redskins.

"You've probably heard that I had a little talk with Julius," says linebacker John Beason. "There were no accusations and no criticisms. I just asked Julius one question: 'Do you know the difference in making money and earning money?' That seemed to get his attention. How do I know? Because he hit me harder than he's hit anyone all year."

If there's a silver lining in Tampa's fortunes, it's that second-year quarterback Josh Johnson is gaining valuable experience and playing time. Although he's struggled often, he's formed a swell connection with tight end Kellen Winslow. Johnson and Winslow connected for two touchdowns in the Bucs' 33-14 loss to Philadelphia last week.

"We're pleased with Josh's progress," says Raheem Morris. "He's really made the most of his 'Winslow' of opportunity. But 0-5 is not where we intended to be right now. But we've got no one to blame but ourselves. There will be no finger-pointing. There will be no blame tossed around. There will be no excuses. The last thing we want to be known as, are 'butt' pirates.

"Now, we fully expect the Panthers to 'bring it' when they face Johnson. But I'm no prude. I also hope the Panthers bring their cheerleaders, who, inevitably, while in Tampa, seem to end up in a sports bar performing cunning stunts in a bathroom stall."

Was the Panthers win over the Redskins that impressive? Don't forget, the Panthers trailed at one point 17-2, and probably wouldn't have won if not for a bonehead special teams error by Washington. Tampa Bay ran fairly effectively against the Eagles before falling behind and abandoning the run. They'll be able to stick with the run, and will hang on until the end.

Tampa wins, 16-14.