Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have Giving Spirit in Christmas Eve Blowout in Carolina

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a day of giving this past week when they gave away an assortment of gifts to the needy.

The Bucs continued that giving spirit on Christmas Eve in Carolina. They were a generous bunch, presenting the Panthers with an assortment of mistakes and turnovers that left those Panthers gifting touchdown ball after touchdown ball to their elated fans.

It was 48-16, and thank goodness Carolina coach Ron Rivera had mercy on those hapless Bucs of Raheem Morris. After three quarters, he called off his dogs, told Cam Newton his day was done and did the same with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.

Like the many blowouts before, this one surely could have been worse. Carolina could have hung 60 on these halfhearted Buccaneers, but it was Christmas Eve, after all, and the Panthers were most merciful.

What is most incredible was that the Terrible Trio of Newton, Stewart and Williams ran through Morris' defense like it wasn't even there. Williams (seven carries, 66 yards) averaged 9.4 yards every time he touched the football, Newton (six carries, 65 yards), averaged 10.8 and there was no answer whatsoever for Stewart, whose seven touches got him 88 yards, a 12.6 average.

Nice job, defense.

In all, Carolina put up 433 yards, and it could have easily been 600.

This loss made it nine straight, and this one was never close.

"The team didn't come out ready to play," is what Morris said afterward on the Bucs radio network.

Indeed.

That has been an overriding theme for the Good Ship Raheem, the man Kellen Winslow Jr. called "the best motivational guy I've ever been around."

Let's not even mention Winslow again; this guy needs to go. He needs to hit the road and not be seen in Tampa ever again.

That could probably apply to a lot of guys on this football team.

Next week's loss to the Falcons will make it 10 in a row.

This team has become unwatchable, and that was a horrible effort on Christmas Eve, no less.

Someone needs to dump about a ton of coal outside the players' parking lot over there at One Buccaneer Place to welcome them home after this one.

It's all they deserve.