The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to their worst start in 24 years. Lucky for the Carolina Panthers, who switched to the running game just in time to pull out a 28-21 win over the struggling Bucs.
Panthers QB Jake Delhomme passed for a meager 65 yards (9 for 17) with a touchdown and two potentially costly interceptions before running backs DeAngelo Williams (150 yards on 30 carries) and Jonathan Stewart took over. Williams scored twice including the game winning drive with 29 seconds remaining.
Tampa Bay has scored an anemic 89 points all year long and things look to get worse when they travel this week to London to play the New England Patriots, who just last week took out their aggression on another win less team, the Tennessee Titans, with a 59 – 0 drubbing. They are currently enduring a 10 game losing streak, which is their longest since they lost an NFL record 26 games in a row way back in 1977.
Carolina at one point had a commanding 21 – 7 lead, but they proceeded to make the game interesting via poor special teams play, giving up a 97 yard kickoff return and a 26 yard interception return in the second half that allowed the Panthers to crawl back.
The Panthers also had to do without the services of safety Dante Wesley after his late ejection in the first half for needlessly barreling into punt returner Clifton Smith after he had signaled for a fair catch. Wesley has since been suspended one game by the NFL. Smith did not return to the game as he suffered a concussion from the play.
With both teams battling it out at the bottom of the NFC south, at least Carolina has a 2 game win streak going on, although squeaking by the 2 – 4 Washington Redskins and the winless Bucs isn’t cause for much optimism, especially with the Atlanta Falcons and excellent New Orleans Saints looking down on both teams.
The two teams will meet again in early December, at which point both their grim fates may have already been decided.
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