Buccaneers player to watch
QB Baker Mayfield is 3-0 against the Panthers, leading a season series sweep last year against the team that cut him in 2022. Last week was the first game this season that Mayfield didn’t throw a TD pass this season, but he has 24 on the season. He has thrown nine interceptions this season, but none in the past three games.
Panthers players to watch
OLB D.J. Wonnum has provided a huge boost for the Panthers pass rush in the past two games. In that time, the Panthers have seven sacks after getting just 10 sacks over the first nine games of the season without him in the lineup. Wonnum has also taken some of the pressure off the team’s other outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. Wonnum spent the first nine weeks of the season on injured reserve with a nagging calf injury after being signed as a free agent in the offseason.
Key matchup
Bucs WR Mike Evans vs. Panthers CB Jaycee Horn. Evans returned to the lineup last week after missing three games and most of a fourth with a hamstring injury. His importance to Baker Mayfield and the rest of the offense was evident, with the quarterback completing passes to 11 different targets for 294 yards and the Bucs rushing for 157 in a 23-point rout of the Giants. In 19 games vs. the Panthers, Evans has 102 receptions for 1,480 yards and 11 TDs. Horn is Carolina’s top cornerback and is expected to match up with Evans.
Key injuries
The Bucs are monitoring the progress of LT Tristan Wirfs, who sat out last week with a knee sprain. Safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) and LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (ankle) were hurt against the Giants. Their status for Sunday is uncertain, too. … The Panthers will be without TE Ja’Tavion Sanders after he suffered a neck injury last week and had to be transported to a hospital during the game. He has made a good recovery since, but isn’t ready to play yet. It’s unclear if WR Jalen Coker (quad) will be back after missing Sunday’s game.
The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season!
Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here.
Series notes
Although the Panthers lead the series 25-22, the Bucs have won the past three and seven of eight overall.
Stats and stuff
The Bucs snapped a four-game losing streak last week to pull within one game of first-place Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has won the past three division titles. … Quarterback Baker Mayfield has thrown for 2,799 yards and 24 TDs vs. nine interceptions. The one-time Panthers QB is third in the NFL in TD passes behind Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, third in completion rate (71.4 percent) and sixth in passer rating (104.1) entering Week 13. … Mayfield needs one TD pass to join Tom Brady as the only Tampa Bay QBs to throw for 25-plus TDs in consecutive seasons. … WR Mike Evans is seven receptions shy of 800. The 11th-year pro needs one TD catch to move ahead of Hall of Famers Steve Largent and Tim Brown for sole possession of ninth place on the TD receptions list with 101. … Bucs running back Bucky Irving ranks second among NFL rookies in rushing with 579 yards. With five rushing TDs, the fourth-round draft pick is tied for the rookie lead with Washington QB Jayden Daniels. … Safety Antoine Winfield Jr has five sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and an interception in seven games against Carolina. … Interior defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey lead Tampa Bay’s resurgent pass rush with six and five sacks, respectively. The Bucs have 30 sacks in the team’s past eight games. …Panthers coach Dave Canales served as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator last year. … Panthers QB Bryce Young is 4-18 as an NFL starter. … RB Chuba Hubbard needs 124 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career. … WR Adam Thielen returned to the lineup following a hamstring injury in Week 3 and had three catches for 57 yards last week against the Chiefs. … WR Jalen Coker (263) needs 34 yards receiving yards to pass Corey Brown for the most in a single season by an undrafted rookie in Panthers history. … K Eddy Pineiro went a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals against Kansas City and is 16-for-17 for the season. Pineiro has now made 40 consecutive field goals at Bank of America Stadium, the second-longest streak in Panthers history behind Graham Gano’s 41 straight conversions (2016-18). He has also made all 18 extra point attempts.
Fantasy tip
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard has four rushing touchdowns in the past three games and is expected to remain the focal point of the offense even with the return of rookie Jonathon Brooks from an injury last week.
