Thursday Night Football: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs

[PatsFans.com Article]

TNF: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs - preview and prediction
By: John Morgan

The Carolina Panthers travel to Tampa looking to go over .500 for the first time since 2008, while the Buccaneers seek to get the monkey off their back with their first win of the season. For Bucs head coach Greg Schiano time may be running out. The Bucs ...

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[Kontradiction]

This is actually the second Thursday night game of the year (first that doesn't involve the Pats) that I'm actually looking forward too. Should be fairly entertaining.

 

[Raymond]

I"m surprised you would say that.

Don't you think Carolina will win?

 

[jmt57]

2013 NFL Thursday Night Schedule

1. Ravens 27 at Broncos 49 *
2. Jets 10 at Patriots 13
3. Chiefs 26 at Eagles 16
4. 49ers 35 at Rams 11
5. Bills 24 at Browns 37
6. Giants 21 at Bears 27
7. Seahawks at Cardinals
8. Panthers at Bucs
9. Bengals at Dolphins
10. Redskins at Vikings
11. Colts at Titans
12. Saints at Falcons
13. Steelers at Ravens *
14. Texans at Jaguars
15. Chargers at Broncos
16. none
17. none

* - on NBC, not NFLN

It seems as if every other week (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) there is a game that looked better last spring when the schedule was announced than it does now. Of the remaining games on NFLN the last one appears to be the best, though it would have a better chance of being competitive if it was in San Diego rather than Denver. Weeks 9 and 11 should be good games too.

 

[jmt57]

The natives are restless in west-central Florida.

Greg Schiano era among the worst in Bucs' history | Tampa Bay Times

All in all, I liked the Raheem Morris era better. And, yes, if there was ever a sentence that tells you how bad this Misery Tour of the current Tampa Bay Bucs has become, it's that one. For crying out loud, the Morris years were pretty much awful, a tangled, forgettable mess. Ditto, the Greg Schiano years, where a more talented team is somehow accomplishing less. There is scandal. There is disease. There is dysfunction. And that's only in the playbook.

Tonight, against the Carolina Panthers, the 0-6 Bucs try it again. This time, they hope the energy from a prime-time crowd can somehow give them enough of a boost to win. This time, they hope they can stop Morris from pointing to his television screen and laughing.

To repeat: There was no glory to the Morris years. Around here, there are fans who still wake up with night sweats because of those teams. The secondary seemed to be on roller skates, and the linebackers ran around in circles, and from time to time, defensive ends lined up facing the wrong direction. Coordinators came and went like mall shoppers. He lost his first seven games. He lost his last 10.

And still, those were better times than these.

Hey, Morris had a 10-win season. Under Morris, Josh Freeman was in the top half of NFL quarterbacks. And remember, the front office was a lot more frugal then. This was before the team's owners spent money on Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, Dashon Goldson and Darrelle Revis.​

Greg Schiano loses Tampa Bay Buccaneers with autocratic style - NFL.com

"How bad is it there? It's worse than you can imagine," says one NFL player who spent 2012 with the Bucs. "It's like being in Cuba."​

Tampa Bay has lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11 games; the only win in that stretch was in week 17 last year against Atlanta when the Falcons had nothing to play for. The Bucs have also lost six straight at home.


There is something to make the game worth watching though, and that is the Carolina Panthers. They're seldom on television and the Patriots will be playing them in Charlotte three weeks from now. The Panthers defense is for real; they rank 2nd in points per game (13.8), 3rd in yards per game (302), 4th in rushing yards per game (84.5), and 8th in yards per rush (3.7).

That's going to be a tough game for the Pats; I'll be interested in watching Carolina tonight.

 

[ausbacker]

This is actually the second Thursday night game of the year (first that doesn't involve the Pats) that I'm actually looking forward too. Should be fairly entertaining.

Carolina hammering the hapless Buccaneers isn't my idea of entertaining. Mind you, I am looking forward to watching Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short.

 

[Tunescribe]

It's nice having an action-oriented alternative to the Weird Serious.

 

[Gwedd]

But but but....... it's game 2 of the World Series!

 

[Joker]

The Tunescribe is no fan of American cricket....:explative

I think Schiano is dead as disco...maybe the owners down there think otherwise and plan on divesting the players he wants out.Where does that leave Mevis??? The Pats scarfing up the island owner would put that fat degenerate rat ba$tard in the cardiac wing of Bellevue....he'd overdose on toes if he saw Mevis in the playoffs.

 

[Tunescribe]

But but but....... it's game 2 of the World Series!

I'll check in around the seventh inning, that's about all I can handle before going narcoleptic. Speaking of which, someone should give snooze merchant Tim McCarver an intravenous drip of espresso or Red Bull. That guy's droll, homespun delivery ripens green bananas in about 30 seconds.

 

[Raymond]

That guy's droll, homespun delivery ripens green bananas in about 30 seconds.

 

[Deus Irae]

Mayock verifies what I've been seeing:

Revis' knee is not 100%, and he's not as explosive as a result

 

[Joker]

believe it or not, it could be worse Tunes..that flap armed Joe Morgan could have been tapped to do the broadcast in which case 99% of Americans watching would immediately stick skewers in their ears and run screaming into the streets......and that foul ball reminds me of the time I was starring as the starting second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and I caught the most important pop up in the history of the game ..I remember clearly how I immediately took charge and spied the trajectory as I ignored the screaming crowd which was a skill I possessed in abundance...

 

[Tunescribe]

Poor Schiano, I actually feel for the guy.

That stadium looks about half-full. Florida NFL football outside of Miami sure is suffering. But not even Miami sells out with season tix, I believe.

 

[Joker]

Schiano reminds me of Tiger Woods ex caddy...

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Carolina will be a tough matchup in a few weeks.

I'm also glad we faced TB while Freeman was still their QB. The new guy has amazing poise back there and they look like a much better offense lately.

 

[Brady'sArmy]

is this game more watchable than the MNF giants game?

 

[Tunescribe]

is this game more watchable than the MNF giants game?

Well, it's NFL football involving a team the Pats will play. To me it beats the alternative.

 

[FalconHeavy]

farking borger

 

[Brady'sArmy]

Well, it's NFL football involving a team the Pats will play. To me it beats the alternative.

not a red sox fan?