Carolina Panthers Bring Coaching Demons

It's difficult to not draw some similarities between two games that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played. The most recent game was this past week, Week 13 of the NFL season. Our opponent was the Carolina Panthers who used a strong run game on their part and ineffective offense on our part to win the game. This game sent the Bucs to last in the division and gave them their 6th straight loss in a row. The Bucs were manhandled in all respects and did not deserve to win.

Rewind a few years ago and we'll find a game against the Carolina Panthers that has some vague similarities. This game was at Carolina, but that didn't stop the Panthers from running all over us while our offense stalled for most of the night (minus an absurd catch by Antonio Bryant). We'll remember that game for a few reasons. It was supposed to be our return to the national stage. Instead, the loss sent us reeling and ended with us losing 4 straight (including the Panthers game) and missing the playoffs by allowing then league doormat Oakland to destroy us at home. That 4 game slide started by the Panthers led to Jon Gruden and his Super Bowl ring being fired. Of course, the next head coach is the man who helms the ship currently, Raheem Morris.

The Panthers were supposed to be a team we could beat, a division foe that we could at least use to notch a win. But with the loss on Sunday, it opens up the door to another late season swoon that may again cost a coach his job. We're already on the 6th game of the slide, and there is no doubt if we add 4 more to that total, Morris should be gone.

Maybe I'm the only one that draws the comparison, but it's not hard to see that late season matchups with the Panthers end up costing the team more than a W, it may for the second time in 4 years cost a coach his job.