Gameday Tampa Bay
January 3rd, 2016
Game 16
Bucs (6-9) at Stinking Panthers (14-1)
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m.
TV: WTVT Channel 13; DirecTV Channel 718
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (WDAE-AM 620 and WFUS-FM 103.5 in Tampa-St. Petersburg region); SiriusXM Channel 108.
Weather: Given that it is the first week of January, the weather isn’t too bad at all in Charlotte. Per AccuWeather.com, it will be a bit chilly for the tailgaters with temperatures in the upper-40s to low-50s under sunny skies. At kickoff, clouds will set in with a temperature of 52. By the time the game ends, look for the temperatures to dip to the mid-40s.
Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Stinking Panthers -10.5.
Outlook: This is really all about the 2016 season. This is not coming from Joe, but from Lovie Smith himself. Some players may be playing for their Tampa Bay careers, barring reworking of their contracts. The first one that springs to mind is CB Alterraun Verner, who is due a boatload of money next season and thanks to Lovie’s defense, in part, has been relegated to a part-time player or worse. Another guy who better have a good game is OLB Danny Lansanah. He was invisible last week against the run-heavy Bears. That’s pretty inexcusable to not even show up on the defensive statistics for a starting linebacker in the NFL — even America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, showed up on the defensive statistics. Joe’s best hope today is that Jameis stays healthy and the Bucs improve their draft status for next spring. The rest of the game is just window dressing.
Nuggets: The Bucs have the fourth-best rushing offense in the NFL averaging 139 yards a game. … Overall, the Bucs are No. 7 overall in total offense averaging 375.2 yards a game. … RB Doug Martin needs two touchdowns to move into fourth place for all-time Bucs rushing touchdowns. He currently has 20. … Martin also needs 90 yards rushing to beat his career-best single season total set as a rookie of 1,647 in 2012. … QB Jameis Winston needs 349 passing yards to set the Bucs all-time single-season record for passing. Leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman had 4,065 in 2012. RB Charles Sims needs 70 yards receiving to move into fifth place for most receiving yards by a running back in Bucs history for a single-season. He currently has 487. … LB Lavonte David needs one more interception to tie Dave Lewis (10) for second-most pics by a Bucs linebacker. … Eight of WR Ted Ginn’s 15 touchdown catches the past two seasons have been 25-yards long or longer. Ginn will not play today… QB Cam Newton is the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 100 or more touchdowns (115) and run for 25 or more (41) touchdowns in his first five seasons. … Newton also has 21,167 total yards offensive in his first five years. Only Peyton Manning (21,174) had more. … LB Luke Kuechly has three of the top five tackles for a single season in Panthers history. LB Thomas Davis (948) is six tackles away from surpassing Mike Minter as Carolina’s all-time tackler. … Last week’s loss by the previously undefeated Stinking Panthers snapped an 18-game regular season winning streak. … Carolina has run for 100 yards or more in 26 straight regular season games. … The Stinking Panthers are second in the NFL in average rushing yards per game with 144.7. … Carolina is currently fourth in the NFL in total offensive yards allowed per game with 318.7.
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:36 pm
sup with the mugshots Joe? Normally you have some fine ass ladies…
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:38 pm
Touchdown Freeman
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:44 pm
mugshots funny hahaha
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:44 pm
What was the story on the two chicks above again?
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:50 pm
That pic is hilarious… I totally remember when those crazy btches were all over the news.
January 3rd, 2016 at 1:55 pm
@911, they were doing each other in a bar bathroom, pissed off some people, fought some people… just your average crazy, horny, carolina btches…
at least they got their stinkin panthers off..
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:02 pm
@This Guy
Oh ya thanks now I remember, haha. As a Dr. once told me “I can fix a lot of things but I can’t fix crazy”..
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:04 pm
This game would be a great win for the Bucs though nobody thinks it has a chance to actually happen. I don’t recall the Bucs being a double digit underdog to anybody this year. Knocking the cats out of the NFC top seed would be priceless. Go Bucs!
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:04 pm
oh I remember that! Hilarious. Sounds like a fun time.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:24 pm
@unbelievable
The mug shot makes them even hotter.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:31 pm
lol The pic.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:58 pm
I give Joe a lot of credit today.
It takes a real man to post up mugshots of his exes
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:00 pm
LMAO. That’s great. I hope we piss on the Panthers chance at the #1 seed but reality will likely not be so kind.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:01 pm
I wonder who is going to run and catch the ball for the Panthers today? Their top 2 WR’s and RB’s aren’t playing today. Maybe that will help the Master Of Defense Lovie finally figure out a way to cover Greg Olsen
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:09 pm
All of these final game division matchups are close games. I expect the Bucs to follow that trend.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Watching Freeman lead the Colts over the Titans. He actually doesn’t look too bad. Good velocity on his passes, and pretty accurate too. I think this game will earn him a chance to make some NFL roster next season as a backup. I wish him well.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:18 pm
I’m only watching while the offense is on the field. This d is awful
Loser Lovie sucks
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Some one near me just asked what channel the panther’s game is on.
Shaking my head here in Lakeland.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo is usually complimentary of everyone…..but, those are a couple of nasty, stanky-a$$ hoes that the Hoes posted. Pablo is a very nice man who loves all his Buc amigos….Pablo even likes the Realist, although it’s becoming very difficult for Pablo. Pablo has to take some meds to keep liking him. Pablo is rooting for Hamus to have a career day today”
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:41 pm
Ha!
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:03 pm
Is there a chance marinelli gets whacked? They have been awful today
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:12 pm
Titans just secured the #1 overall pick. Aren’t you supposed to improve with a new QB?
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:16 pm
I doubt marenelli gets fired. Although they didn’t play well today, that D has been pretty solid most of the year. And they don’t have a lot of big names either with the exception of Sean Lee and hardy.
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:17 pm
LovieBall Says:
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:12 pm
Titans just secured the #1 overall pick. Aren’t you supposed to improve with a new QB?
—————————-
And people were saying they wanted Mariota over Winston…haha
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:18 pm
@ Lovieball
You mean that new QB that came to Tampa week 1 and lit up the Bucs?
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:26 pm
They were Carolina Panther cheerleaders at the time. I thought it was doing coke in the bathroom in a channelside bar.
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:07 pm
If the Bucs are within 13 points I’ll be shocked
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:42 pm
how about americas qb another interception
January 3rd, 2016 at 6:40 pm
This team needs a major overhaul next year, starting with coaches (Lovie?) and following with players that does not contribute a damn thing….we have plenty of those (ASJ, Rainey, half the defense and half of the offense too!
January 3rd, 2016 at 7:25 pm
I love my Bucs
BUT THIS TEAM SUCKS
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:26 pm
One of my good friends instantly became a Panthers fan when I told him the story about those lesbian/hooligan Panthers cheerleaders. I once again picked up the tab in our twice a season Bucs-Panthers wager…bad move on my part telling him about those two chicks 🙂