Panthers Rushers Were Gassed
January 2nd, 2023
Finally that Tampa heat helped the Bucs win a ballgame.
The Florida swelter often has been referenced as an advantage by Buccaneers coaches through the years, but the hot weather never seems to materialize as a win-maker for the home team.
Yesterday was a different story, it seems.
The Panthers came to The Licht House off a Christmas Eve win in Charlotte against the Lions. Temperatures that day were in the 20s and the wind chill dropped it even further. Yesterday in Tampa, it was about 72 degrees and very humid.
Todd Bowles said on SiriusXM NFL Radio today that the Panthers pass rush got gassed late in the game.
Host Pat Kirwan, a former Jets personnel executive and linebackers coach, who also is a producer on the weekly CBS-TV Studio show, told Bowles that he watched the game with former Super Bowl quarterback Phil Simms. They noticed the Panthers rush looking spent at about the 35th Tom Brady dropback, he said.
Bowles did not dispute the take. “They stayed out there longer than we did and, you know, they got tired.”
Brady dropped back 48 times and was lethal in the fourth quarter. Bowles said the extremely muggy conditions worked in the Bucs’ favor.
Score one for the Tampa weather.
Maybe, just maybe, the Bucs can get a Mother Nature assist again if the Eagles come to town for the playoffs.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Figures Bowles jumps on that band wagon, he a big proponent of keeping players fresh except week 18 when it means something.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Hey NE fan, how did the Pat’s handle rest vs rust? Legit want to know. (Might as well get some use out of all these massholes on my website)
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:58 pm
“my website” LOL
So basically, Bowles said the Oline didn’t suddenly start playing better…the Pants Dline started playing worse.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Belichick says resting players is no way to run a team. You rest a couple because they are too important… what does that tell the others? They are not important?
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:05 pm
As a BUCS fan not a pat fan Yeah Bonzai.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Licht should be concerned with his coaches’ health. Why not bench them for the Falcons game to see what would happen with Brady calling offense and Logan Ryan calling defense.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:17 pm
Losing to the Panthers would have been insufferable/inexcusable. Spotted them 14 and then Brady had had enough. Evans too.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:45 pm
Maybe Bowles is smarter than we think?
Run, run, run early… wear the defense down…. then hit em with the no huddle, hurry up.
Problem is… difficult to guarantee success.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:50 pm
Brady wore them out dropping back…..he runs much faster backwards…..
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:32 pm
Evans said, this team doesn’t play their best until their backs are against the wall.
Good job, Todd! You’ve taught your team how to play soft and flaccid with a lead. Most champions take the lead and then apply foot pressure to the throat. Your guys get bored. Some leader Bowels is.
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:40 pm
Mike C, no need to be a DB. Hey that rhymes. To your question, you can only dress 46 guys. The bucs should absolutely rest as many key starters as possible. This situation is unique. The question usually comes up with teams who have clinched weeks before the final game. No team other than the 67 Packers have won the superbowl while losing their last two regular season games. Belichick actually threw a regular season finale to get a favorable matchup against Jacksonville.
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:44 pm
I am not sure the weather mattered that much, but we did control the clock for more than six minutes. That may not sound like a lot, but minutes in an NFL game are like dog years. We won the time of possession battle, and that usually matters more than anything else (along with turnovers). Surprisingly, we controlled the clock despite a pathetic rushing attack. Hopefully the return of Ryan Jensen will change that part of the equation.
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:55 pm
Or the kicker won the game..
Just saying
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:01 pm
Quit
They are not a solid team
Don’t expect gassed defenses the rest of the year
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Up tempo tends to do that too!
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:18 pm
Still can’t run. Red Zone was only 1 for 3. Third down they were terrible again. Happy with the win but everything isn’t magically fixed.
P.S. Ryan Succup sucks. Jake Camarta is a rock star.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:18 pm
No the heat had nothing to do with it. The hurry up and Tom throwing with the occasional draw play. Basically the complete opposite of what Bowles and Leftwich did all season. Doesn’t matter how hot it is, if you huddle and run twice for nothing and throw on 3rd then punt no defense is getting tired.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:18 pm
No “db” here Redeemer, the only ones guilty of that are patriot fans on a BUCS site and trolls.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:36 pm
this is for all the really older fans. That punt at the end reminded me of Gara Yepremian, the place kicker for the Miami Dolphins. I think it was 1972. It was a muffed snap. He tried to pick it up and pass it. Soooo comical!!! It looked like he had a snot covered pig on his shoulder
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Just noticed something quite interesting in looking at the snaps each player got in Sunday’s game. The winner (most snaps) for the Bucs? Anthony Nelson. Not only did he play ALL 66 defensive snaps (100%) at OLB (amazing in itself for an OLB), but he also was on the field for another 18 S/Ts snaps, giving him a total of 84.
Anthony put in a good days work too … 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 FF, 3 solo tackles & 1 assist. JTS also did quite well on the day … 7 solo tackles plus 1 QB hit. He was on the field for 65 defensive snaps (98%). The 2 of them must’ve been whooped come game’s end.
The only player on the Panthers to get more snaps than Nelson was CJ Henderson … 85 snaps on the day (76 defensive snaps plus 9 S/Ts snaps). If memory serves, he got beat twice on those deep TD passes to Mike Evans. Wonder if he was gassed from all those snaps?
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Zwak you are right. I just can’t figure out how in the hell the punter managed to score 30 points. You tha man Jake
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:48 pm
Agreed Sir!
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:01 pm
The Bucs with Brady running no huddle really made a huge difference. The Panthers couldn’t rotate and stay fresh, which helped our O-Line a lot.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:14 pm
Mike, play Russian roulette all you want but the Pat’s were always deep. Bucs not so deep as we’ve seen. Either way, your comment was not nice.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:50 pm
LOL, we will need way more than the weather to beat the Eagles!
Hope for the Cowboys.
After all, we beat them once, and nothing would be finer than to see the look on Jerry Jones face when we eliminate them!
January 2nd, 2023 at 9:43 pm
do it tb12’s way
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:43 am
No huddle, more often and earlier in games. Not all the time, but maybe every other series. Maybe, for fun, open with it against Atlanta.
No huddle does not mean hurry up or pass every down, BTW, as a real football fan would know — in fact Brady can change the formation once or twice to get a better read on the defensive call if he slow rolls it.
I know, radical stuff. Todd — no one expects you to buy into this or direct this. Hopefully the Glazers and Licht already have, with an assist from BA.
January 3rd, 2023 at 8:39 am
I was melting in the crowd That’s for damn sure day after new years efffff that was brutal
January 3rd, 2023 at 8:42 am
Can confirm it was pretty hot and humid out there in the stands.