The Carolina Panthers are heading into their second NFC South matchup of the season. This latest bout will be against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom they battled for the division crown at the end of the 2025 campaign.
Things in 2026, however, feel a little different. While the 3-2 Panthers are atop the standings, the Bucs come in struggling at 1-5.
So for Carolina to keep Tampa down, here are four key matchups they'll have to get the better of . . .
Panthers LT Rasheed Walker vs. Buccaneers OLB David Walker
Pass protection has been the Panthers' greatest weakness this season—and it's the quickest path to an upset for Bucs. And you're looking for Tampa's sack leader, you'll find him at the bottom of the depth chart—where David Walker has a team-high 4.0 sacks and five tackles for a loss in 2026.
The
second-year pass rusher is gearing up for some Walker-on-Walker violence, as he'll line up across from Rasheed—whose pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (68.2) ranks 41st at his position.
Panthers LB Devin Lloyd vs. Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving
Tampa's run game ranks in the top 10 this year—so slowing down Irving will be critical for success. Irving is pacing the ground attack with 452 rushing yards on the season, but no other running back on the roster has more than 61.
Lloyd has to keep everybody on the same page and contain Irving, who torched the Panthers for 544 yards from scrimmage over their last four meetings.
Panthers CB Will Lee III vs. Buccaneers WR Ted Hurst
2026 fourth-round pick Will Lee III has stepped up in the absences of usual starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. For the year, he's allowed just a 51.2-percent completion rate and a 77.2 passer rating in coverage.
With Tampa's No. 1 wideout in Emeka Egbuka out, Lee may see quite a bit of Hurst—who quarterback Baker Mayfield has aired it out to this season.
Panthers OLB Princely Umanmielen vs. Buccaneers LT Tristan Wirfs
The Panthers need to get to the quarterback, and they'll have to do it without starting outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips. That puts more pressure on Umanmielen, who leads Carolina with 3.0 sacks.
He'll have a tough task this week as he takes on Wirfs, who has the second-highest pass blocking grade (85.5) in the league amongst offensive tackles.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Key matchups for Panthers vs. Buccaneers in Week 7
