The "Carolina Reaper" and his crew may have the chance, here in Week 7, to lay a division rival's season to rest.
At 1-5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be entering today's matchup against the Carolina Panthers on their last legs. Not only are they stuck at the bottom of the NFC South, but they're also pretty banged up—to the point where starting quarterback Baker Mayfield will return, perhaps a bit early, with a custom glove to protect the recently-dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Given their struggles and misfortune at this point in the campaign, the Bucs could face an insurmountable climb to the postseason with another loss this afternoon. Here's what ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler tweeted about their outlook on Saturday:
Bucs
still in NFC South hunt, but a loss Sunday would put them at 1-6. If that happens, some in league expect TB to entertain seller mode at that point.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, whether he likes it or not, has been given a "playful" reputation for sending his freshly-defeated opponents into the abyss. Over the past few years, some standout performances from the former No. 1 overall pick have given way to firings, benchings and shattered playoff hopes.
But for Young to buck the Bucs, he'll have to buck his trends against them. Carolina, in the past three years with Young under center, have lost five of their six games versus Tampa Bay.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: The 'Carolina Reaper' might have the chance to claim yet another victim in Week 7
