| Tampa
at Carolina - November 13, 2006
by: VIP.com
In all sorts of strife at 2-6, Tampa Bay has found
many and varied ways to lose games this season.
Carolina, in contrast, can put it all down to one
factor, fourth quarter jitters. Remarkably,
the highly skilled Panthers have held a 4th quarter
lead in seven of their eight games, yet managed
to crumble to defeat four times. The result is
a shaky 4-4 record, with Carolina finding themselves
desperate to win tonight as 10 point favorites.
Carolina has had a fortnight
to think about where it’s all gone wrong,
with Coach John Fox emphasizing the need to stay
on the job until the final whistle sounds. Defense
has been at the heart of the problems of a Panthers
team that was expected to vie for a Super Bowl
berth just a couple of months ago.
In their last game against
Dallas, the Panthers led 14-0, but conceded 25
points in the final quarter for a humiliating
35-14 defeat. The Panthers are 21st in the NFL
in rushing defense and 20th in pass defense, not
good enough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The offense has also underperformed
at 23rd overall in the NFL, and they have the
worst record in the league in third-down conversion
percentage. Things could improve tonight with
highly-ranked running back, DeAngelo Williams
back on the field after missing three weeks with
an ankle problem.
But if the Panthers have
been poor, then the Buccaneers have been abysmal.
Their only wins have been over Cincinnati (by
one point) and Philadelphia (by two points).
Defensive lapses have been
at the heart of Coach Jon Gruden’s problems.
The Buccaneers were the best
in the NFL in total defense last season, but have
now slipped alarmingly to 22nd.
Quarterback Chris Simms,
who ironically was injured the last time these
teams met in Week 3, has been missed, although
rookie replacement Bruce Gradkowski hasn’t
played badly overall.
The Buccaneers rank last
in the NFC in total offense, and next to last
in rushing. They are also last in the conference
in points scored, as their sputtering offense
is averaging less than 13 points per game.
Running back Cadillac Williams
was predicted to have a huge season, but has been
a major disappointment at 3.7 yards per carry.
Williams’ counterpart for the Panthers,
DeShaun Foster, has been just as poor at 3.8 yards
per carry.
It’s now or never for
the Buccaneers as they play their next three games
in a testing 11-day run. They also have five of
their last eight games on the road.
Summing Up:
This game is a question of
who can emerge from their slump first, with Panthers
quarterback, Jake Delhomme more equipped to get
his offense going than Tampa’s Gradkowski.
The Panthers have won six of the last seven games
between the teams, including a narrow 26-24 victory
in September.
For all NFL betting picks,
please visit VIP.com
Posted by miker at November
13, 2006 11:09 AM
Sports
and horse racing betting at its finest on the
web is here at VIP.com. Online wagering through
VIP offers unparalleled opportunity. Up to date
News and Statistics allows you to make intelligent,
informed online gambling decisions. At VIP,
we are proud of our online wagering and sports
betting lines. We offer secure and reliable
sport gambling including wagering on the NFL,
the NBA, formula 1, NASCAR, major league baseball
and much more. Our horsebook offer the best
wagering limits anywhere! Betting parlors envy
VIP.com's Best Odds making us the best online
sportsbook for betting in the industry.
|
