Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head to Carolina for Week 7 Division Clash with Panthers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will begin divisional play in Week 7 when they travel to Charlotte to face the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. local time at Bank of America Stadium. The game will be broadcast locally by Fox. Tampa Bay will play its first game against a division foe this season.
Tampa Bay enters the game with an unexpected 1-5 start but still holds all six of its games against NFC South opponents remaining on the schedule. Carolina is 3-2 and is the defending NFC South champion after winning a three-way tiebreaker with Tampa Bay and Atlanta last season. The teams split a pair of contests in the final three weeks of that campaign, so the rivalry remains fresh.
Tampa Bay looked to build on a Week 5 victory in Dallas but dropped a 26-19 overtime decision to Pittsburgh in Week 6. Tampa Bay took a 16-3 lead into the fourth quarter before Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions in that period and the Steelers scored on four straight possessions to take a 19-16 lead. Chase McLaughlin kicked a 53-yard field goal to force overtime, but Pittsburgh scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra period. Tampa Bay’s defense was in control for three quarters and finished the game with a season-high five sacks, including two by young pass rusher David Walker.
The Panthers won with relative ease in Philadelphia in Week 6 against an Eagles roster missing quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Devonta Smith. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while the Panthers held Philadelphia to 222 total yards. Young has built on his promising 2025 campaign and has now thrown 11 touchdown passes against two interceptions and is averaging 309.8 yards per game this season. Running back Chuba Hubbard has emerged as the lead back and produced a 120-yard, one-touchdown outing in that game.
The clubs had met 51 times prior to this matchup. A Tampa Bay victory would even the all-time series at 26-26. The teams split two meetings late last season, which kept the rivalry fresh. Carolina enters the game as the defending NFC South champion after winning a three-way tiebreaker with Tampa Bay and Atlanta last season.
NFL Sports Blog Take
This game presents a pivotal early-season crossroads for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay’s 1-5 start underscores how critical divisional games will be to salvaging the season, while Carolina’s productive passing attack and stout defensive performance in Week 6 explain why the Panthers lead the NFC South. Tampa Bay’s defense has shown the ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, as evidenced by a season-high five sacks against Pittsburgh, but the offense must play cleaner football in the fourth quarter and improve ball security from Jalon Daniels to compete. This matchup should be tightly contested and will carry significant implications for the division race.