TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said the team had a good week of practice and had good energy.
But, they’ve had that before and not played well when it counts.
WATCH: Bucs focused on beating Panthers, but need help to win division
The Bucs have lost seven of their last eight games, but can still make the playoffs if they beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday and the Atlanta Falcons lose or tie against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
“We can’t control the outcome of the Saints-Falcons game, but we can control how we come out with good effort, good attitude,” left tackle Tristan Wirfs said.
“Have to have a short memory. I do,” quarterback Baker Mayfield added. “I know what the priority is, and that’s win on Saturday. To be able to completely forget what’s going on, no. Being the competitor I am, I’m frustrated with where we’re at.”
You don’t have to look too far back to find the last meeting between Tampa Bay and Carolina. The two sides met less than two weeks ago in Charlotte.
In that Week 16 game, the Panthers beat the Bucs 23-20 to take over first place in the NFC South.
“They know what you’re going to do already. We just saw you two week ago,” Wirfs said. “It is like a little game of chess. Just trying to get a leg up on them, who has better hand placement, who has pad level. I think that’s what it comes down to in the trenches. You know their moves, maybe they were holding something back in the first game now they’re going to bring it out in this game.”
“Penalties and little things that shot ourselves in the foot on offense is what really killed us in that game,” Mayfield said. “On multiple drives, penalties and false starts, and just being able to pick up the pressures when they’re there.”
The Bucs and Panthers kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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