NFC South

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprisingly fell to 3-4 after Sunday's stunning 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady didn't sugarcoat things when he described the team's mood following the loss.

"No one feels good about where we're at, no one feels good about how we've played or what we're doing," Brady said after the game, per ESPN's Jenna Laine.

Sunday's loss was similar to last week's against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as it came against a one-win Carolina team that was led by a backup quarterback in P.J. Walker. The Steelers defeated the Buccaneers 20-18 despite having to play backup Mitchell Trubisky when rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered a concussion.

Brady threw for 290 yards on 32-of-49 passing. Tampa Bay mustered just 46 yards on the ground on 16 carries, demonstrating the lack of balance on offense that has hindered the team this season.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles was blunt in his assessment of the team's recent performances.

"We're not playing well. We're not playing well as individuals, we're not playing well as a team," he said. "We're not coaching well. All around. We're not scoring enough on offense. We're not stopping them enough on defense. So, as a result, we have to wear this on our sleeve. We've got to be grown men. We're going to see what we're made of—how many people can handle adversity? This is as dark as it's going to be right now."

Brady has not been on a team below .500 seven games into the season since 2002. He said it's up to the franchise as a whole to try to turn things around.

"We're all in it together," Brady said. "We've gotta go pull ourselves out of it."

The Bucs will look to bounce back when they return to action on Thursday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

When Tom Brady decided to un-retire and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for another season, the belief was that the Bucs would once again be one of the NFC's top teams in 2022.

In our first regular-season set of NFL Power Rankings here at Bleacher Report, the Buccaneers checked in at No. 3. Only the defending champion Rams were ranked higher among NFC teams.

Much like those Rams, though, the season hasn't gone anywhere near what most folks expected. The Tampa offense has sputtered much of the season, entering the week 21st in the league in both total offense and scoring offense.

And while the Buccaneers are still technically in first place in the NFC South, after getting blown out by the Carolina Panthers 21-3, it's become more and more evident that these Buccaneers have major problems—problems that threaten to derail their season.

And Tampa has only themselves to blame for their predicament.

Last year, Tom Brady led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdown passes. The Buccaneers piled up more yards and scored more points than every team in the league except the Dallas Cowboys. Tampa's offense was more prolific than the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills and the Super Bowl champion Rams.

What a difference a year makes.

Entering Week 7, the Buccaneers were averaging 332.0 yards per game and 20.2 points per contest—over 70 fewer yards and almost 10 points off last's year pace. The offensive struggles have left Brady visibly frustrated at times, including a sideline tirade directed at his offensive linemen during last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While speaking to reporters ahead of this week's trip to Carolina, Brady defended that outburst, stating that it's all part of leading a team.

Tom Brady having a word with his O-line after a 9-point first half 👀

(via @NFLonFOX) pic.twitter.com/yTjtdFaLdp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2022

"Sometimes you have to annoy guys and try to raise the level, convey a sense of urgency to them; raise your voice and create a different vibe for the whole offense," he said.

"That's what I was trying to do. I'm a quarterback. I don't expect the right thing to be done by the tackle, the running back or the receiver. I'm going to do it myself. That's my job to try to get us going, and raising my voice sometimes is a positive encouragement."

If Brady was frustrated before, he has to be apoplectic now.

Sunday's matchup with the hapless Panthers was supposed to be a perfect "get-right" spot against arguably the worst team in the NFL.

Carolina is rolling out a third-string quarterback, just traded their best offensive player in Christian McCaffrey and has already fired its head coach. The Panthers came into Week 7 ranked dead last in total offense and 20th in total defense.

Not only did the Buccaneers not "get right," but Tampa was blown out.

The Buccaneers were a hot mess offensively against Carolina. As has been the case so often this season, the Bucs had no ground game to speak of, managing just 46 yards on 16 carries. Brady threw for 290 yards, but it took 49 pass attempts to get there.

Tampa converted just 2-of-12 third downs in the game and punted on its first five possessions (not counting the end of the half). And perhaps most embarrassingly, the Bucs were outgained by Carolina's league-worst offense.

After the loss, Brady admitted to reporters that things just aren't going well.

"No one feels good about where we're at," Brady said. "No one feels good about how we played or what we're doing. We're all in it together, and we have to pull ourselves out of it."

The loss dropped Tampa to 3-4, which puts Brady in some uncharted territory.

With the #Bucs ugly loss today, Tom Brady has a losing record through his first 7 games for the first time since 2002, per @NFLResearch.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2022

The problem is that there's no clear path to pulling out of it.

Granted, injuries at wide receiver hurt the team earlier in the season, but that wasn't the case Sunday. With the exception of Julio Jones, Brady had his full complement of receivers against the Cardinals.

At the risk of being tabbed a heretic, Brady looks little like the player that led the league in passing yards and touchdown passes last year. His completion percentage and yards per attempt are similar to 2021, but his passing yards per game are down over 35 yards, and after tossing 43 touchdowns in 2021, Brady has just eight in seven games in 2022.

In his defense, Brady isn't getting much help. After averaging 4.5 yards per carry last year, Leonard Fournette is averaging just 3.6 yards a pop this season.

In 2021, Pro Football Focus ranked Tampa's offensive line as the second-best unit in the NFL. This year that number has dropped to seventh, with rookie guard Luke Goedeke continuing to struggle.

Tampa's defense remains stout, but they aren't perfect. They can't be expected to shut down every opponent just because the Bucs offense can't score. And against Carolina, that defense finally cracked, allowing 173 yards on the ground.

The problems are all feeding into one another. Fournette is struggling in part because the offensive line has taken a step back. That forces Brady to press behind protection that isn't what it was. The offensive struggles are putting an untenable amount of pressure on the defense. Add it all together, and you have the recipe for a team that is 1-4 over its last five games.

There doesn't appear to be an easy fix to what ails the Buccaneers, either. The return of center Ryan Jensen will help the offensive line, but one guy coming back isn't going to magically fix an offense that is completely out of sync.

Tampa may well still be the best team in the NFC South, but it's becoming awfully hard to imagine this team beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs. Or the Dallas Cowboys. Or the San Francisco 49ers. Not after they couldn't beat the Panthers.

It sounds weird to call rolling out the greatest quarterback in NFL history a risk, but the reality is Brady is 45 years old. There was a chance that his play would decline and that he wouldn't be able to carry the Bucs on another deep playoff run after another offseason of roster attrition.

However, while it was always possible that the Buccaneers would backslide, it doesn't make it any less jarring to see it happen so suddenly. But happen it has.

And odds are good that things aren't going to get better from here.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped to 3-4 on the season with Sunday's 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and head coach Todd Bowles admitted that the team is not in the right head space following the defeat.

Bowles said the Bucs are in a "dark place," per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and "they have to see if the older guys can still play and if the younger guys are good enough to play."

"We have to wear this on our sleeves. We have to be grown men. We’re gonna see what we’re made of; how many people can handle adversity. It’s about as dark as it’s gonna be right now," Bowles said, per The Athletic's Greg Auman.

Bowles added that he's not considering any coaching changes at this point in the year, but it's clear something needs to change if the Buccaneers are going to get back on track and save their season.

After Tom Brady decided to unretire, many expected the seven-time Super Bowl champion to return with a chip on his shoulder and lead the Buccaneers on another championship run. However, the team looks as far as ever from competing for another title.

Following Tampa's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers one week ago, Brady blamed the Bucs' problems on a lack of execution. Those execution issues only continued in Sunday's loss to Carolina.

Sunday's game marked Tampa Bay's second consecutive loss and the first time that Brady has been below .500 at this point in the season since 2002. It also marked a new low for the team this year.

Brady completed 32 of 49 passes for 290 yards in the loss. Mike Evans led Bucs' receivers with nine catches for 96 yards, and he would have had a touchdown in the first quarter had he not dropped a wide-open pass from Brady.

OH NO MIKE EVANS 😮 pic.twitter.com/G616ZhCwE9

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 23, 2022

Tampa's rushing offense was even more lackluster. Rookie Rachaad White led the team with six carries for 24 yards.

The Buccaneers hadn't been held without a touchdown since a 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 19, 2021.

Bowles' squad has a tough schedule coming up with meetings against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams on tap. It will need to sort things out quickly to avoid dropping further out of playoff contention.

Things have gotten bad for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Very, very bad.

Nobody would have predicted that a Carolina Panthers team firmly in the middle of a fire sale and fresh off of dealing franchise running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers would have put up much of a fight against the Bucs, let alone beat them 21-3.

Tom Brady showing some frustration on the field. pic.twitter.com/HM6CbkHTb1

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 23, 2022

But here we are.

The Bucs are now 3-4 after maybe the most improbable result of the NFL season, and it's become hard to ignore that Brady may not have made the right call coming back for another season.

As you might imagine, NFL Twitter didn't have much chill after Sunday's scoreline:

Just think, Tom Brady could have been in a TV booth somewhere today making $300-plus million instead of getting pounded by the Panthers for far less.

— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) October 23, 2022

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1584260119877255168

Tom Brady is now in one of those old Southwest Airlines "Wanna Get Away" commercials.

— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) October 23, 2022

Would Tom Brady just retire in the middle of the season?

— Adam Rank (@adamrank) October 23, 2022

So far today, the offenses led by two of the greatest quarterbacks that ever lived both absolutely stink. #Bucs #Packers #Brady #Rodgers

— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) October 23, 2022

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/imFy99vUFS

— Bruce Nolan (@BruceExclusive) October 23, 2022

After this Brady season, no married football fan will ever hear the end of it lol

— Kazeem Famuyide 🇳🇬 🍎 (@Kazeem) October 23, 2022

The “You don’t want to make Brady mad” narrative in the mud. He’s been pissed all year and it’s made no difference

— matt (@sponhourm) October 23, 2022

Who’d have thought Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson would be leading 3 of the most unexciting offenses to watch in the NFL?

— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) October 23, 2022

Tom Brady is done.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) October 23, 2022

Most humiliating loss of Tom Brady’s career?

If it stands, in the running.

— Brad Evans (@NoisyHuevos) October 23, 2022

Beating Tom Brady feels good even when you’re tanking

— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) October 23, 2022

A cursory glance at Brady's stats alone wouldn't suggest he was the main issue Sunday. He finished 32-of-49 for 290 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and one sack. Mike Evans also dropped a wide-open, no-doubter touchdown pass that might have changed the complexion of the game.

But this wasn't a great Brady performance, either:

I'm not watching this game except when switching to red zone, but what I've seen from Brady does not look good. Like he didn't practice with his receivers for the last few weeks, just out of sync. https://t.co/YFYekMcnSb

— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) October 23, 2022

I've seen Mike Evans drop a TD bomb and Brady miss Evans on what could have been a td bomb

— Mike Tanier (@MikeTanier) October 23, 2022

At 3-4, the Bucs don't have to hit the panic button in the weak NFC South. They are currently battling the 3-4 Falcons, 2-5 Panthers and 2-5 New Orleans Saints for the division crown. They remain the favorites to top the division.

But seeing a Brady-led offense this inept is a shock to the system. It's impossible not to question whether Brady pushed his luck a season too far by returning for another year. He is 45, after all.

And the Bucs are reeling. It couldn't come at a worse time, as a tough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens looms Thursday. The only thing worse than a 3-4 start for a team with contending expectations and aspirations is a 3-5 start.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly rejected a trade offer of two first-round picks for standout defensive end Brian Burns, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 24-year-old Burns, who has four sacks this season and 29.5 sacks overall through 54 career games, reportedly is not on the trading block. Per Schefter, he is expected to "land a massive extension" this offseason.

In addition, Carolina has no plans to trade wide receiver DJ Moore, defensive lineman Derrick Brown and cornerback Jaycee Horn.

The 1-5 Panthers, who sport the league's worst record, have already made a few seismic changes this year with an eye toward the future.

Notably, they fired head coach Matt Rhule two-plus years into a seven-season deal and traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for four draft picks. Carolina also dealt wide receiver Robby Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite the Panthers' insistence on not trading off more of their foundational players following McCaffrey's exit, they are listening to offers on others, including linebacker Shaq Thompson, per Schefter.

It's apparent that the Panthers aren't undergoing a complete rebuild and that they view certain players as "foundational pieces" to their roster moving forward. That was the reason given by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler as far as why Carolina isn't dealing Moore.

The #Panthers also have received multiple trade calls on their other top playmaker, wide receiver D.J. Moore, per sources, but the team has considered Moore a foundational piece to the roster. That would make a trade tough to execute.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 21, 2022

The trio of Burns, Moore and Horn all have a few things in common: They're first-round picks under the age of 25 at valued positions.

Burns is arguably the most prized player in that trio, and he's someone who the Panthers can build their defense around as they look toward a future with a new head coach and perhaps a rookie franchise quarterback.

The former Florida State star has amassed nine sacks in each of his last two years and earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2021. He's on track for a repeat Pro Bowl honor at this rate.

For now, Burns and the Panthers are hoping to get back in the win column when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Multiple teams have reportedly expressed interest in Carolina Panthers pass-rusher Brian Burns amid the team's firesale.

During an appearance Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are among the teams that have inquired about Burns.

Carolina has already made some significant moves this season, firing head coach Matt Rhule before trading wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals and running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

It isn't outside the realm of possibility that the Panthers would trade Burns since they have the NFL's worst record at 1-5, but it may not be likely.

Per Fowler, the Panthers have told teams they are "probably done" making trades and would prefer to keep a couple of their "core foundational pieces" in Burns and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Still, the Panthers have apparently put a price tag on Burns, albeit a high one. Fowler said an anonymous NFL general manager told him Carolina is looking for at least two first-round picks in exchange for Burns.

If the asking price is accurate, the Rams would likely be hard-pressed to land Burns since their 2023 first-round pick belongs to the Detroit Lions via the Matthew Stafford trade.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have all of their own first-round picks, and the Eagles have both their own and the New Orleans Saints' first-round picks in 2023.

Despite being 3-3, the Rams have Super Bowl aspirations after winning it all last year. The Eagles are perhaps now the Super Bowl favorite in the NFC as the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL, and the Chiefs are always a threat to go the distance with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Acquiring Burns is a move that could help put any of those teams over the hump, given what he has accomplished thus far in his four-year NFL career.

The 2019 No. 16 overall pick out of Florida State has been productive since breaking into the league, finishing with 7.5 sacks as a rookie and following that up with nine sacks in both 2020 and 2021.

Burns also had 50 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season, earning him his first Pro Bowl selection.

The 24-year-old defensive end has been one of the few bright spots for Carolina this season, racking up 24 tackles and four sacks in six games.

Carolina has exercised the fifth-year option in Burns rookie contract for 2023, meaning he will make $16 million next season.

Burns is not tied to the Panthers beyond that, and if they decide they would rather not invest a ton of money in him moving forward, they seemingly have plenty of suitors to consider ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said the team isn't planning a full-blown fire sale following Thursday night's blockbuster trade of running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

"This isn't a situation where we're trying to sell," Fitterer told reporters Friday.

The second-year GM added it would take "something astronomical" to move other members of the core, such as wide receiver DJ Moore, defensive end Brian Burns or defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Although the Panthers are hesitant to say they're set to enter a rebuilding phase, things are certainly trending in that direction.

Carolina is 1-5 and already fired head coach Matt Rhule, whose offensive pedigree wasn't enough to overcome a quarterback room that was led by Teddy Bridgewater (2020), Sam Darnold (2021) and Baker Mayfield (2022) during his three seasons in charge.

Bottoming out is the best route for the NFC South squad. Accumulating a massive amount of draft picks while potentially landing a top-five selection in the 2023 draft would represent fast-track progress toward a turnaround.

The McCaffrey trade was a strong start. They received four draft picks—second-, third- and fourth-rounders in the 2023 draft and a fifth-round selection in 2024—while also shedding the remainder of the 2019 Pro Bowler's four-year, $64.1 million contract.

Brown and Burns are still on team-friendly rookie contracts—Brown through 2024 and Burns through 2023—so moving them probably isn't necessary given their strong defensive impact, but dealing Moore should at least be considered before the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

The 25-year-old wideout has recorded just 20 catches for 204 yards and one touchdown through six games. Those numbers are more reflective of the team's putrid passing attack than his own abilities.

Moore, who's under contract through 2025 as part of a three-year, $61.9 million deal, had topped 1,100 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons.

Trading him to a contender for another haul of draft picks to basically press the reset button on offense, with the hope of landing a top quarterback prospect to build around in next year's draft, is probably the front office's best course of action.

Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis are among the top signal-callers on early big boards for the 2023 draft.

All told, despite Fitterer's comments, expect the Panthers to remain one of the NFL's top sellers over the next couple of weeks leading up to the deadline.

Carolina is back in action Sunday when it welcomes Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Bank of America Stadium for a divisional clash.

Being the best quarterback in NFL history apparently holds some value in the world of sports trading cards.

According to TMZ Sports, a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket set Tom Brady rookie card that was autographed by the quarterback sold for $2.4 million at a public auction. No other football card has sold for more at a public auction this year, and it marked the third-highest public auction price for a Brady card in history.

TMZ explained the card is one of 100 ever produced and was graded as Mint with a perfect autograph, driving up the price.

Brady's resume also drives up the price for any of his memorabilia, as it includes a stunning seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl selections. He has more Lombardi Trophies to his name than any franchise in the league.

Yet it has been something of an uncertain start for the future Hall of Famer and the 3-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Brady has eight touchdown passes to one interception, the offense has scored more than 21 points just once in six games. The unit will look to get back on track Sunday with an NFC South divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

It's all about the future at this point for the Carolina Panthers, and that future may still include wide receiver D.J. Moore even after trading away Christian McCaffrey.

Carolina announced it traded McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported it has also "received multiple trade calls" from teams interested in Moore. Yet Fowler noted "the team has considered Moore a foundational piece to the roster. That would make a trade tough to execute."

This has quickly turned into a lost season for the Panthers.

At quarterback, Sam Darnold has been out with an injury, and Baker Mayfield struggled before he was also sidelined. At head coach, the team already fired Matt Rhule and saw interim coach Steve Wilks send wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the locker room during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Panthers have since traded Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals and are sitting in last place in the NFC South at 1-5.

Trading McCaffrey was just the latest signal that it is time to focus on the future in Carolina, and the draft-pick haul should help the team do just that.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, San Francisco sent the NFC South team a second-, third- and fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024. That certainly helps deal with the sting of losing a game-changer like McCaffrey, especially for a team that is not a realistic contender.

As long as the Panthers are moving their impact veterans for draft picks, Moore would seem like the next logical candidate.

Yet he is just 25 years old and under contract through 2025. There certainly exists a path where he is a foundational cornerstone for the franchise and a go-to option when it may be competitive again in the next few seasons.

That hasn't been the case this year, as he has struggled to make an impact with poor quarterback play.

The Maryland product who had three straight seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards has 20 catches for 204 yards and one touchdown through six games in 2022. It has been far from the level of production fans are accustomed to, and plenty of fantasy managers would probably love to see him get a fresh start with a different offense.

Carolina may decide against making that fresh start happen.

The Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers surprised the football world by completing a trade for star running back Christian McCaffrey on Thursday night.

With the deal, the Panthers added a substantial haul of draft picks for 2023 and beyond, and now, their draft inventory looks like this:

Panthers hope to be an active Sean Payton suitor. Their picks are now:

2023: 1, 2, 2 (via Niners), 3 (via Niners), 4, 4 (via Niners), 5

2024: 1, 2, 3, 5 (via Titans), 5 (via Niners), 6 (via Cardinals)

2025: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (via Cardinals), 7 https://t.co/x2imW6XdCK

— John Sigler (@john_siglerr) October 21, 2022

The 49ers, on the other hand, don't have much draft capital next year after going all-in to land a two-time All-Pro running back:

https://twitter.com/LombardiHimself/status/1583301902002839554

In the official announcement of the trade, Panthers team reporter Darin Gantt wrote that the team is "adding draft inventory for the offseason as they look to build on a core of young players on defense." Carolina has selected a defensive player in the first round in three out of the last four drafts.

At 1-5, the Panthers look like the worst team in the NFL through the first six weeks of the 2022 season. The team fired former head coach Matt Rhule after a blowout loss to the 49ers in Week 5. Carolina also traded disgruntled wide receiver Robby Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals after he had a sideline confrontation with coaches in the middle of a game.

The move to trade McCaffrey continues the Panthers' transition to a rebuild. Carolina has a pair of quarterbacks who aren't signed beyond this season in Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, both of whom are playing this year on their fifth-year options. Mayfield has struggled as the team's starter, while Darnold returned to practice this week after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason finale.

As for the 49ers, they are in full win-now mode. San Francisco has made deep postseason runs in each of its last two playoff appearances but fell short of its ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory both times.

The 49ers clearly have no interest in building through the draft, as they feel their window for title contention is wider than ever. Only time will tell if the team's gamble was worth it.