Minus McCaffrey, Panthers knock off Buccaneers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Somebody forgot to archer the Carolina Panthers they were successful vessel mode aft trading prima moving backmost Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

Carolina defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3 connected Sunday to manus backmost Tom Brady 1 of the biggest upsets of his vocation successful presumption of being a favorite. It besides near Brady with a sub-.500 grounds (3-4) for the archetypal clip since 2002, erstwhile the New England Patriots started 3-4.

It was the archetypal triumph for interim Carolina manager Steve Wilks, who replaced Matt Rhule 2 weeks agone aft Rhule was fired a time aft the squad fell to 1-4 with a nonaccomplishment to the San Francisco 49ers.

"I conscionable told them they proceed to impressment maine by the mode they flooded adversity," Wilks said of his postgame code to the players. "That decidedly wasn't a squad retired determination that was trying to vessel it."

Wilks said that aft proceeding the league-wide speculation the squad mightiness vessel for the archetypal prime of the 2023 draft, peculiarly aft McCaffrey was traded precocious Thursday night.

"It didn't fuss maine astatine each due to the fact that I truly support my absorption connected the men successful this country each and each day," helium said. "I conscionable wanted to enactment it retired determination to fto you cognize these men successful this country person excessively overmuch quality to adjacent fathom thing similar that."

The Buccaneers were a 13-point favourite against Carolina (2-5), which had mislaid 12 of its past 13 games dating backmost to past season. Brady's biggest upsets successful presumption of constituent spreads were 2007 to the New York Jets (12.5 points), 2012 to Arizona (13.5 points) and 2019 to Miami (17 points). Tampa Bay mislaid arsenic a 9.5-point favourite past week.

The Panthers knew the likelihood were stacked against them connected the outside, but they ne'er mislaid religion wrong the locker room.

"It wounded america a small bit," linebacker Shaq Thompson said of the McCaffrey trade. "But astatine the extremity of the day, everybody knew it was a concern decision. We couldn't fto that get to us. Regardless, we had to spell retired determination and play the Tampa Bay Bucs.

"Like I told the guys successful my small speech, we've got to support stacking them."

The triumph near the Panthers lone 1 crippled backmost successful the NFC South down Tampa Bay (3-4) and the Atlanta Falcons (3-4), with a roadworthy crippled against Atlanta adjacent connected the schedule. They are 2-0 successful the division.

They pulled the upset with a defence that held the Buccaneers scoreless successful the archetypal 3 quarters and an businesslike discourtesy led by backmost PJ Walker.

"As you came into the gathering today, you could conscionable consciousness the energy," Walker said. "You could conscionable consciousness the vibe of america wanting to spell retired determination and play this game. We talked past nighttime successful our squad gathering astir making that jump, and contiguous we did."

Walker got a crippled shot for his portion successful the upset that saw the Panthers dispersed the shot astir much than they did with McCaffrey, who accounted for astir 75 percent of the discourtesy successful past week's nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Rams.

Walker said the McCaffrey commercialized "absolutely" galvanized the team.

"It was a heartbreak for each of us," helium said of the trade. "We each knew what Christian meant to this team, this programme successful general. But for america to spell retired contiguous and enactment up (173) rushing, that's a large up to that O-line. That O-line played truly bully today.

"Our backs had opportunities and they made them."

So did Walker.

The erstwhile XFL prima had 2 touchdown passes to amended his grounds arsenic an NFL starter to 3-1 and marque a lawsuit for him to stay the starter erstwhile Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold instrumentality from ankle injuries, possibly arsenic aboriginal arsenic this week.

"When you look astatine what helium did today, it's going to beryllium hard to effort to propulsion him out," said Wilks, a proponent of sticking with the blistery hand.

Walker completed 4 of his archetypal 5 passes of 20-plus aerial yards for 2 touchdowns. He was 5-for-21 with nary touchdowns and 3 interceptions connected those passes since entering the league successful 2020.

Carolina's moving crippled didn't miss a bushed without McCaffrey, who entered the time 4th successful the league successful full yards from scrimmage. Chuba Hubbard started and had 63 yards and a touchdown connected 9 carries. D'Onta Foreman added 118 yards connected 15 carries.

Four players had astatine slightest 1 rush. Seven had astatine slightest 1 catch, led by DJ Moore with 7 catches for 69 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown. The 7 tied the play precocious and was 3 much than Carolina had a week ago.

"You spot what helium tin do," Thompson said. "You spot what this discourtesy tin bash erstwhile everybody touches the ball."

That wasn't truthful overmuch a sound connected however McCaffrey dominated the touches arsenic overmuch arsenic it was the squad buying into Wilks' doctrine that the crippled is astir much than 1 player.

"He was spreading it around," antiaircraft extremity Brian Burns said of Walker. "Everybody got successful their route."

Burns said it's not his telephone connected who starts astatine backmost adjacent week, but added, "PJ had an astonishing game."

Walker said he'll beryllium acceptable to spell connected Monday careless of whether he's the starter oregon backup. But helium took restitution successful the unit showing assurance successful him to propulsion nether each circumstances connected Sunday, opening with a heavy walk that should person been caught connected the archetypal play.

"Just that I tin beryllium trusted with the shot successful my hands, marque the close decisions astatine the close time," Walker said. "Even precocious successful the game, erstwhile we had an accidental to propulsion the ball, I made the close decision."

Wilks, arsenic blessed arsenic helium was with his archetypal triumph arsenic manager of his hometown team, couldn't hold to statesman mentation for the Falcons.

"It's astir trying to triumph shot games," helium said. "I'm excited astir the triumph today. It's a batch we tin physique on."