Carolina loss started Bucs' slide

In the 10 months since they last registered a victory, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been transformed from Super Bowl contenders to an NFL punch line.

And here comes the same villain that kick-started the slide to oblivion.

"This thing all began with Carolina - it sure would be nice to end it with them,'' Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Ruud said, referring to Sunday's home matchup against the favored Panthers.

Carolina's 38-23 nationally televised victory at chilly Bank of America Stadium on the evening of Dec. 8 triggered a nine-game losing streak for the Bucs and has raised the possibility of the first NFL blackout in Tampa since Raymond James Stadium opened in 1998.

After Sunday's 33-14 setback to the Eagles dropped Tampa Bay to 0-5, the Bucs were described as both "wretched" and "hapless" in Philadelphia media reports.

One columnist likened them to the Washington Generals, an American exhibition basketball team known for its ineptness.

"I think the fan base down in Tampa is shell-shocked right now,'' said Fox analyst Tim Ryan, who has worked the past two Bucs games. "The changes were so sweeping, so fast and so unexpected, people don't know what to expect now.''

Under new coach Raheem Morris and first-year general manager Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay has replaced half of its starters since that Monday night debacle in Charlotte, where the Panthers ran for 299 yards and scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to break a 17-17 tie.

The Bucs are 3-point underdogs Sunday, and if they don't emerge with a win, London will be calling the following week with Tampa Bay having dropped 10 consecutive regular-season games for the first time since the fall of 1977.

When Morris was still in diapers.

"Tampa's no different than Kansas City or Detroit," said former Bucs coach Tony Dungy, now an NBC analyst. "It's a struggle to turn things around. What's happening in Denver (5-0 under rookie coach Josh McDaniels) is really the rare thing. You've got to get your philosophy established and be patient."

Dungy knows what Morris is going through.

The 1996 Bucs opened 1-8 in Dungy's first year on the sideline before finishing strong, paving the way for a long, successful run.

That Tampa Bay club featured future cornerstones like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Mike Alstott.

"These Buccaneers are largely anonymous," Ryan said. "They've got a few things to build around, like the offensive line and the young linebackers, but it all comes down to the quarterback ... developing the kid. Josh Johnson isn't the future of this team - Josh Freeman is.

"In talking to guys in the organization, Freeman's not ready from the neck up. Why get him out there and get his spirits broke? I'm not against playing a rookie QB if he's ready to go. Look at Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last year. But this rookie isn't ready to go."

While an epic December collapse cost the Bucs a playoff berth and prompted the dismissal of Coach Jon Gruden, Carolina won the NFC South before quarterback Jake Delhomme unraveled against Arizona in the postseason.

The 2009 Panthers opened 0-3 before rallying to beat Washington 20-17 on Sunday, taking some heat off Coach John Fox.

Still, Carolina has been outscored 104-57 on the season, and opponents average 5.0 yards per rushing attempt.

"Carolina was going through the same stuff we were,'' Ruud said. "Then they found a way to win last week and put an end to it. We've got to do the same - get a break or two and capitalize and finish out a game. Whatever it takes, we need a win bad around here.''