Bucs-Panthers key matchups

Bucs MLB Barrett Ruud vs. Panthers RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart

The Panthers have gotten away from doing what they do best. Though the scores of their games haven't necessarily dictated it, they have been throwing the ball a lot more than they've been running it of late.

The results haven't been what the Panthers want, of course, so don't be surprised if Carolina goes back to its strength today and gives the Bucs a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Both Panthers backs are very dangerous, and the Panthers have to believe they'll have some success against the Bucs. This is, after all, the same team they ran for 299 yards against last year.

The Bucs are coming off their best defensive effort of the year, one in which they reverted back to their old one-gap Tampa 2 scheme and limited Falcons runners to 75 yards and 2.9 yards per carry.

Barrett Ruud was a big part of that success, and he'll be a big part of any success the Bucs might have today. Though they're much better in the one-gap scheme, the Bucs linemen still need help from their linebackers.

Ruud proved last week that he's a much better fit in the Tampa 2 than he was in the two-gap, read-and-react scheme he was playing in under former coordinator Jim Bates.

If Ruud can turn in another strong performance and help fill those middle gaps, the Bucs will have a good chance of stopping Williams and Stewart and that will greatly increase their chances of beating the Panthers.

Bucs RDE Stylez G. White vs. Panthers LT Travelle Wharton

White is really humming right now. He's coming off a 2.5-sack game against the Falcons, and he seems to have found his rhythm since taking over as the starter following the trade of Gaines Adams to Chicago.

It probably hasn't hurt White that he's virtually splitting time with Tim Crowder. The rotation there has allowed White to stay fresh throughout the game, and that could pay big dividends today.

Though Wharton is a good match for him both physically and technically, White comes into this game riding a big wave of confidence and his snap count should allow him to eventually get the edge on Wharton.

Wharton has the quickness necessary to stay with a good pass rusher and he mirrors well, but White is the better player here and like so many around him on the Bucs' defense, he seems rejuvenated playing in the Tampa 2.

The Bucs will need to get a good pass rush to help their secondary out against the likes of Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. White's the key there, because he's arguably the Bucs' best rush end.

If White can win this battle, the Bucs can force the Panthers quarterback - whomever that may be - to hurry his throws. That in turn will lead to Panthers mistakes and Bucs takeaways.

Bucs QB Josh Freeman vs. Panthers Blitz

Another area in which the Panthers have struggled this year is getting to the passer. They have had to rely a lot more on blitzes than they want to, and if that's the case again today it could prove to be an advantage for them.

Though Bucs rookie QB Josh Freeman usually does a good job of standing in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield, he has shown a tendency the past two weeks to compromise his throwing mechanics in such situations.

Like any quarterback, Freeman is most lethal when he's stepping into his throws. In recent weeks, however, he has at times been throwing off balance in the face of a rush.

It goes without saying that the Bucs will have to do a good job in blitz pickup today. Gaining good yardage on first and second down will also help limit the number of blitzes the Panthers throw at Freeman.

It's inevitable, though, that Freeman will face a few blitzes along the way today. If he can keep his mechanics sharp he should do a better job of hitting his targets, moving the chains and keeping drives alive.