News & Updates

Ryan Fitzpatrick will lead the Buccaneers into Carolina as the starting quarterback after a relief dose of Fitzmagic almost pulled out a wild game in Cincinnati.

Jameis Winston was benched after his fourth interception before Fitzpatrick led the Buccaneers to a pair of scores and a late-game tie, only to lose on a last-second field goal.

Meanwhile, Cam Newton and the Panthers made short work of the Ravens defense in a 36-21 thrashing. Newton kept the Panthers within a game of the red-hot Saints in the NFC South.

It wasn’t a huge performance by Newton, but two touchdowns on 21/29 passing and no turnovers was more than enough. He distributed the ball well and tacked on 52 yards on 10 rushes.

It was vintage Newton and bodes well for Carolina’s playoff push. With a game against the surging Steelers in Week 10, the Panthers want to take care of the Buccaneers this week.

Tampa’s fading playoff hopes will rely on a return of Fitzpatrick’s early-season success. If the defense doesn’t improve, however, it may be too tall a task for the veteran journeyman.

Injuries and notes

Cam Newton was listed as questionable and limited in practice in what was probably a veteran relief move.

Torrey Smith is also listed as questionable.

Panthers corner Captain Munnerlyn suffered a hamstring injury in Carolina’s win. He joins safety Rashaan Golden and linebacker Andre Smith on the questionable list.

Tampa Bay lists half their defense on the injury report, but no one is expected to miss this week’s matchup.

Running back Ronald Jones will miss the game, however, as he recovers from a pulled hamstring.

Coaching matchup

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter pulled the trigger on a quarterback change as his own job security becomes shakier by the day. Winston is in a prove-it situation along with his coach as the Buccaneers look ready to go another direction in 2019. But self-preservation forced Koetter to do something as the Bengals pulled away last week.

Carolina’s Ron Rivera is not as nervous about his job. The Panthers are right where he wants them, pounding on the door to the playoffs where they have a shot at the Super Bowl he declared was the minimally accepted indication of success this year.

How to watch the Panthers-Buccaneers game

Fox Sports will show this game in the local markets during the early time slot. Internet television subscribers can follow along on Sling TV, Fubo, or DirecTV Now.

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Read More: NFL Week 10 Game Preview: Panthers at Steelers

Who will win the Panthers-Buccaneers game?

Ryan Fitzpatrick gave his team a boost in relief last week, but facing a prepared Panthers defense is another task altogether.

Look for the Panthers to extend their perfect home record at the expense of the Buccaneers.

Thursday Night Football follows two forgettable games with what could be the Game of the Week. Carolina takes its three-game winning streak into Pittsburgh where the Steelers will try to extend their own four-game streak.

Both offenses are clicking, averaging over 30 points-per-game during their recent winning stretches. Quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton are playing as well as they ever have, and each boasts a young runner that gives their offense a lift.

James Conner and Roethlisberger made the Steelers the second team in NFL history to finish with a 100-yard rusher and a 250-yard passer in four straight games. Tony Romo and Demarcus Murray did it for the Cowboys once. Pittsburgh will try to do it for a record-setting fifth consecutive game Thursday.

Newton has used his legs as much as his arm to keep the Panthers offense moving. Chris McCaffrey proved he can run between the tackles and handle a full rushing workload, creating a perfect option alongside Newton.

Pittsburgh’s James Conner is the third-leading rusher in the NFL and is tied with Alvin Kamara with a second-best nine rushing touchdowns.

Le’Veon Bell could disrupt the Steelers’ locker room and game flow if he decides to end his holdout this week. It is the last week he can do so and still play in 2018.

Injuries and notes:

In a short week, it’s hard to differentiate who is being rested from who is actually injured. Carolina lists ten players as limited or missing practice. That includes Cam Newton and Greg Olsen, neither of whom is expected to miss Thursday’s game.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith (knee) is legitimately questionable.

Ben Roethlisberger is among a handful of Steelers limited in Tuesday practice. He will start Thursday. The only Steeler ruled out is Bell.

Coaching matchup

Going into 2018, Panthers coach Ron Rivera declared nothing less than a Super Bowl appearance would be considered success. He brought in Norv Turner to help Newton make the most of his offense with good results.

Carolina is on track to make the playoffs, but they will need to go a step further than last season’s round 2 loss if Rivera is to feel secure in his position.

Mike Tomlin has the Steelers playing as well as ever. He kept the team from being distracted by the Le’Veon Bell saga so far and made preseason prognosticators look silly for their concern about the Steelers aging stars.

How to watch the Steelers-Panthers game

Fox Sports and the NFL Network will broadcast this TNF game across the nation. Millions of savvy NFL fans will watch the contest on their favorite Internet-connected device thanks to companies like Sling TV, Fubo TV, and DirecTV Now.

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Read More: NFL Week 11 Game Preview: Panthers at Lions

Who will win the Steelers-Panthers game?

Cam Newton is putting better numbers up this season than he did in his MVP year. When he is on his game, you can never rule out a victory for the Panthers.

But Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers have this thing about primetime games. They are practically unbeatable. With Conner making a case to keep his job even if Bell returns for Week 11, expect the team to keep its foot to the pedal Thursday.

It is no fun to play a game in which it never appears your team had a chance. Good teams are dangerous the week after such a game. They are eager to erase the memory and reassert themselves as true playoff contenders, or at least, NFL-level competitors.

Detroit comes off a 34-22 loss to the Bears that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicates.

Carolina was embarrassed on national television, 52-21 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

You might expect both teams to come into Week 11 with a vengeance like any good team would do. But, there is only one good team among them.

Detroit seems like a team resigned to rebuild and set themselves up for next year. Fans and teammates saw a weird turn of events when the team stole one of the best defensive players in the game away from the Giants in what looked like a commitment to winning this season, but then followed up by trading away their best offensive player in what some felt was a surrender.

Regardless of what players say about the moves, their play indicates they believe the season is over. They’ve lost three games in a row, which wouldn’t be terrible except they haven’t looked very competitive in the last two.

Carolina won three in a row before the short-week debacle against the Steelers. They are determined to prove the game was a fluke and put themselves in position to meet the Steelers again in Super Bowl LIII.

Injuries and notes

Lion’s receiver Marvin Jones is listed as questionable with a knee injury but is leaning toward doubtful. Kenny Golladay would step up as the lead receiver.

Tight end Michael Roberts is also listed as questionable, along with fellow tight end Luke Wilson. Both sustained shoulder injuries last week. Roberts appears to be the more serious of the two.

Panthers’ wide receiver Torrey Smith was spotted running at practice. He is officially questionable for Sunday.

Coaching matchup

Panthers’ coach Ron Rivera has seen enough adversity over the years to know how to get his team back on track. To a man, his players seem ready to shake off last week’s performance and make sure the league knows the Panthers are a playoff team.

Matt Patricia is a smart guy, but we have yet to see if he can pull his team out of their funk. Another difficult and hard-hitting defense awaits. His defense gets to deal with Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. Although they have been much better against the run with Damien Harrison on the field, he can’t cover from sideline to sideline himself.

How to watch the Lions-Panthers game

Fox Sports will broadcast this game to the local markets. That means fans in greater Detroit and Carolina can watch the live stream Lions-Panthers game on Fubo TV.

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Read More: NFL Week 12 Game Preview: Seahawks at Panthers

Who will win the Lions-Panthers game?

Matt Patricia and Matthew Stafford have their hands full directing a subpar running attack and decimated receiving corps against the Panthers. But even the best game plan will go to waste of the players are not committed. We should see what the Lions players are made of in the weeks ahead.

This week belongs to the other cats on the field. Carolina is determined to get back on track and won’t let the Lions stand in their way.

Seattle travels to North Carolina to take on the Panthers in a battle of teams with wildcard aspirations. Playing behind the 10-1 Rams and the 9-1 Saints does not bode well for a division title.

Russell Wilson and his Seahawks come in off a little extra rest after they added to the misery of the Green Bay season with a 27-24 victory.

Seattle’s running game is the story of their season, with Chris Carson providing a Marshawn Lynch-type of a workhorse, with Mike Davis and others filling in admirably when needed.

Wilson always plays better in the second half of the season. With a gelling offensive line and a healthier Doug Baldwin taking the field, the Seahawks have as good a shot as any team to make a playoff run from here on out.

Carolina had a chance to put themselves in better control of the first wild-card spot with a victory over the Lions in Detroit. However, when they scored a late touchdown to pull within a point of the home team, Coach Ron Rivera opted to go for the win instead of playing for overtime.

Quarterback Cam Newton had time, but no receivers, ultimately lofting an incomplete pass that no one had a chance of catching. Will that loss factor into playoff positioning?

Injuries and notes:

Wide receiver Torrey Smith is listed as questionable for the Panthers with an ongoing knee issue.

Seattle is also relatively healthy, with only rookie rusher Rashaad Penny (ankle) and linebacker KJ Wright (knee) listed as questionable.

Coaching matchup:

Pete Carroll’s early season concession that his team wasn’t running the ball enough proved prophetic. Seattle adapted its game plan to take advantage of what is now its strength. The defense is not spectacular, but they can make a stop when needed, which is more than many expected.

Ron Rivera didn’t win the hearts of many fans with his extra point call last week. Of course, if he made it, they would be buying him drinks. More importantly, his players seemed to love the decision.

Rivera knows he is still in control of his playoff destiny. When you go out on a limb and declare nothing less than a Super Bowl berth is acceptable, that is pretty important.

How to watch the Panthers-Seahawks game

Fox Sports will produce and broadcast this game across much of the United States. That means Fubo-TV subscribers can watch the live stream action from their internet-connected TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone.

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Read More: NFL Week 15 Game Preview: Saints at Panthers

Who will win the Panthers-Seahawks game?

There are people who worry Rivera’s lost gamble could take the life out of his Panthers team. But to a man, the players say they supported the coach’s decision and blame themselves for not executing better. The failure could actually inspire a team to play better.

Seattle is playing well and Russell Wilson might take advantage of the Panthers’ pass defense, but there is a reason the Panthers are 5-0 at home.