Week 6: Carolina at Tampa Bay

The Panthers are the headliner coming into this one, having gotten off to their best start since the 2003 Super Bowl team began 5-0. Carolina’s 34-0 pounding of Kansas City Sunday was the largest victory margin in the squad’s 14-year history. The Panthers defense, which hasn’t given up a TD in nine quarters, has now moved to No. 4 in total defense.

The Tampa Bay quarterback who will face that defense is questionable. Jeff Garcia started the season, got in coach Jon Gruden’s doghouse, and was benched. Garcia may start even if Brian Griese recovers from the right elbow and shoulder injuries he sustained in a 16-13 loss to Denver Sunday. Griese was ineffective against the Broncos even before he went out, and Garcia led the team to its only TD.

In either case, the Bucs will try to get RB Earnest Graham going against Carolina. The Panthers have faced five of the league’s top rusher in five games so far and have yet to allow any of them a 100-yard game or a rushing TD. Gruden likes to consider Graham one of the league’s elite backs; here is his chance to prove it.

Carolina QB Jake Delhomme has been a Buc-killer ever since he arrived in Carolina. Delhomme is 7-1 against the Bucs and a perfect 4-0 on the road. He has two healthy receivers in Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, who both can take advantage of one-on-one opportunities that are taking place more this season because Carolina can actually run the ball a bit.

So can Tampa Bay. Both teams split the carry load, and they share the curiosity of each boasting two rushers in the NFL’s top 20 (they are the only NFL teams who can say that). Carolina has both DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart, while Tampa Bay has Graham and “everything-old-is-new” again Warrick Dunn.

The key for the Bucs is to score a few more points, and it won’t be easy against a Carolina defense that has recently come into its own. Panthers MLB Jon Beason and DE Julius Peppers are playing like Pro Bowlers and setting the course for a strong season so far.

Tampa Bay, however, will scrap desperately in this one, not wanting to fall behind two games in the NFC South to a division rival. And sometimes — when the teams are relatively even on talent — scrapping turns out to be enough.

Tampa Bay by 4