The Bucs needed a big bounce back game after losing their season-opener to the San Francisco 49ers in week one and that’s exactly what they got with a hard-fought, 20-14 victory over a divisional foe in the Carolina Panthers.
The Bucs moved to 1-1 on the season and here are the most impressive performances from their victory on Thursday night.
OLB Shaq Barrett
Barret had his coming out party with the Bucs on Thursday, coming up with big sacks in some crucial moments. He finished the game with three sacks, two of them coming on back-to-back plays during a third quarter drive while Tampa Bay was clinging to a 10-9 lead.
Barrett also drew a holding call early in the fourth quarter on a third down pass rush, inevitably leading to a Carolina punt, and came flying off of the edge on fourth down later in the quarter that forced an incomplete pass from Cam Newton. He was a source of constant pressure, had four quarterback hits and forced Newton into multiple incomplete passes.
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