The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to watch the first round of the NFL playoffs from home this weekend after a brutal finish to their season. Hopefully, they were watching closely.
The Carolina Panthers may have lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the first game of the Wild Card round, but they had one of the NFC's best teams on the ropes late in the game. Even in a loss, the Panthers showed a level of play that the rest of the NFC South may not be ready for.
If the Buccaneers don't respond, they could risk falling even farther behind their division rivals.