Could A Panthers Win Today Change Fan Perception Of Todd Bowles?
January 10th, 2026
The Bucs missed the playoffs. Carolina did not. But the Bucs beat Carolina in a must-win game last Saturday.
It’s a unique situation as both teams finished the 2025 regular season with an 8-9 record, but the Panthers won the postseason prize based on a three-way division tiebreaker with Atlanta.
At 4:30 p.m. today, the Panthers will host the Rams (12-5) in the wild card round of the playoffs.
That got Joe wondering whether Bucs-fan sentiment toward beleaguered Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles could shift slightly in Bowles’ favor if the Panthers win this afternoon. Maybe some outrage would be softened. A Panthers playoff run could lead some Bucs fans to believe the current Bucs team is closer to being a winner than many think.
Joe is not endorsing that line of thinking, but a Carolina win or postseason run certainly would be worth examining from a Bucs perspective.
And perhaps fans would be tweaked even more if the Panthers were to win this weekend and next weekend?
Yes, Joe realizes Panthers postseason success also could enrage legions of Bucs fans more than they already are.
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