New sheriff in NFC South: Bucs whack Panthers 20-7
01.10.2007 00:00
Sport and Travel
- Source: USA Today
CHARLOTTE (AP) — Behind a steady quarterback and a suffocating defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are erasing memories of a miserable 2006.
Jeff Garcia didn't throw an interception for the fourth straight game and ran for a touchdown, while the Bucs shut down David Carr, Steve Smith and the Carolina Panthers in a 20-7 win Sunday to move atop the NFC South. Ike Hilliard caught seven passes for 114 yards, Michael Pittman rushed for 90 yards and the Buccaneers (3-1) overcame the loss of running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams to a right knee injury to beat the Panthers (2-2) for only the second time in nine meetings. BOX SCORE: Buccaneers 20, Panthers 7 A year after going 4-12 and finishing last in the division, the Bucs have been reinvented behind a new-look defense that made life miserable for Carr. Starting in place of Jake Delhomme, who was nursing a strained right elbow, Carr completed just 19 of 41 passes for 155 yards. He was sacked three times and the Panthers only avoided their first shutout in five years when Carr's screen pass to DeAngelo Williams turned into a 24-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left. Jermaine Phillips intercepted Carr at the Carolina 28 early in the fourth quarter, setting up Matt Bryant's second field goal, making it 20-0 and sending thousands of booing fans to the exits. Despite being without starting cornerback Brian Kelly (groin), Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon combined to blanket Carolina's receivers. Carr spent much of the day either running away from pressure or throwing the ball away when he couldn't find a receiver.
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