Rivalry intensification growing between Panthers, Buccaneers

Chuck Burton
AP

Former Carolina quarterback David Carr is upended by Tampa Bay's Ronde Barber during a Buccaneers-Panthers game on Sept. 30, 2007, in Charlotte.

TAMPA, Fla. — Carolina vs. Tampa Bay. Just the thought makes the Panthers and Buccaneers seethe.

"It's the age-old saying," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said. "They don't like us, we don't like them."

Such is life in the NFC South, where no team has finished first in consecutive seasons and the past five champions have plummeted to last place the following year — a trend that Tampa Bay (3-2) hopes to stop in 2008.

Carolina (4-1) has won eight of 12 meetings between the teams since the formation of the division in 2002, including five straight at Raymond James Stadium, where the clubs tangle with first place on the line today (1 p.m., WTAT-TV/Fox).

Ten-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks calls the series, dominated by Carolina since the Bucs swept the Panthers on the way to winning the Super Bowl six years ago, Tampa Bay's biggest rivalry.

Most of the games have been close, spiced with lots of pushing and shoving and a generous amount of trash-talking. The stakes generally are high, too, even if one of them is having an off year.

"Contrary to other people's opinion, I feel that this is the toughest division to win because every year the division champs have been another team," Brooks said. "After Sunday we will have played all three teams, and we don't face another division opponent until the end of November. So this is very important for us."

Carolina, coming off a 34-0 rout of Kansas City, is eyeing its first 5-1 start since 2003, when the Panthers won the division title and went on to play in the Super Bowl. They haven't lost in Tampa in six years.

"Any time you dominate from start to finish on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game, that's impressive," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said of Carolina's destruction of the Chiefs, a team that upset Denver two weeks ago.

The Broncos turned around and beat Tampa Bay, 16-13, last Sunday.

"I had to turn the film off and go for a walk. I got a little nervous, you know what I mean?" Gruden joked.

"That was a big victory for Carolina and that was a great win on the road to start the season at San Diego. ... They have been very stingy on defense and they're very clearly a confident bunch."

But there's also reason for the Panthers to be wary.

With Brian Griese at less than 100 percent after injuring his throwing elbow and shoulder against Denver, the more mobile Jeff Garcia likely will regain the starting quarterback job he lost after a poor performance in Tampa Bay's season opener.

Garcia has beaten the Panthers four straight times, including his only start against them last year in Charlotte. With the Bucs already assured the division title, he and several other starters sat out Carolina's win in Tampa on Dec. 30.

"He's going to present a challenge as far as the secondary goes to stay with our wide receivers a little bit longer than maybe Griese," Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas said, adding that Carolina's defense can play better even better than in its shutout of Kansas City.

"It's scary to think that we shut somebody out and we still have room for improvement. I think we do."