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Mankins among Bucs injuries

 
Bucs guard Logan Mankins is tended to after sustaining a left knee injury during the second quarter. He didn’t return to the game.
Bucs guard Logan Mankins is tended to after sustaining a left knee injury during the second quarter. He didn’t return to the game.
Published Sept. 8, 2014

New Bucs G Logan Mankins' debut didn't last long. He headed to the locker room after injuring his left knee in the second quarter Sunday. He wore a knee brace when he returned to the sideline later in the quarter, but he wasn't seen on the bench in the second half and did not return to the game. • "We don't know how bad right now," coach Lovie Smith said. Mankins has a mild hyperextension and a bad bruise, profootballtalk.com reported, and it's not considered a long-term injury. • The Bucs inserted Garrett Gilkey for Mankins, whom they acquired from New England before the final preseason game. • In other injuries, CB Mike Jenkins left in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be an upper-body injury. An update on his condition wasn't available. • Starting RB Doug Martin left after someone hit his leg on a rush, but he said he was fine after the game. Bobby Rainey took his spot, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown catch but also fumbling on the team's second-to-last drive. • Rookie TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins left the game with an undisclosed injury but said he felt all right after the game, and CB Johnthan Banks went to the locker room with an injury but returned to action.

. It seemed the Bucs would get a break when Carolina starting QB Cam Newton sat out because of a rib injury suffered three weeks ago. But fill-in QB Derek Anderson, who had thrown only four passes in the past three seasons, was up to the challenge, completing 24 of 34 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

"I felt like I executed and did the things they asked me to do," said Anderson, who finished with a 108.7 quarterback rating.

"I thought (Anderson) was solid," said Panthers coach Ron Rivera. "He managed the game very well. It was a heck of a decision to throw the ball he did to Kelvin (Benjamin for a 26-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter). … There's a lot of good things DA did today as far as managing the offense, putting us in position to score and scoring when we needed a play."

Anderson was particularly effective with his biggest targets: the 6-5 Benjamin, a rookie out of Florida State and the Panthers' first-round pick in May, and 6-5 TE Greg Olsen. Benjamin finished with six receptions for a team-high 92 yards and the touchdown. Olsen caught eight passes for 83 yards, including a 5-yard catch for Carolina's first touchdown in the second quarter.

"My performance is about my team and about winning — winning games — and doing what I can to help my team," Benjamin said.

Offense finally awakens in fourth quarter

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the Bucs hadn't scored and hadn't really even come close on offense, totaling 145 yards on their first seven possessions. Then the offense clicked in a hurry, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives of 60-plus yards, giving the Bucs the ball late with a chance to win after trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter.

"You can't start that slow. Offensively, we did get it going in the fourth quarter, but that's too late," said WR Chris Owusu, who caught his first NFL touchdown on a 19-yard pass from QB Josh McCown with 7:23 left in the game. Owusu tapped both feet in bounds as he was falling backward out of the side of the end zone. After a review, the call was upheld.

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McCown would follow with another strong drive, connecting with four different players, the last on a 6-yard strike to RB Bobby Rainey to cut the Panthers' lead to 17-14 with 2:06 left. But Rainey's next catch spoiled a potential final drive, as he fumbled a short pass from McCown with 1:27 left.

"It was great to see how we ended the game," said Owusu. "We have a lot to learn and a lot to build on."

Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford, sidelined for two weeks after a heart procedure, attended Sunday's game against Carolina but did not call plays.

"Jeff was involved a little bit," said coach Lovie Smith, who had quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo handle the play-calling. "He was, of course, in the press box giving input when he could. … We were in a position to make plays. We just didn't."

Tedford, 52, said he had a coronary angioplasty early last week to have two stents placed in an artery near his heart. Arroyo, who spent two seasons at California as quarterbacks coach/passing coordinator when Tedford was head coach of the Golden Bears, called the plays Sunday from field level.

Tedford said he was relieved just to rejoin the coaching staff.

"I had a couple stents," Tedford said. "It's nice just to be up and around. We'll see how much I can do next week and kind of ease back into it."

Third down woes

. Although Carolina failed to convert on nine of its 15 opportunities on third down, the times it did come through were costly. Five of its six third-down conversions ultimately resulted in scoring drives.

"They made some good plays on third down," LB Mason Foster said. "We have to make more plays than them."

Carolina's first touchdown drive featured four major opportunities for the Bucs. The Panthers converted on third and 7 with a 22-yard pass from Derek Anderson to Kelvin Benjamin. They converted on third and 5 with an 8-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery, and on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak by Anderson that set up his 5-yard touchdown pass to TE Greg Olsen.

"It affected us a lot," coach Lovie Smith said of allowing six third-down conversions. "We had a third-and-long situation and you can't give up those. Last year, I think they were fourth in the league (on third downs). That's kind of who they are."

Their only other touchdown also came thanks to a key third-down play. On the last play of the third quarter, Anderson hit Olsen for a 6-yard pass on third and 5. Benjamin corralled a 26-yard pass in the end zone on the next play to put Carolina ahead by 17.

"We had them in third and long numerous times," DT Gerald McCoy said. "We've just got to get off the field."

Pass rush struggles

. After talking all offseason about the importance of pressuring the quarterback, the Bucs reverted to their old form in Sunday's loss. Their pass rush struggled all game, resulting in only one sack, four quarterback hurries and far too much time for Carolina journeyman QB Derek Anderson.

"We talk about in order for us to play a good defensive game, we have to get pressure with our four-man rush and then take the ball away," coach Lovie Smith said. "It's as simple as that."

But it didn't happen much. DT Gerald McCoy said Carolina mixed its schemes well, bouncing between max protection, help from the running back and one-on-one blocking.

"That's no excuse for how we rushed," McCoy said. "We had a lot of missed opportunities."

That was the same refrain last year, when the Bucs finished in the bottom half of the league with only 35 sacks. The team tried to fix the problem in the offseason, signing DE Michael Johnson to a $43.5 million contract.

But the problems persisted against a revamped Carolina offensive line that replaced its starting left tackle and left guard from last season.

The Bucs' sack came midway through the fourth quarter, when McCoy stopped Anderson for a 9-yard loss on a third down busted play. That defensive stop led to the Bucs' second touchdown.

"It just wasn't good enough," DE Adrian Clayborn said.

In a game where neither team had a pass play longer than 22 yards, the Bucs' longest play came from its biggest offensive weapon: 265-pound FB Jorvorskie Lane. • Starting from their 4-yard line on their second drive, the Bucs faked a wide sweep to RB Doug Martin and saw Lane sneak through the middle, breaking loose for a 54-yard gain across midfield. Two plays later, the Bucs turned the ball over, and the final score left him wishing he could have done more. • The run was the longest in Bucs history by a player listed exclusively as a fullback. Mike Alstott's career long was 47 yards. • "It was there. I feel like if I was 10 pounds lighter, I would have scored," said Lane, who played at 280 and larger as a running back at Texas A&M. "With the outcome of the game, if I score … I'm real hard on myself. The situation was there, but I could have done more." • Lane, who was in the starting lineup as a blocking back, had his only previous NFL experience in 2012 with the Dolphins, when he gained 92 yards on 24 touches. • "We just learn from it," Lane said. "As a whole, this is our worst game. We've played our worst game. I'd rather have it now than later."

Quick hits

. Bucs RB Doug Martin was caught on camera giving a bear hug to head referee Peter Morelli, who was his principal at St. Mary's High School in Stockton, Calif.

. Panthers kicker and former FSU standout Graham Gano shoved a Bethune-Cookman trombone player as he attempted to warm up while the band was still performing its halftime show.