First and 10: Back in the basement
Ira Kaufman,The Tampa Tribune, published 4 January, 2016

An inside look at Tampa Bay’s 38-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers:

1. The Bucs couldn’t avoid infamy in the season finale. Sunday’s loss, coupled with a New Orleans victory at Atlanta, left the Bucs at 6-10 and dwelling in the NFC South basement once again. They are the first NFC team since the 1970 merger to finish last in their division five consecutive seasons.

2. Tampa Bay had diffficulty finishing games in 2015, but that issue pales in comparison to their inability to finish seasons off in positive fashion. During the past decade, the Bucs are a combined 9-31 in their final four games of the year.

3. With Mike Glennon relegated to clipboard duty for 16 games, rookie Jameis Winston became the first Bucs quarterback to take every snap since Doug Williams in the strike-shortened (nine games) 1982 season. (Ed- this is actually incorrect - Jerry Golsteyn took a snap in the 1982 finale against the Bears)

4. Once again, a slow start destroyed the game plan designed by offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The Bucs threw 25 times in 34 first-half snaps, while Carolina maintained enviable balance with 21 pass attempts and 18 runs.

5. Despite recovering two fumbles on Sunday, the Bucs were undermined by a minus-8 turnover ratio in their final six games, contributing to a 1-5 finish that doomed their playoff hopes.

6. Eleven of Jameis Winston’s 17 second-half completions in Charlotte went to RBs Charles Sims and Doug Martin as the NFL’s No. 4 defense sagged back to protect a 24-3 advantage.

7. With Cam Newton tossing a pair of scoring passes, the Bucs finished the season with 32 touchdown passes allowed, the most in franchise history.

8. How porous was Tampa Bay’s third-down defense this year? Opponents converted at a 45.9 percent clip, the second-worst mark in franchise annals behind the 46.6 percent success rate against the Bucs in 1986.

9. The embattled secondary of the Bucs had no answers for Panthers rookie WR Devin Funchess, who caught seven passes for 120 yards and closed out the scoring with a 16-yard reception midway through the final quarter. Converted from tight end to receiver as a junior at Michigan, Funchess was drafted in the second round and stepped up Sunday with Ted Ginn Jr. sidelined by a knee injury.

10. The Bucs had registered only five sacks in their previous three games before getting to Newton four times. Tampa Bay blitzed extensively as S Keith Tandy and LBs Lavonte David and Bruce Carter broke through to register sacks. Also, DT Tony McDaniel posted his first sack since 2013.