Quarterbacks: Until his protection began to break down, Chris Simms looked more composed and sure of himself in the pocket. For the most part, his throws were accurate and he made some good decisions, but he loses points on the interception that was returned for a touchdown. It's hard to blame him for the sacks, including the one that resulted in a fumble.

Running backs: Cadillac Williams ground out some tough yards, but he didn't display the explosiveness we saw earlier in the season. Mike Alstott did a nice job again as a pass catcher, but wasn't involved as a ball carrier other than a 1-yard TD plunge late in the game. Overall, this group didn't perform well enough, even if running lanes were few and far between.

Receivers: The route running was better and Joey Galloway did an excellent job of getting behind Mike Minter on the long touchdown play from Simms. Alex Smith had a good day and Michael Clayton came up big on some third-down situations. This group improved in the last week and can't take much blame for the loss.

Offensive line: The run blocking was dismal and the pass protection inadequate. This group didn't adjust well to the changes the Panthers made at halftime and the absence of Anthony Davis really seemed to hurt as Todd Steussie was no match for Mike Rucker. Kenyatta Walker's rash of false starts proved crippling as well.

Defensive line: When he was in there, Dewayne White may have been the best Bucs player on field. White doesn't play regularly, though, and this unit didn't play up to its usual standards. There were long stretches where pressure on the passer was nonexistent and the effort against the run wasn't good enough. Simeon Rice showed up on time but was deactivated again, this time by the Panthers' offensive line.

Linebackers: These guys did a pretty good job filling against the run and usually stopped the Panthers' backs at the second level. Shelton Quarles was no match for Ricky Proehl on Carolina's longest pass play of the game but the coverage was pretty solid otherwise. Once again there were no turnovers created by this group and the Bucs certainly could have used one.

Secondary: Ronde Barber made a couple of nice plays but also got beat by Steve Smith on a big scoring play. Brian Kelly's coverage was solid and the play of the safeties was more than adequate. Like the linebackers, though, this unit failed to come up with a game-changing play. With a young offense, takeaways are becoming more and more important.

Special teams: For once, penalties weren't a problem. That allowed the Bucs to finally get a good day out of their kick and punt returners. The coverage units weren't quite as strong as they need to be but it's hard to blame the punt coverage on P Josh Bidwell. As usual, he did his part to keep the opponent pinned deep in their own end of the field.

Coaching: This wasn't the kind of game that was going to be decided by a coaching decision. The Bucs were well prepared but they simply weren't as good as the Panthers. A turnover or two would have made the game closer, but neither Jon Gruden nor any member of his staff can produce those from the sideline.

Fans' Grades UNIT Fans' Grades Quarterbacks A | B | C | D | F Running Backs A | B | C | D | F Receivers A | B | C | D | F Offensive Line A | B | C | D | F Defensive Line A | B | C | D | F Linebackers A | B | C | D | F Secondary A | B | C | D | F Special Teams A | B | C | D | F Coaching A | B | C | D | F