Published: October 25, 2026 at 6:38 PM
TAMPA FL — W.P. Rader aka Captain Booty — BuccaneersFan.com
WEEK 7 POST-GAME REPORT
Buccaneers 43 - Panthers 13: 2-5
Baker’s Back, the Panthers Are Plundered & the Stadium Roof Fund Is Finally Growing!
From the increasingly profitable, slightly rum stained ship’s log of Captain Booty under the financial supervision of one deeply suspicious Parrot.
A WITHDRAWAL AT BANK OF AMERICA
ARRRRGH, ME HEARTIES!
Captain Booty arrived in Charlotte with a pewter tankard, a battered treasure map, and a large leather bag hanging from his hip, its enormous X announcing precisely where the treasure belonged.
Unfortunately, through much of this season, the bag had contained three crackers, a bent bottle opener, and an unsigned estimate for putting a roof over Raymond James Stadium.
The Captain had come to Bank of America Stadium seeking a withdrawal.
Not another lesson in patience. Not another receipt for emotional damages. And certainly not another fourth-quarter explanation.
He wanted a W and enough doblones to make the bag jingle.
The Parrot, still recovering from the previous week’s disappearing lead against Pittsburgh, arrived wearing a sign:
DO NOT CELEBRATE UNTIL THE CLOCK READS ZERO.
“Bit negative, isn’t it?” asked the Captain.
“Preventive maintenance,” replied the bird.
By the time Tampa Bay finished its 43–13 demolition of Carolina, the Captain’s bag was bulging, his belt was under investigation, and the Parrot had reluctantly changed the sign.
CELEBRATION AUTHORIZED. KEEP THE RECEIPTS.
Baker Mayfield was back. The ground game was rolling. The defense was collecting footballs and quarterbacks. Special teams even discovered a way to earn points while Carolina was attempting to add one.
For once, the most endangered lead in the stadium belonged to the pencil the Parrot was using to update the Captain’s roof budget.
BUCKY OPENS THE VAULT
The Buccaneers’ opening possession was the sort of drive that restores a pirate’s faith in navigation.
Fourteen plays. Seventy yards. A four yard Bucky Irving touchdown.
No drifting aimlessly offshore. No arguing with the compass. Tampa Bay established a course and marched straight down it.
Irving collected 47 yards on that opening drive, waiting for his blocks, following the pulling linemen, and finding daylight. A 15-yard pickup helped keep the voyage moving, while Tez Johnson added a 19-yard reception down the right sideline.
When Bucky crossed the goal line and the extra point followed, the Captain opened his pouch.
Under his newly established and entirely self appointed treasury policy, every Buccaneers point earned one doblón.
Seven points. Seven coins.
“FIRST DEPOSIT!” he shouted. “That’s the beginning of a roof!”
“That’s the beginning of a conversation with someone who owns a ladder,” said the Parrot.
Carolina stalled on its opening drive. After Tampa Bay later punted, Riley Dixon’s kick escaped David Moore’s grasp, and Ko Kieft recovered at the Panthers’ 18-yard line.
The Captain nearly swallowed his whistle.
“They’re leaving treasure on the ground!”
The Bucs settled for Chase McLaughlin’s 22-yard field goal, extending the lead to 10–0.
Three more coins disappeared into the X-marked bag.
The Parrot entered them in the ledger under:
FOUND PROPERTY - PROPERLY RECOVERED BY KIEFT.
THE JUMBOTRON REVEALS A ROYAL SURPRISE
Somewhere between the cheering and the Captain trying to determine whether stadium roofing could be purchased by the square doubloon, the Parrot spotted something on the Jumbotron.
He leaned forward.
Turned his head.
Leaned farther.
Then jabbed a wing toward the Jumbotron.
“SQUAWK! KEVIN! TRACEY! GRIFFIN! THERE!”
The Captain raised his spyglass the wrong way around.
“Impossible! They’re still sailing the seven seas!”
“Turn it around.”
“Oh. There they are.”
There, enjoying the Carolina adventure, were Kevin Cooper, Tracey, and Griffin apparently returned from their international expedition without informing the Captain’s Department of Questionable Intelligence.
The Captain’s latest scouts had placed them in London.
More specifically, in the Captain’s highly embellished version of events, they had been observed at Buckingham Palace demanding admission on behalf of the visiting Ye Krewe of Pewter Pirates delegation.
Kevin supposedly offered to discuss international football relations.
Tracey, according to the Captain, was attempting to explain that nobody had actually booked a royal audience.
Griffin was allegedly wondering why their sightseeing itinerary had suddenly acquired a negotiation phase.
“Did they present my letter?” asked Booty.
“The one written on the back of Captain Scotts tailgate parking pass?”
“It had a seal!”
“It had barbecue sauce.”
The scouts’ report ended with the delegation being politely redirected away from royal business and toward more welcoming hospitality: The Victoria in Paddington, a real London pub with considerably more practical appeal to a thirsty traveling krewe.
In the Captain’s telling, a tankard of Guinness soon became the official instrument of diplomatic recovery.
“A fine Irish stout,” he conceded, tipping his hat toward the brewing heritage Arthur Guinness established at St. James’s Gate in Dublin.
Then his expression turned grave.
“But they should have consulted their Captain before selecting a port.”
THE CAPTAIN FILES A PROCUREMENT REQUEST
Booty’s preferred London anchorage was Rhum Tavern on Margaret Street.
The real venue is built from one of our ancestors ship hulls from his 1650s pirate ship, with curved wooden surroundings; This krewe approved venue stores more than 400 rum expressions. The Captain immediately claimed the ship had once belonged to his great uncle Captain Barnacle.
“Recognize those timbers anywhere,” he declared.
“Ship-styled, Captain,” said the Parrot. “Not proof they dismantled your vessel.”
“Then explain why I’m missing a ship.”
“You parked it inland.”
This discovery prompted a formal message to anyone reading from Raymond James Stadium’s Procurement or Purchasing Department.
The Captain’s proposed provision: Pirate’s Grog Five Year, a golden rum matured in American oak bourbon barrels, with the maker describing vanilla, butterscotch, and raisin among its flavors.
His requisition was straightforward:
One barrel for the stadium ship. One funnel. Two official sampler appointments: Captain Booty and Krewe Mates Ye Cooper's.
The Parrot inspected the paperwork.
“You’ve listed yourself as both requesting department and approving authority.”
“Efficient.”
“And Kevin, Tracey & Griffin Cooper?”
“Independent quality control.”
“Independent of what?”
“Me. He gets his own tankard.”
The bird added a notation at the bottom:
NO PURCHASE ORDER APPROVED. DO NOT CHARGE THIS TO THE ROOF FUND.
Before the Captain could appeal, the defense demanded their attention.
CAROLINA TRIES TO SCORE. TAMPA BAY CHARGES A FEE.
Early in the second quarter, Yaya Diaby drove his blocker backward and sacked Bryce Young.
On the next play, Al-Quadin Muhammad brought Young down and knocked the ball loose.
Then Calijah Kancey scooped it up at the Carolina 32 and headed for the end zone.
The Captain rose from his seat so abruptly that the Parrot had to abandon the ledger.
“HE’S FOUND THE VAULT!”
Kancey delivered the defensive touchdown. With the extra point, Tampa Bay led 17–0.
Seven more doblones.
The Captain began sketching a retractable roof.
The Parrot quietly erased the retractable section and wrote START WITH SHADE.
Carolina finally answered when Darren Waller got behind Tampa Bay’s Cover Two defense for a 50-yard touchdown reception from Young.
For a moment, Booty’s hand froze over his treasure bag.
He had seen this part of the movie before.
Then came the extra-point attempt.
Tykee Smith blocked it. Zyon McCollum collected it and returned it for two Buccaneers points.
The Captain stared.
The Parrot stared.
The Captain looked at the scoreboard, then at the pouch, then back at the scoreboard.
“THEY SCORED… AND WE GOT PAID?”
“Correct.”
“ON THEIR TRANSACTION?”
“Correct.”
Booty stood and saluted the name above the stadium.
“NOW THAT’S BANKING!”
Carolina had six. Tampa Bay had nineteen.
The Parrot entered the additional two coins under:
SPECIAL-TEAMS REVENUE—UNEXPECTED, BUT MOST WELCOME.
THIRTY-THREE BEFORE THE BREAK
The Buccaneers were not finished making deposits.
Kenny Gainwell broke loose for 29 yards, exploiting poor pursuit angles and helping set up another Irving touchdown.
Bucky finished from one yard out, bouncing left behind the offensive line’s work.
26–6.
The X-marked pouch gave a promising little creak.
“Another roof panel!” shouted the Captain.
“Another reason to reinforce the stitching,” replied the Parrot.
Then McCollum went treasure hunting again.
He undercut a pass intended for Jalen Coker, intercepted Young near midfield, and returned it 18 yards to the Carolina 32.
The Captain began waving his arms.
“BAKER! MAKE THE DEPOSIT!”
Mayfield scrambled right and delivered an off-platform throw to a wide-open Tez Johnson in the end zone.
33–6.
Baker’s passing totals would not require a second page in the ledger 7 completions on 11 attempts for 64 yards and a touchdown but the Captain had no interest in measuring the size of the cannon when the shot landed where it belonged.
The running game was doing the heavy hauling. Baker supplied the touchdown pass when the opportunity arrived.
By halftime, Tampa Bay had 147 rushing yards.
Carolina had 114 total yards.
The Bucs’ 33 first half points, according to the game notes, represented the third highest first half total in franchise history.
Booty spread his roof plans across his knees.
“Retractable?”
“Not yet.”
“Air-conditioned?”
“No.”
“Cup holders?”
The Parrot paused.
“Put those in pencil.”
And when the Captain reached for a victory toast, the bird tapped the sign again.
DO NOT CELEBRATE UNTIL THE CLOCK READS ZERO.
Booty lowered his tankard an inch.
“This is merely a toast to favorable first half accounting.”
“Then call it that.”
WAIT! DID ANYONE ORDER THE PEWTER RUM TOWELS YET?
DIABY CLOSES THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WINDOW
The great concern after halftime was whether the Buccaneers would keep attacking or begin carefully wrapping their lead in tissue paper.
Yaya Diaby answered that question.
On Carolina’s first possession of the second half, he powered through for another sack. On the following play, with Kancey crashing inside on a twist, Diaby finished off Young again.
Three sacks for Diaby on the afternoon.
The Captain crossed out CUSTOMER SERVICE on an imaginary Bank of America window and replaced it with:
CLOSED. PLEASE CONTACT YAYA.
On Carolina’s next possession, Vita Vea added a sack, and Tykee Smith intercepted Young at the Panthers’ 34, returning it two yards.
Smith had already helped turn an extra point into Buccaneers treasure. Now he was opening another short-field account.
McLaughlin converted the opportunity into a 44-yard field goal.
36–6.
Three more coins.
The Captain’s belt slipped a notch.
“Structural problem,” observed the Parrot.
“With the roof?”
“With your trousers.”
Carolina later pushed into Tampa Bay territory, but Brycen Tremayne could not hold onto the ball on fourth down, and the Panthers turned it over on downs.
The defense had spent the afternoon disrupting Carolina’s timing, crowding Young’s workspace, and refusing to let the Panthers establish anything resembling a comfortable voyage.
By the end, Tampa Bay had collected five sacks and two interceptions, along with Kancey’s fumble-return touchdown and Kieft’s recovery of the muffed punt.
Even the Parrot’s pencil needed a breather.
TUCKER SENDS THE ROOF FUND INTO OVERDRIVE
Early in the fourth quarter, Payne Durham delivered the block, Sean Tucker found the opening, and suddenly the field looked very long for Carolina and delightfully short for Tampa Bay.
Forty-six yards. Touchdown.
Tucker accelerated through the crease and away, extending the advantage to 43–6.
The Captain tried to celebrate, secure the treasure bag, and protect the tankard at the same time.
He achieved two out of three.
The Parrot caught the roof plans.
“PRIORITIES, CAPTAIN!”
“That was a very important beverage!”
Tucker’s run pushed the Buccaneers’ rushing total to 254 yards at that point. They finished with 258, built by Irving, Gainwell, Tucker, and the blocking that kept opening the way.
There was patience before the burst, force at the line, and very little reason to abandon something Carolina could not consistently stop.
The Captain approved.
“Why fire across the harbor when ye can march straight through the front gate?”
“Please don’t send that advice to Cooper,” said the Parrot. “We’ve only just resolved the Palace incident.”
Carolina eventually assembled a 71-yard touchdown drive, finishing with Anthony Tyus III’s 12-yard scoring run.
That made it 43–13.
Booty instinctively reached for his emergency panic whistle.
The Parrot stopped him.
“Thirty-point lead.”
“Still.”
“Fourth quarter.”
“Exactly!”
But this time, the lead stayed where Tampa Bay had put it.
Jalon Daniels entered late to finish the game, and the remaining seconds finally disappeared.
The Parrot checked the clock.
hecked it again.
Then turned the sign around.
NOW.
THE CAPTAIN’S HONOR ROLL
Baker Mayfield ---- 7-of-11 passing, 64 yards, 1 touchdown
Bucky Irving ---- 24 carries, 106 yards, 2 touchdowns
Tez Johnson ---- 2 receptions, 33 yards, 1 touchdown
Yaya Diaby ---- 3 total tackles, 3 sacks
There were shares of the haul for Muhammad and Kancey, who supplied the strip-and-score; Smith and McCollum, who turned Carolina possessions into Tampa Bay opportunities; Kieft, who pounced on the muffed punt; Vea, who joined the sack collection; and McLaughlin, who banked the field goals.
And the Captain reserved a particularly generous salute for Gainwell, Tucker, Durham, and the offensive line.
“Give the blockers their share,” he instructed.
The Parrot looked impressed.
“An unusually sensible decision.”
“They’re the ones I want moving the roof beams.”
There it was.
HOMEWARD BOUND WITH A HEAVIER BAG
The journey back toward Tampa looked very different from the miserable departures that had filled too many pages of this season’s logbook.
The Captain settled into the passenger seat of the land going ship, leaving the road duties to the designated driver and the counting duties—reluctantly—to the Parrot.
The bird arranged the day’s 43 doblones into neat stacks.
Booty rearranged them into the shape of a stadium.
The Parrot put them back.
“Seven for the opening touchdown,” the Captain began. “Three for the first field goal. Seven for Kancey’s treasure run. Two for robbing their extra point…”
“Recovering,” corrected the Parrot.
“Seven more for Bucky. Seven for Baker and Tez. Three for Chase. Seven for Tucker.”
The bird checked the arithmetic.
Forty-three.
No missing fourth quarter fortune. No desperate search beneath the seats for a victory that had slipped away.
Just a real win, a 2–5 record, and a reminder that the Buccaneers could still deliver an afternoon worth shouting about.
Booty pulled the pouch closer.
“Do we have enough for the roof?”
“No.”
“A section?”
“No.”
“A ceremonial groundbreaking shovel?”
The Parrot examined the ledger.
“Possibly. Provided you cancel the barrel.”
A long silence followed.
“Could the shovel be rented?”
As Charlotte slipped behind them, the Captain sent a final salute to Kevin, Tracey, and Griffin
.Fine work representing the krewe on enemy shores. Excellent Jumbotron visibility. And should the London scouts request clarification, the Captain’s official position was that the Buckingham Palace business had been a misunderstanding involving hospitality, football diplomacy, and an insufficiently detailed invitation.
Cooper’s sampler application remained under review.
The Parrot had hidden the approval stamp.
NEXT PORT: THE DIRTY BIRDS
The Buccaneers now sail home to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 1, at 1:00 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium, for Week 8.
One win does not erase five losses.
But it gives the krewe something better to carry home than excuses.
It gives them a dominant running performance. A defense that made plays. Special teams that changed possessions and even changed the direction of an extra point. It gives them Baker back on the field and a chance to turn one convincing afternoon into something more.
The Captain has already adjusted his roof plans.
The Parrot has already adjusted the budget.
And somewhere in the distance, the Dirty Birds are approaching a pirate who has rediscovered both his voice and his cash flow.
Booty lifts the pewter tankard.
The X-marked bag jingles at his hip.
“FORTY-THREE POINTS, ME HEARTIES! THAT’S HOW YE FILL A TREASURE BAG!”
The Parrot raises one wing.
“And keep the receipts.”
BRING ON THE BOOTY. BRING ON THE DIRTY BIRDS.
KEEP THE POINTS COMING—THE ROOF AIN’T PAID FOR YET!
GO BUCS. FIRE THE CANNONS.
FEED BUCKY. FEED THE PARROT.
Per the words of Forest Gump… “And That's All I Have To Say About That”.
Beyond Game Day
W.P. Rader
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