By ROY CUMMINGS

rcummings@tampatrib.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Every team in the league has one in them - a game in which all their strengths suddenly become weaknesses and all their weaknesses suddenly become strengths.

The Bucs had that game on Monday at Bank of America Stadium, where one of their best offensive showings of the season was overshadowed by one of their worst defensive efforts ever.

The result was a 38-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers, who knocked the Bucs back into the fight for an NFC wild-card berth and wrested away sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

With three games to play, the Bucs still have a chance to win their second straight division title, but they're not likely to do that if they play another game like this.

Looking nothing like the unit that had allowed just one rushing touchdown and one 100 yard rusher all season long, the Bucs allowed Carolina's runners to run for 299 and four touchdowns.

Most of those yards came as a result of missed tackles, which were plentiful on a night when DeAngelo Williams (19 carries, 186 yards) and rookie Jonathan Stewart (15 carries, 115 yards) combined for 301 yards and four touchdowns.

The uncharacteristic defensive showing overshadowed a career night for Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant, who caught nine passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Bryant also set up a couple of critical scores, but every time the Bucs closed the gap or tied the game, the Panthers game back and gouged them for big yards and big plays.

The Bucs have struggled out of the blocks all season long and that disturbing trend continued Monday against the Panthers.

Unlike a lot of their previous slow starts, though, this one fell largely on the special teams units, which got a poor punt from Josh Bidwell at the end of the first offensive series and a missed field goal at the end of the second.

In between the Panthers moved the ball 30 yards in eight plays to take a 3-0 lead on a 33-yard John Kasay field goal.

The score was set up not only by Bidwell's punt - a line drive that was brought back 12 yards to the Carolina 46 - but by throws of 12 and 19 yards to Muhsin Muhammad, the last of which left the Panthers at the Bucs 11.

The Bucs, whose offense has not scored a first-quarter touchdown since the Seattle game, got their offense in gear on their next series, but its drive stalled out near the red zone.

(CHART) NFC South STANDINGS

Team W L T

Carolina 10 3 0

Tampa Bay 9 4 0

Atlanta 8 5 0

New Orleans 7 6 0

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979.

Photo credit: Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Photo: Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams runs away from the Bucs defense for a 36-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run to put the game away for Carolina during Monday night's NFC South showdown.

Photo credit: Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Photo: Carolina's Tyler Brayton takes down Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia for one of the Panthers' five sacks.

Copyright ? 2008, The Tampa Tribune and may not be republished without permission. E-mail library@tampatrib.com