TAMPA — The Bucs’ London trips, for now, are over.

Co-chairman Joel Glazer said Monday the team has told the league it does not wish to play in overseas games after doing so twice in three seasons.

The Bucs began their season-ending 10-game losing streak this season in London against the Bears. But Glazer said the decision was not made for football reasons. Tampa Bay wants to solidify its core audience here.

“We were helping the NFL build internationally. We believe greatly in that,” said Glazer, whose family also owns the massively popular English Premier League soccer team Manchester United. “But for the foreseeable future, we told them we want to focus on building our base here.”

The Bucs didn’t benefit on the field from the trips abroad. Tampa Bay also lost in London to the Patriots in 2009. The physical and mental toll from the travel wasn’t conducive to winning, either.

STOCKER’S SEASON: Rookie TE Luke Stocker didn’t have a memorable foray into the NFL in a personal or team sense. But he said he is looking ahead to a critical offseason in which he thinks he’ll grow as a player and the nagging injuries that limited him all season will heal.

“I expect a lot from myself next season, especially with a full offseason,” said Stocker, a fourth-round draft pick from Tennessee. “Missing all that time in (training) camp was a big issue.” He hurt his right hip on the first day.

“That slowed me down a lot,” he said. “Any time you have a lower-body injury, you lose strength and you lose speed. … By about the time I started getting it back, I got hurt, and I missed a couple of weeks.” That second injury, a knee sprain, cost Stocker two games in the middle of the season.

“I personally just worked every day and tried not to get caught up in the ups and the downs,” he said. “I felt that as an individual, as this season went on, I did become a better player, especially a better blocker.”

BENNETT’S OUTLOOK: DE Michael Bennett said he expects to need surgery to repair a toe injury that slowed him during the latter part of the season. He played through the injury, dealing with significant pain. Bennett is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, one the Bucs could have significant interest in retaining. Bennett maintains he’d like to return.

FINAL STATS: The Bucs finished the season with the league’s 21st-ranked offense (16th passing, 30th rushing) and 30th-ranked defense (21st passing, 32nd rushing) among the 32 teams.

CHARLOTTE – The good news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is that the season is almost over.

The bad news is they’ll have to see Cam Newton twice a year for a while.

For the second time this month, Newton handed the Buccaneers an embarrassing defeat, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another in the Carolina Panthers’ 48-16 victory Saturday. The staggering Bucs have lost nine straight games, perhaps putting coach Raheem Morris’ job in jeopardy.

“As a player, you try not to think of that,” defensive tackle Frank Okam said. “You want to play hard for him. We know how hard he works, and how he’s doing everything he can to help us win. Then, we go out and make him look bad. When we don’t execute, it’s on us.”

Buccaneers receiver Arrelious Benn, who scored one of Tampa Bay’s two touchdowns, echoed those sentiments.

“A team must go out and do what it’s meant to do,” Benn said. “A coach can do only so much. I know I want to play well for my coach. I can say everyone in here wants to play well for our coach. We have to learn from this adversity we’ve had, and know that we’re not going to do the things that got us here again.”

Morris blamed this loss — and the season — on turnovers.

The Bucs have coughed up the ball 36 times this year, while taking it away only 23.

“That’s the difference between this season and last season,” Morris said, recalling Tampa Bay’s 10-6 record a year ago.

The Bucs (4-11) turned the ball over four times Saturday, including a fumble by LaGarrette Blount on the game’s first possession. After that, a frustrated Morris benched the running back until the second half.

“It’s a basic thing, and to fumble like that, that’s unacceptable,” Morris said. “If some players aren’t ready to play, we’ll put others in.”

And hope they can do something to slow Newton.

In two games against the Bucs this season, Newton accounted for eight touchdowns — four passing and four rushing — as the Panthers totaled 79 points.

Newton, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, broke Peyton Manning’s rookie record for yards passing Saturday and set a franchise mark with a 91-yard touchdown toss to Brandon LaFell.

Newton threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a remarkable 49-yard run up the middle in which he outraced smaller defensive backs to the end zone.

The Panthers (6-9) scored on eight of their first nine possessions and piled up 397 yards in three quarters against the league’s 30th-ranked defense. Carolina coach Ron Rivera pulled Newton and the other key starters early in the fourth.

DeAngelo Williams scored on runs of 8 and 22 yards, his sixth and seventh TDs of the season, and Jonathan Stewart ran for 88 yards and caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Newton.

Newton entered the game needing 18 yards passing to break Manning’s rookie record of 3,739 and did so with a 7-yard pass to LaFell on the first possession.

“It’s tremendous, but if you ask the young man he’ll tell you the most important thing is we won the game,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of good things ahead for us.”

Newton, however, was just getting started.

On Carolina’s third possession, he backpedaled into his own end zone and unleashed a strike to LaFell, who got a key downfield block from Steve Smith to spring him for a 91-yard score. That topped the franchise record of 89 yards set in the Panthers’ expansion season of 1995 by Kerry Collins and Willie Green.

LaFell finished with a career-high 103 yards receiving.

Carolina’s offensive line completely mauled a Bucs defense that was without starting defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth and Brian Price. The Panthers piled up a season-high 270 yards rushing and scored three times on the ground, giving them 25 for the season — most in the league.

Just as they did on Dec. 4, the Panthers jumped all over the Bucs early.

Newton led the Panthers on a picture-perfect, 80-yard, nine-play touchdown drive to open the game, with Williams scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run.

The Panthers led 20-10 at halftime but put the hammer down in the third quarter as Williams ran for a 22-yard touchdown and Newton threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Stewart on fourth-and-1 to put Carolina up 34-10.

Then came the play of the game as Newton faked a handoff to Stewart and took off through a huge hole on the right side of the line. Newton juked a defender before shifting into another gear and blowing through the Tampa Bay secondary for the longest touchdown run ever by a Panthers quarterback.

He added a touchdown toss to Jeremy Shockey to close out the scoring.

Josh Freeman threw for 274 yards and accounted for both Tampa Bay touchdowns — one passing and one rushing.

NOTES: Jordan Pugh was slated to start at strong safety for the injured Charles Godfrey, but developed concussion-like symptoms prior to the game and didn’t play. That forced the Panthers to start Jonathan Nelson, who was added to the roster from the practice squad. Nelson had the game’s only interception. … In two games against the Panthers, Blount was held to 30 yards rushing combined.

“Coach Morris…he’s the best motivational guy I’ve been around,” Winslow said. “He gets his guys going. It’s not (shown in) the won-loss column but I’ve never been around anybody better than him. I really haven’t. It sucks what’s going on here but we need him to carry on. We really need this. He is the main part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We need that guy. I can’t say enough about him.

“I think I’m speaking for the team. This is how everybody feels. They would give their right arm for this guy. We just need this guy. We didn’t have a good season. Try to finish off the last two games but we need this guy to move on to the next year. We’ve got to move on from this year. He’s just the heart of this team.”

BEING CAREFUL: The announcement this week that the NFL will station a specialist in the press box each week to help teams monitor whether players have suffered possible concussions is another step in the league’s emphasis on treating and preventing head injuries.

The latest step comes after Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy suffered a concussion when hit by Pittsburgh’s James Harrison. McCoy was allowed to return to the game later though Browns doctors admitted they had not seen the direct hit on the quarterback because they were working on the team sideline.

“I think it’s good. Me coming off a concussion this year, I think it’s real important,” Panthers safety Jordan Pugh said. “As players, you’re trying to get back in the game any way possible. Sometimes you can do it at your own (risk). Having that outside source, an unbiased party, out there for your protection, that’s good.”

Wide receiver Steve Smith, who has had one concussion in his career, said the league is taking necessary steps to help the players.

“They have a lot of data that’s saying how it impacts and what happens,” Smith said. “It’s a thing you can’t just sweep under the rug and say, ‘Well, we didn’t have the accurate reading,’ because of the long-term effects and the damages it has on people.

“All these guys that are having these problems, they go back and examine their brain and see the long-term effects of concussions. So it’s become a concerning issue that teams aren’t – you can’t fudge them anymore.”

Tight end Greg Olsen said hard hits are part of the game in the NFL.

“At the end of the day, everybody here knows what we signed up for. I know it’s the league covering us. We appreciate them trying to look out for guys – and they should,” Olsen said.

“But at the same point, no one should really feel sorry for us because at the end of the day, if you don’t want to play and risk that future injury and health, no one’s forcing you to play. Not that I want to go out and get cheap-shotted and knocked unconscious. But if you’re playing within the framework of the rules – the way they have them designed now – the rest you kind of take as just comes with the territory.”

BROTHERLY ADVICE: Last week, Southern Cal junior offensive tackle Matt Kalil announced he will forego his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Expected to be a top-10 draft choice, the younger Kalil talked with his brother, Panthers center Ryan Kalil, before making his decision.

“He called me and asked me a lot of questions,” Ryan Kalil said. “I tried not to influence his decision one way or the other. I just gave him the facts.”

PRO BOWL UPDATE: Quarterback Cam Newton remains in third place in fan voting for NFC Pro Bowl quarterback, well behind Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans’ Drew Brees. Wide receiver Steve Smith is fifth in voting for NFC wide receivers.

The fan vote counts for one-third of the total that will determine which players make the Pro Bowl. Players and coaches will vote this week and results will be announced Dec. 27.

The Carolina Panthers will look for back-to-back wins for the first time in two years when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 4^th.The Buccaneers have lost five straight as the Panthers come off their third win of the season. Here are some keys for a Panthers victory.

Panthers Need A Strong Rushing Attack

The Panthers got a strong game from both DeAngelo Williams(notes) and Jonathan Stewart(notes) against the Indianapolis Colts last weekend. Williams had 69 yards and two touchdowns as Stewart added 70 yards. The Panthers rushing game has a chance for another big game with the Buccaneers allowing at least 177 yards in four of the last five games. They gave up 202 rushing yards against the Tennessee Titans last week. If Carolina’s backs and Cam Newton(notes) can get going on the ground, the Panthers will control this game and be in a great position to win.

Win The Turnover Battle

Tampa Bay has struggled all season with turnovers. They have 23 so far, which is four more than 2010. They also had five against the Titans. Another issue for the Buccaneers is Josh Freeman’s(notes) interceptions in the fourth quarter. Freeman has thrown six this year, which is three more than all of last season. Newton has also struggle with interceptions, although he didn’t have one last game. If the Panthers can create turnovers and turn them into points, without mistakes of their own, they will have a very successful game.

Throw All Over The Buccaneers Secondary

Tampa Bay has allowed 254.9 yards on average this season, which ranks them 28^th in the league. The Panthers average 263.5 yards in the air, which is good enough for 9^th in the league. Newton should be able to find openings in the Buccaneers secondary. I fully expect Newton and go to target Steve Smith to both have a big day. Smith should be able to exploit any one on one match-up he sees and be a deep threat in the aerial passing game. Also, I’d look for Greg Olsen(notes) to have a good game from the tight end position.

*All stats found on espn.com

Although living several hundred miles from Charlotte, Matthew Levine bleeds Carolina blue. He has followed the Panthers since their inaugural season in 1995 and was absolutely heart-broken over the 2003 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — The Bucs defense is focused on stopping Titans RB Chris Johnson, who can’t seem to get going.

Johnson, who signed a six-year, $56 million contract after holding out of training camp, rushed for 130 yards in a win over Carolina two weeks ago and appeared on the verge of a breakout.

But in a loss to the Falcons last week, Johnson rushed for only 13 yards on 12 carries.

“I’ve played against a lot of fast guys, but he has that elite speed and is extremely fast,” Bucs LB Mason Foster said of Johnson, a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first three seasons. “That separates him from a lot of running backs in the league.”

The Bucs rank 26th in the league in rushing defense, allowing 133.5 yards per game. Johnson has eclipsed the century rushing mark twice this season and has 509 yards and two touchdowns on 160 attempts.

That’s below par for the 26-year-old from Orlando, who rushed for 4,598 yards his first three pro seasons.

“He just hasn’t had the big breakout runs he had last year,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “Hopefully, we can continue to keep that process going. He’s only one snap away from returning to his old form.

“He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s dynamic. He’s a great running back … who is just searching for the big play. Hopefully, he doesn’t get it this weekend.”

BETTER TO RECEIVE: QB Josh Freeman is coming off a career-high 342 yards passing in a loss to Green Bay, thanks in no small part to the improved performance of his receivers.

TE Kellen Winslow had a season-high 132 yards receiving while WR Mike Williams recorded only his second touchdown of the season and his first since Week 1.

“Guys were making plays,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “If they weren’t open, Josh threw them open. That’s kind of the NFL. You’re looking for those guys, when it’s a one-on-one matchup and you’ve got an opportunity to make a play, the quarterback has got to put the ball there for you and you’ve got to make the play, and they did that last week.”

The Bucs will see a lot more zone defense Sunday against the Titans, but Olson is hopeful last week’s performance will carry over.

“We hope so,” he said. “The players felt it. Early in the game (last week), there was that confidence and that swagger. … There was excitement and energy on the sideline we hope will carry over and remain on a consistent basis.”

INJURIES: DE Michael Bennett (groin) is doubtful for Sunday. S Tanard Jackson (hamstring) and LB Dekoda Watson (groin) did not practice Friday and are listed as questionable. DT Brian Price (forearm) and T Jeremy Trueblood (knee) are probable. DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) did not practice Friday but is probable.

[Last modified: Nov 26, 2011 05:14 PM]

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