TAMPA — Quarterback Josh Freeman has only so much influence over the direction of games, but at least he has been given more control of the Bucs’ offense.

In Saturday’s 48-16 loss at Carolina, Freeman was finally allowed to push the pace of the offense, operating primarily from the shotgun and spreading the field with three and four receivers.

After LeGarrette Blount fumbled a handoff on the first offensive snap, the Bucs drove 80 yards in 15 plays on their next possession, ending in a 4-yard Freeman touchdown pass to Arrelious Benn.

On their only other possession of the half (not including a kneel down), the Bucs went 61 yards in 11 plays, and Connor Barth’s 42-yard field goal cut their deficit to 17-10.

Coach Raheem Morris said a big part of the game plan was to keep the ball in Freeman’s hands and give him a better chance to get into rhythm, a departure from the plodding, run-first ground attack behind Blount.

“Up the tempo. Increase it. Get the gas going, get into a rhythm,” Morris said. “Josh did a nice job of controlling it, looking at the coverage, looking at what we wanted, getting into the correct play, and those are the things that are frustrating for young Josh right now.

“He takes the blame.”

The third-year quarterback had one of his best games of the season, completing 28 of 38 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and the interception for a 91.3 quarterback rating.

“The first half, excluding the first fumble, we only had two drives, scored on both,” Freeman said. “And the second half, we came out and turned the ball over.

“We were trying to go out, push the tempo, get the ball in our playmakers’ hands and make some things happen.”

With Blount benched for most of the game after his fumble, running backs Kregg Lumpkin and Mossis Madu were efficient rushing and receiving. Each caught four passes and combined for 44 yards rushing on 11 carries.

The Bucs turned the ball over four times, including a Freeman interception on the first series of the third quarter while they were trailing 20-10.

The Panthers scored 24 points off turnovers.

“I had the tipped pass,” Freeman said. “It could’ve been a little higher, but the guy made a great play on it.

“I thought it was going to be a big play when the ball left my hands. … Yeah, it just didn’t go my way.”

Perhaps not, but that up­tempo offense might be the best way to go for Freeman and the Bucs.

“I was liking what (Freeman) was doing,” Morris said. “I was liking what (offensive coordinator Greg Olson) was doing with the play calling.

“We had the alerts, we had everything we wanted to get going there, dictating what they were doing on defense, and we got something going. But we weren’t able to keep it on track.”

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.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made sure nearly everyone got an official NFL football for Christmas.

LeGarrette Blount gave one to Carolina linebacker James Anderson, fumbling a handoff on the Bucs’ first offensive play Saturday. Josh Freeman tossed one to defensive back Jonathan Nelson for an interception to start the third quarter. Kellen Winslow presented one to defensive tackle Andre Neblett. Sammie Stroughter donated another to linebacker Jason Williams.

The Bucs (4-11) turned the ball over four times, gift-wrapping half of the Panthers’ points in a 48-16 loss at Bank of America Stadium, their ninth defeat in a row.

In fact, so charitable was the Bucs offense that Carolina got into the spirit after it reached the end zone.

Cam Newton, who broke Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie passing yardage record while throwing three touchdowns and running for another, handed a football to a young fan in the first row after his 91-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. Later, after Newton’s 49-yard scoring run, LaFell took the football and gave it to another fan.

“When one person does one thing, everybody else does it,” Newton said. “Brandon got on me because I took his touchdown ball and gave it away. So I gave him my touchdown ball and he gave it away. It’s just the added dimension of just the fun we have on the field.”

Unfortunately for the Bucs, when the obituary is written on the 2011 season, the cause of death will be turnovers. In its first six games, Tampa Bay went 4-2 and committed eight turnovers. During this nine-game losing streak, the Bucs have given away footballs 28 times.

“That’s exactly it. That’s the story of the season — turnovers,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “You cannot expect to win games turning the football over. The four turnovers (Saturday) led to points. Those things can’t happen. That was the difference between this year and last year.

“Last year, we didn’t turn the ball over. This year, we’re not able to maintain possession, we’re not able to keep people off the field, we’re not able to keep people on the field to wear them down. … That caused the lopsided margins. That’s making us look uncompetitive. That’s causing meltdowns. That’s causing poor (defense). That’s causing out-of-character offense. All these are happening because of turnovers. When those things happen, it’s a downhill spiral.”

Blount, who had fumbled four times (losing three) in his previous five games, was benched for the remainder of the first half after dropping the handoff from Freeman. Statistically, the fumble was credited to Freeman, but the quarterback and Morris put the blame squarely on Blount, who also said it was his fault.

“To not be able to execute the first play of the football game is unacceptable,” Morris said. “They’re obviously not ready to play. You’ve got to bring the other guys in. I’m not ready to quit on (Blount), but certainly (Saturday) wasn’t his day. You can’t let your team down that way.”

The Bucs defense also did its part. Newton and running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined to rush 20 times for 219 yards. Even though they practiced stopping the Panthers’ spread option all week, the Bucs seemed helpless against it.

“It’s like college football,” cornerback Ronde Barber said. “You get ready for this week and you feel like you’re back at your alumni trying to get a big option guy down on the ground. (Newton’s) difficult.”

The first time Newton played the Bucs, he ran for three touchdowns and passed for another while breaking the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 13. On Saturday, he passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in breaking Manning’s rookie record of 3,739 passing yards.

“We go out and do this all … week,” Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller said. “It’s like Rah says, ‘How can we do this in practice all week and come in a game and not do it?’ You’re sad, because you’re looking at Rah because he’s taking all this. You fumble the ball, you give up a 91-yard (pass). You can’t coach that. We’re coached every day to stop that. He’s taking all the blame and that’s bad, man. That’s bad.”

If there was a silver lining, it’s that the Bucs finally decided to spread the field on offense with three receivers and allow Freeman to increase the tempo out of the shotgun. Freeman completed 28 of 38 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 91.3. He also rushed for a score.

“I really like the offense we were in today, utilizing me as a quarterback to get into a rhythm and spread the ball around,” Freeman said. “I feel like it gets everybody involved.”

It also seemed every Bucs player was involved in the gift exchange program on Christmas Eve.

Good thing there’s only one game left. They’re about to run out of footballs.

Game time moved

The Tampa Bay at Atlanta game on Jan. 1 has been moved to 4:15 p.m. due to NFL flex scheduling.

By T.J. Doyle

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 24, 2011 – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) travel to Charlotte on Sunday to face the Carolina Panthers (5-9), looking to snap their longest losing streak in 24 years. After beginning the season 4-2, Tampa Bay has lost eight straight games, their worst run of futility since 1985. The Buccaneers have been outscored 256-134 in that span, while turning the ball over a NFL-worst 24 times.

In order to win, Tampa Bay will need to slow down Carolina’s rushing attack, something the Bucs were unable to do two weeks ago when these two teams met. Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton burned Raheem Morris’ defense for three rushing touchdowns in a 38-19 Panthers victory. Carolina has won three of it’s last four games, behind 171.8 yards on the ground per contest.

Here is everything you need to know about the Buccaneers vs. Panthers game:

Game Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 24, 1:00 p.m. ET

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

TV: FOX (Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington)

Distribution Map: The506.com

Radio: Tampa Bay (620 WDAE ), Charlotte (610 WFNZ)

We’ll have plenty more on this game throughout the day in this StoryStream. For more new and notes, head over to the NFL hub at SB Nation. Also check out Bucs Nation for more on the Buccaneers and Cat Scratch Reader for more on the Carolina Panthers.

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TAMPA — Ronde Barber’s greatest play, a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown to clinch the 2002 NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, came despite playing with the worst injury of his career. Five weeks earlier, Barber tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a game at Detroit.

“I try not to care about injuries, to be honest with you,” Barber said Thursday. “If I can go through it, I go through it. I had a few this year that I’ve played through and dealt with.”

At 36, Barber is one of the NFL’s iron men. On Saturday at Carolina, Barber will prove that again, playing in his 224th NFL game and tying retired LB Derrick Brooks for the most games in Bucs history. Barber could set the record by playing in the season finale on Jan. 1 at Atlanta.

The third-round pick out of Virginia in 1997 was unaware of the milestone until informed by a Bucs staff member.

“It’s a reward for consistency, I guess,” Barber said. “I do have a high pain threshold.”

He said he missed a bowl game at Virginia when he stepped in a hole during practice in Shreveport, La., and broke his foot. He missed three games in high school in Roanoke, Va., with a broken collarbone. But he has never missed a game because of injury in nearly 15 pro seasons.

“Ronde, without a doubt, in Buccaneer history, is one of the greatest — and, arguably, in NFL history,” coach Raheem Morris said. “He’s an iron man, our Cal Ripken Jr., so to speak.”

Barber contemplated retirement after last season but signed a one-year, $4 million deal. He and the Bucs will evaluate his future during the offseason.

“If Ronde wants to play, we’re going to likely want to have him back,” Morris said. “I put a lot of pressure on (GM) Mark (Dominik) when I say that, but good. It’s not like he’s slowed down. If he has the ability to play and we can work out a deal, I’m sure we’ll do those things. He’s just one of those type of guys.

“He told me I should be the first person to tell him he can’t play. And when I tell him that, he said he’ll walk away. I’m not prepared to tell him that yet because I’m actually finding more roles for him to do.”

TAKING IT SLOW: DT Albert Haynesworth hasn’t practiced much the past few weeks.

The team continues to try and reduce wear and tear on a bother­some knee that has affected him since he was with the Patriots earlier this season.

Haynesworth arrived with a reputation for not being a hard worker, and he rarely practiced in New England.

Morris said the Bucs’ handling of Haynesworth has been prudent. The 10-year veteran hasn’t missed any of the six games Tampa Bay has played since he joined the roster last month.

“Right now it’s about maintenance and getting him to the game,” Morris said. “For the younger players it’s about the fundamental core beliefs and getting those guys better. But we’re talking about an older player, a veteran type of guy and a guy who is 6-5 and 300-plus pounds who have to be able to deal with.”

Said Haynesworth, 30: “I’m just old. They just want me to go run in the race (on game day). I’ve been in the game long enough to where I know how to do things. If I was a little younger, I’d definitely need more practice. But I’ve seen it, and I know how I play, so I’ll be okay.”

INJURY REPORT: In addition to Haynesworth, LB Adam Hayward (foot) missed practice Thursday. DT Brian Price (ankle) is improving, as are LB Geno Hayes (knee) and DE Michael Bennett (toe).

TAMPA — The Bucs drafted cornerback Myron Lewis believing he could be the future of the position.

Now, as Lewis nears the end of his second season, it’s reasonable to ask whether the 2010 third-round pick from Vanderbilt has a future in Tampa Bay.

Lewis, 24, has not been a key contributor while the likes of 2011 seventh-round choice Anthony Gaitor have played extensively in the absence of starter Aqib Talib (hamstring). And reading between the lines, coaches believe Lewis hasn’t done much to warrant many more opportunities.

His latest comes Saturday at Carolina now that Talib has been placed on injured reserve.

“It’s up to him what he does with it,” defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake said. “If you don’t get it done, you’re going to be somewhere else. If you get it done, you’re going to be here. Same thing with everybody else.”

Why hasn’t Lewis shown the play expected of a third-round choice.? The reasons are varied.

At times, small, nagging injuries have been his downfall. He made his first impression on Tampa Bay’s coaches during the 2010 rookie minicamp by spending the three-day event on the sideline with an abdominal strain. He went on to become a key part of the rotation after Talib’s 2010 season-ending hip injury, serving as the third cornerback for the final four games.

At that point he showed some signs the Bucs had been looking for. He held his own against elite players such as Calvin Johnson of the Lions. Going into the offseason, there was much optimism.

The team considered him to be in a battle with E.J. Biggers for the role of third cornerback entering training camp. But Lewis missed most of camp and the preseason with a hamstring strain. When he returned in the preseason finale, he was injured again. That time, an ankle sprain slowed him and he remained inactive for the first two regular-season games.

Lewis has gained a reputation for being injury prone. Those injuries have effectively negated what little gains he has made.

“Last year he … made some nice plays on balls, showed that he had really progressed,” coach Raheem Morris said. “He became a smarter football player. This year he came back into camp and looked sharp, looked good but then started to battle some injuries again.”

Those injuries have created chances for others — Elbert Mack and Gaitor, for example —and Lewis has been the obvious loser.

“In training camp, some other players caught up with him and some other players were playing better and kind of jumped in front of him,” Lake said. “That’s how it works.”

After being inactive for six of the 14 games — even last week’s against the Cowboys’ potent passing game — Lewis should be on the field Saturday.

And he knows full well what’s at stake.

“Basically, it’s an interview all over again,” Lewis said. “Hopefully they give me the opportunity to play. It’s been frustrating not being active. But hopefully I get the opportunity and I can take advantage of it.

“It’s kind of difficult to show consistency when you’re not playing a lot, but I guess they just want me to go out there and be that player that they saw when they drafted me.”

It’s critical that the Bucs go into the offseason knowing what they have in Lewis. Cornerback is a position that almost certainly needs to be addressed given Talib’s shaky status (he faces a felony charge for a shooting in Texas) and 36-year-old iron man Ronde Barber’s potential retirement. It’s possible Tampa Bay could lose its two starting cornerbacks.

Will Lewis be a part of the solution? That’s up to him.

“I love football,” said Lewis, who grew up in Pompano Beach. “It’s a game I grew up playing. I’ve played cornerback all my life, from little league to high school to college, all the way to the NFL. I’m just going to do the best I can do. I really need to finish these two games strong.”

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com.

Read More: Ronde Barber (CB – TAM), Derrick Brooks (LB – TAM), Geno Hayes (LB – TAM), Arrelious Benn (WR – TAM), Brian Price (DT – TAM), Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed three players back to practice on Thursday ahead of their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday.

Defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle), defensive lineman Michael Bennett and linebacker Geno Hayes (knee) all returned to practice after missing time on Wednesday, all this according to the team’s Twitter account.

The Bucs also tweeted that head coach Raheem Morris expects wide receiver Arrelious Benn to play against the Panthers. Benn was held out for last weeks game against the Dallas Cowboys after suffering from concussion-related symptoms.

In one last note, the team tweets that cornerback Ronde Barber will play in his 224th game with Tampa Bay on Saturday, tying Derrick Brooks for the most games played in team history.

For more on this game, head over to the NFL hub at SB Nation. But you can also check out Bucs Nation for more on the Buccaneers and Cat Scratch Reader for more on the Carolina Panthers.

By Jordan Ruby

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 22, 2011 – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost half a season worth of games in a row, but they’ll have a pretty good opportunity to end that losing streak against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday. For a quick pick for that game, we turn to Emmanuelle Pepis at NOLA.com.

TAMPA BAY AT CAROLINA (-7.5)- Cam Newton has hushed the doubters. Just look at the numbers from his rookie season. Yes, you’ll see higher turnover games, but that’s to be expected. The point is there is a foundation there, and the Panthers are one of those teams that won’t stay irrelevant much longer. The Buccaneers prove every week that they’ve checked out on Raheem Morris. How much of that is the fault of Morris is another argument, but this stretch may wind up costing his job.

CAROLINA-31 TAMPA BAY-17

We’ll have plenty more on this game throughout the week in this StoryStream. For more on this game, head over to the NFL hub at SB Nation. But you can also check out Bucs Nation for more on the Buccaneers and Cat Scratch Reader for more on the Carolina Panthers.

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TAMPA — Cam Newton is quite comfortable sitting in the pocket firing darts to receivers downfield. But he also doesn’t mind running with abandon around the edge on a designed run that catches exasperated defenders napping.

That’s the reason the Bucs have spent so many hours this week devising ways to stop the record-breaking Panthers rookie quarterback, whom Tampa Bay faces Saturday.

One never knows what’s coming with Newton, which is exactly what the Panthers want. That’s why their unique usage of the No. 1 overall pick out of Auburn could have a lasting effect on how quarterback is played in the NFL for years to come.

It might seem ludicrous to suggest a 22-year-old is redefining his position, but many agree that NFL quarterbacks will evolve over the next several years.

“The NFL has trends, and some of those things will be here to stay,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “It’s getting harder to find Peyton Manning than it is to find that dynamic athlete that plays quarterback and is able to do different things. We have a young man who won the Heisman this year (Baylor’s Robert Griffin III) who I’m sure is going to be able to do some of those things. … These guys are coming into the league, and you can’t hide from them.”

Denver’s Tim Tebow, less of a traditional quarterback than Newton, also is helping to alter the way the NFL thinks about passers. Though Tebow’s game has been met with plenty of objections and is far from ideal, the Broncos have proven there’s something to be said for quarterbacks who excel at running.

Newton has proven he can be an efficient and effective quarterback within the confines of a conventional offense. He’ll likely break Manning’s rookie passing record on Saturday and has thrown for more than 400 yards in two games.

But the Panthers decided it would be foolish to ignore Newton’s unique athletic traits. To that end, while their offense contains plenty of five- and seven-step quarterback drops, it also includes designed runs, bootlegs and things that take advantage of Newton’s running ability.

Look no further than a fourth-and-2 play against the Bucs earlier this month in which Newton took the snap and raced around left end for 6 precious yards.

It was not a busted play. And it was not a scramble. It was, from the beginning, a running play, one executed by a quarterback.

“It puts a tremendous amount of stress on the (defensive) coordinator,” Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. “He’s got to decide, ‘Are we going to make this quarterback beat us?’ Well, you put eight in the box and next thing you know he’s throwing for 400 yards. Then they say, ‘Well, we’ve got to back up and play coverage,’ and then we start running the ball.

“Then you add another twist, and that’s a quarterback with the athleticism and ability to run the zone read concepts and to be an additional running back. It adds a whole other dimension.”

While running quarterbacks in the NFL is hardly a new — Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick proved that long ago — rarely has it been attempted in a scripted manner in the modern game.

The changes in the high school and college ranks, where wide-open spread offenses are employed, are largely responsible. But in the case of Newton, that does not mean he can’t function in a pro-style offense.

“I definitely think you’ll see more of this,” Bucs quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. “Some people might look at Cam Newton and say he’s maybe not the prototypical quarterback, but he has all the skill sets. He is, to me, the prototypical quarterback. But he has the unique skill of being a quarterback and being able to run with it as well. As these guys come in, I think you’ll definitely see more of the college style.”

In Tebow’s case, he is not a polished passer and still has mechanical flaws. But the former Florida standout presents some comparable schematic challenges for defenses.

“I watched him this weekend,” Morris said. “I think I was the only person cringing on my couch every time he ran. You’re just not used to seeing a quarterback get hit that way and be that tough and also (I thought about) defending it. You have an extra man running the ball and you have to be able to take on that blocker and he’s still coming. It’s like LeGarrette Blount holding the ball at the quarterback position.”

Neither Newton nor Tebow is your garden-variety quarterback. But if things change, they’ll have played a role in the evolution of NFL passers.

“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.

TAMPA — Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has a multitude of weapons at his disposal, from 6-foot-6 rookie QB Cam Newton to 5-foot-9 veteran WR Steve Smith.

But sizing up what Chudzinski has in store is tough for any defense because he’s not afraid to reach deep into his bag of trick plays.

In the Bucs’ 38-19 home loss to Carolina on Dec. 4, Chudzinski had WR Legedu Naanee — who went to Boise State to play quarterback — throw a pass back to Newton for 27 yards to set up a touchdown.

On one play last week against the Texans, Newton took the snap and rolled to his right. But what the Texans didn’t see was Newton stick the ball between the legs of FB Richie Brockel, who ran for a 7-yard touchdown.

The hidden-ball trick was loosely based on a play called “the annexation of Puerto Rico” from the 1994 movie the Little Giants.

“The last time they played us, they got a little trick, throwback play,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “They got out there and lined up quick and we got one guy lined up on the wrong side, and that’s all you need, is one guy on the wrong side to make a big play happen.

“We saw the chicanery … there. Last week we got to see it. And then also, Cam Newton creates that kind of dynamic on the goal line as well because of some of the things he’s able to do. It’s not often you see LeBron James get the ball on the snap and jump over the whole offensive line and score a touchdown with your quarterback and not worry about him getting hurt. … Chud has done a great job done there, just like he’s done everywhere. He’s dynamic, and he’s good for this league.”

PRO BOWL BUCS? Last season, when the Bucs went 10-6, they were snubbed by the Pro Bowl when the teams originally were announced. Eventually, LT Donald Penn, who was an alternate, was added to the roster and was the only Tampa Bay player at the NFL all-star game in Hawaii.

This season, the Bucs expect to be shut out again. However, Morris believes a few players are deserving of consideration — P Michael Koenen, G Davin Joseph and CB Ronde Barber. Koenen is 18th in the NFL with a 44.7-yard average and has 30 kickoffs for touchbacks. Barber, 36, is third on the team in tackles 72 and leads the club with three INTs.

“Our punter has done a great job all year,” Morris said. “He certainly deserves that type of accolade. Davin Joseph has been exactly what we wanted him to be when we signed him.

“Ronde Barber is always in consideration just because of who Ronde Barber is and the dynamics he has and his ability to go out there and make plays at his age. He’s the ageless wonder.”

INJURY UPDATE: The defense is struggling on the injury front. DE Michael Bennett (toe), DT Brian Price (ankle), DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) and LB Geno Hayes (knee) did not practice Wednesday, but Morris hopes they will be available for Saturday’s game. WR Arrelious Benn, who missed last week’s game against Dallas with a concussion, practiced for the second straight day. LB Adam Hayward (foot), WR Sammie Stroughter (knee), DT Roy Miller (back) and QB Josh Freeman (shoulder) had full participation.