Mike Adams ‘kind of surprised’ Panthers won’t face Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston

Safety Mike Adams was surprised to learn that he and the rest of the Carolina Panthers won’t be facing quarterback James Winston when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.

Adams had received the news that Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the Buccaneers’ starter shortly before joining Bruce Murray and Brady Quinn Monday on the SiriusXM Blitz.

‘We understand (Fitzpatricks’) a good quarterback and he’s got a strong arm’

“Kind of, kind of (surprised),” Adams said. “Yeah, I thought there were probably going to stick with Winston. But we faced Fitzpatrick, I think last year we faced him. And we understand he’s a good quarterback and he’s got a strong arm, makes all the throws at he’s a good quarterback. So we’ve got to practice and treat this game accordingly.”

After their 36-21 victory against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, the Panthers are 5-2 and suddenly one of the hotter teams in the NFC. However, few people seem to be noticing, at least as far as Adams can tell.

‘We don’t want to fly too high, we don’t want to be too low’

“I like it like that there’s no pressure on us, no one’s thinking about us and so when they play us, they get a little dose of what the Carolina Panthers are about,” Adams said. “So I think it’s a great thing. We don’t want to fly too high, we don’t want to be too low, but I think it’s good for us.”