But it's hard to imagine a more important regular-season game the Bucs have played this late in the season than their upcoming Monday night game against Carolina.

Both teams are 9-3. Tampa Bay owns the tie-breaker because they beat the Panthers earlier in the season.

The winner will have the inside track on the NFC South title. Tampa Bay is trying to become the first team in that division to successfully defend its crown.

The Bucs have had a habit of slow starts on the road, where they overcame huge leads to engineer comeback wins at Kansas City and Detroit. They can't afford that Monday night in the hostile environment in Charlotte, N.C.

"We've got to remain poised," Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "No doubt about it, that will be a winning edge for us to remain poised in that situation. Again, that's something we've got to avoid doing. On the road the past couple times, we've started slow and gotten down two-score leads early. That's something we want to avoid, obviously, this Monday. And every time we've gone to Carolina, it's been that way. We expect it to be loud, we expect them to be fired up, and our poise is really going to be something we have to (maintain), especially early in the ball game."

The Bucs-Panthers series has emerged as maybe the hottest rivalry in the NFC South because both teams are almost always in the playoff hunt.

"Every time we've played them, outside of a year or two, it's always had implications, whether it be first place, a division lead or playoff implications," Brooks said. "It's always mattered. There's been very (few) meaningless games between us, and that's fun to me. Right now, the last time we saw them was for first place, earlier this season. And now we're going up there playing for first place again. It's going to be a big game, no doubt about it. But at the same time, we've got to keep our focus on the field and not get caught up in everything that surrounds a Monday night game."

Bucs coach Jon Gruden is happy his team is in position to secure a division title and perhaps a high seed for the playoffs. But he is not masking his displeasure over the schedule-makers making the Bucs play a Monday night game on the road.

"I'd rather be 9-3 on Monday night than 3-9," Gruden said. "It is great for the players. I wish someone would explain why we're going to Carolina on 'Monday Night Football.' I think we won the division last year, not to complain. It is a great opportunity and we are very excited about it."

Tampa Bay is 3-3 on the road this season and, for the first time in club history, 6-0 at home. But the Bucs are trying to embrace the idea of taking control of the division with a win on the road.

"I like going on the road and getting that win and coming home and letting the home crowd be part of that celebration," Brooks said. "Obviously, it's something we want to get accomplished this coming week. And it causes for extra concentration. I'm not going to sit up here and tell you anything different. Going on the road in (a hostile) environment, it's going to call for a little extra. Where that extra comes from I don't know. But as far as mental preparation, there's cause for that."

The Panthers' defense has given up some points lately - 45 in a loss to Atlanta and 31 in a win over Green Bay, including 18 unanswered in the second half.

Panthers coach John Fox isn't worried about stats. He says yards don't win games, points do.

But entering Monday night's game, the Bucs' defense is playing better. In the past two weeks, the Bucs' defense came up big against Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

A win over Carolina would essentially give the Bucs a two-game lead over the Panthers because of the series sweep and head-to-head tie-breaker advantage.

"We are in position," Gruden said. "That doesn't mean anything other than that you're in position. I used to go to the Indy 500 every year. The guy starting in good position didn't hardly ever win it. I mean we got an opportunity and are thankful for that. We have some injured players and we have to have some guys step up. We have four games left and we have to play to win."

SERIES HISTORY: 17th regular season meeting. Panthers lead the series 9-7. Bucs won the earlier meeting this season at Raymond James Stadium 27-3. Tampa Bay scored an early touchdown when Geno Hayes blocked a Jason Baker punt and returned it 22 yards.