The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Carolina Panthers this week.

"We're gonna start Fitz this week. That's what we feel like we need to do to give ourselves the best chance," said Dirk Koetter, who would not commit to a starter beyond this week.

"This is just for right now. Right now. I mean, the most important thing we got is this week. We'll just have to see how things go. I don't like switching quarterbacks. That's not in my make-up to switch quarterbacks. But I just feel like we've got to make the switch at this time."

Koetter benched Jameis Winston on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals after he threw his fourth interception of the game.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired Mike Smith as defensive coordinator.

Smith was in his third season with the Buccaneers.

Smith was previously head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Ali Marpet has agreed to a contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Marpet was scheduled to be one of the most highly coveted interior offensive lineman free agents in 2019.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start Jameis Winston in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons when they return from their bye week.

While Ryan Fitzpatrick put up extraordinary numbers in the first two weeks of the season, he struggled in Week 3 and 4.

"In no way is this on Fitz that we lost like we did yesterday. Fitz didn't play as well as he's been playing, but this was a 100 percent team deal," Dirk Koetter said.

Winston wa on a suspension for the first three weeks of the season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were thumped 48-10 by the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, who started the season with three 400-yard passing games, was pulled at the half for Jameis Winston.

Winston was suspended for the first three games of the season.

"We put Jameis in a terrible situation today, and I told him that," Dirk Koetter said. "I told him right off the bat at halftime, that we were putting him in a bad situation. And I knew Jameis would go in and give us everything he had, and he did."

Koetter didn't say who the Buccaneers would start at quarterback going forward.

The coach was so frustrated after the loss that he said everyone on the field should be fired -- starting with him.