A year ago, after a 1-6 skid dropped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' record to 4-7, the team decided to treat every remaining game as if it was a must-win, as if the postseason had arrived early. Quarterback Baker Mayfield led that charge, first delivering the message to his teammates and then backing it up with his play, as he threw 11 touchdowns against three interceptions during the Buccaneers' 5-1 sprint to the finish. It was enough to capture a third straight NFC South title.

The Buccaneers are back in the same mode in 2024 as they close in on December. Hoping to get on a hot streak coming out of their bye week, they started things out well with a 30-7 drubbing of the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Now it's on to the next round of the playoffs and the win in the Meadowlands bought them a trip to Charlotte to play the division-rival Carolina Panthers. Kickoff on Sunday, December 1 is set for 4:05 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.

"That's how we feel – our playoffs started last week," said Mayfield. "We've just got to keep our head down and take care of us. If we look up at the end and take care of us, we'll be fine."

The Buccaneers sit at 5-6 after snapping a four-game losing streak, and that's one game behind the division-leading Atlanta Falcons. Functionally, though, it's a two-game deficit because Atlanta swept the head-to-head series and thus hold an ironclad tiebreaker. Tampa Bay could get into the postseason with a Wild Card berth if they don't manage to reel in the Falcons, but if they want to win a fourth straight NFC South crown they will have to be two games better than Atlanta over the next six weeks. That's a tight window to squeeze through, which is why the Bucs have adopted that early playoff-mode mentality.

"We've had a lot of close games before the Bye Week – that margin of error – we were on the wrong side of things, hurt ourselves a lot," said Mayfield. "I think we're looking at those games, learning from it, and moving forward."

The Panthers are 3-8 in their first season under Head Coach Dave Canales, after going 2-15 last year, but they are currently in the most encouraging stretch of their season. Carolina beat the Giants and Saints before their Week 11 bye, and they came out of that break with a strong performance against the 10-1 Kansas City Chiefs. The game was tied at 27-27 with less than two minutes to play before Patrick Mahomes spun some of his signature late-game magic to set up the winning field goal. Second-year quarterback Bryce Young led an impressive late drive to tie the game and finished with a career-best 92.6 passer rating in the game.

Two weeks into his second season, Young was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, but after five starts Dalton sprained a thumb in a car accident and Young got a second chance. He has played much better in his return to the lineup, effectively working the middle of the field and extending plays to get shots downfield.

"He's been playing good football of late that we've seen," said Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles. He's been playing very good football. Dave's positivity and his coaching, period, is a good influence on him. It takes a while to learn offenses, no matter who you are. He's got a good handle on it right now. I think they've figured each other out – they're getting along, you can see it on the field."

Canales got the job in Carolina after just one season as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator, presumably in large part with the great work he has done helping to revive the careers of Mayfield and Seattle quarterback Geno Smith. This is the first time that the Buccaneers will be facing their former OC but Bowles doesn't think the familiarity will be a contributing factor to the outcome.

"I've coached against [former colleagues] before," he said. "We're trying to concentrate on things we can do better. We understand what they can do – we know the players they have, we know the coaches they have. We still have to correct our little things. We corrected some things last Sunday – we've got to correct more of them this Sunday."

The Bucs brought in Liam Coen to replace Canales and the results have been good. Tampa Bay's offense ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring, seventh in total yards, 10th in rushing yards, seventh in passing yards, third in first downs, second in third-down conversion rate and second in red zone touchdown efficiency. Mayfield has thrived in Coen's system and he started the team's "playoff" run with a masterful outing against the Giants. Despite not throwing a touchdown pass – the Bucs ran it in four times – he finished with a passer rating of 107.5

"He's at his best when he's spinning the ball, when the ball is able to come out on time and in rhythm," said Coen of Mayfield. "As much as we can do that without just throwing quick game all day – that's not what we're trying to get done – we're trying to attack the defense as many ways as we can. It just so happens that getting the ball out of his hands quickly and getting people at the right spots at the right times in space has been good for us. So, I think it's probably a combination of [him] and Thad [Lewis], their work together, and our work together as a group getting his feet, his mind and everything, and his reads, on time. Then, also, just playing to the guy's strengths."

Despite the Panthers' overall struggles last year, both games between them and the Buccaneers were very tight affairs. The first was a 21-18 Bucs win in Tampa in Week 13 and the second was a 9-0 decision in Charlotte in the regular-season finale, a win the visitors had to have to clinch the division and make the playoffs. Once again, the Buccaneers and Panthers will meet twice in the last six weeks of the season, and the outcomes of those games may very well decide if Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) at Carolina Panthers (3-8)
• Sunday, December 1, 4:05 p.m. ET
• Bank of America Stadium (capacity: 73,778)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Television: FOX
• TV Broadcast Team: Chris Myers (play-by-play), Mark Schlereth (analysts), Jen Hale (reporter)
• Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station
• Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)
• Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente
• Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst), Santiago Gramática (reporter)

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

The Panthers lead the all-time series with the Buccaneers, 25-22, but the Buccaneers have won seven of the last eight meetings and nine of the last 11. That includes consecutive season sweeps in 2020 and 2021, the first time the Bucs had managed that against Carolina since the NFC South was formed in 2002. The Buccaneers and Panthers also met three times before realignment put them in the same division, including a contest in Death Valley that the Bucs won, 20-13, in the Panthers' 1995 inaugural season.

The Buccaneers got another season sweep in 2023, with both games occurring in the last six weeks of the season. The first meeting was in Week 13, which the Buccaneers won 21-18 in Tampa. On a rainy afternoon and early evening, the Bucs outlasted a game Panthers squad thanks to wide receiver Chris Godwin's 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on an end-around. That gave the home team an 11-point lead, which the Panthers shaved to three on Chuba Hubbard's one-yard touchdown run with five minutes to go. Carolina got the ball back with 3:31 to play but safety Antoine Winfield Jr. saved the Bucs with an interception near midfield. In the rematch in Charlotte in Week 18, Winfield made another critical play, stripping Panthers wide receiver D.J. Chark of the ball inches before the goal line on what seemed certain to be a 43-yard touchdown. That play helped preserve a shutout as the two teams combined for just 447 yards of offense and all the points in a 9-0 decision came on Chase McLaughlin field goals.

Since the two teams started playing each other twice a year, the head-to-head battle has traditionally been one-sided, though that side often flips back and forth. From 2002-17, 13 of the 16 season series between these two teams ended in a sweep, including every one from 2009 through 2017. It went Carolina's way in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. The Bucs got the sweep in 2002, 2010, 2012 and 2016. Interestingly, the three splits came in years the Buccaneers either made the playoffs (2005, 2007) or really should have (2008…which ended in a four-game losing streak after a 9-3 start).

The 2022 head-to-head, however, was a split, with each team winning at home. Carolina handed the Bucs perhaps their most humbling loss of the season in Week Seven, a 21-3 drubbing at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers came into the game with a 1-5 record and had recently fired Head Coach Matt Rhule and traded superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. Third-string quarterback P.J. Walker completed 16 of his 22 passes and tossed two touchdowns against no interceptions and running backs D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard combined for 181 rushing yards.

The rematch in Week 17 proved to be one of the Buccaneers' most important wins in recent years as it clinched the team's second straight NFC South title and made a potential divisional free-for-all in Week 18 moot. It didn't come easily, as the Panthers rushed out to a quick 14-0 lead on two Sam Darnold touchdown passes, but Tom Brady solved the problem by repeatedly throwing moon shots to Mike Evans. Evans caught touchdown passes of 63, 57 and 30 yards and finished the game with 207 yards on 10 grabs. His last one put the Bucs in the lead for the first time in the fourth quarter, and a Brady touchdown run provided the final winning margin in a 30-24 squeaker.

The Bucs and Panthers met twice in the final three weeks of the 2021 season, with Tampa Bay taking both contests by a combined score of 73-23. In the regular season finale, the Buccaneers got 137 receiving yards from Rob Gronkowski and two touchdown receptions from Evans before wideout Scotty Miller capped the scoring by taking an end-around 33 yards for a touchdown. Two weeks earlier, the Buccaneers had prevailed at Bank of America Stadium when the defense sacked quarterbacks Darnold and Cam Newton a total of seven times and allowing just two field goals. Safety Jordan Whitehead had a key interception and three pass break-ups. Ke'Shawn Vaughn's 55-yard touchdown jaunt, the Bucs' longest run of the year, started the scoring and emerging wideout Cyril Grayson accounted for 95 yards of offense, including a 62-yard reception.

In 2020, the Bucs' September win at home against Carolina was the first of 15 they would stack up on their way to a Super Bowl championship, and the first win as a Buccaneer for Brady. Leonard Fournette paced the offense with 116 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns and Carlton Davis and Whitehead each had interceptions off Teddy Bridgewater in a 31-17 decision. The rematch in Charlotte in November was a high-scoring affair that included the longest run in Buccaneers' history, Ronald Jones' 98-yard touchdown dash. Incredibly, the Buccaneers scored on 10 straight possessions to pull away from the Panthers for a 46-23 win.

In 2019, the Buccaneers secured a tight win in Charlotte on a Thursday night in Week Two when Vernon Hargreaves knocked Christian McCaffrey out of bounds two yards shy of the sticks on an all-or-nothing fourth-down run off a direct snap. That 20-14 Bucs win was balanced four weeks later by a 37-26 win for Carolina in a game played in London.

Perhaps the most notable wins for Tampa Bay in the series with Carolina came in 2002 and 2005. At the midpoint of the 2002 Super Bowl campaign, the Buccaneers were coming off a deflating loss in Philadelphia (again) and had to play at Carolina without their quarterback, Brad Johnson, who woke up with the flu. Defense dominated and the Bucs were trailing 9-6 late in the fourth quarter before Martin Gramatica saved the day with two long field goals. In 2005, the Buccaneers were in the middle of a late-season three-game road swing when they went to Bank of America Stadium and won a battle for first place by a 20-10 score. Ronde Barber punctuated that game with a sack and a critical interception, becoming the first cornerback ever to reach 40 interceptions and 25 sacks in his career.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

• Dave Canales is in his first year as the Panthers' head coach, landing that job after his excellent one-season performance as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. Canales helped Baker Mayfield revive his career, as the veteran quarterback threw for 4,044 yards and a career-high 28 touchdowns.
• When Canales left the Buccaneers for the Panthers, he was followed by three former members of Tampa Bay's offensive coaching staff. Brad Idzik, who tutored the receivers for Tampa Bay in 2023, is Canales's offensive coordinator, while assistant head coach/run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and Offensive Line Coach Joe Gilbert landed in similar positions in Charlotte.
• Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht was a member of the Panthers' scouting staff in 1998.
• Mayfield spent the majority of the 2022 season with the Panthers. He was traded to Carolina by the Cleveland Browns in July of 2022 and subsequently won a preseason competition with Sam Darnold to earn the opening-day starting job under center. He played in seven games with six starts for the Panthers before being waived in December and claimed by the Rams.
• Panthers WR David Moore played for the Buccaneers in 2023, splitting the season between the practice squad and the active roster. Moore got into seven games and contributed five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. He scored another touchdown in the playoffs.
• Carolina Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero launched his NFL coaching career in 2007 when he joined Jon Gruden's staff as a defensive quality control coach. He held that position for two seasons under Gruden and one more under Raheem Morris.
• Similarly, Todd Wash, now the Panthers' defensive line coach, got his first NFL coaching job in Tampa in the same year, and with the same title of defensive quality control coach. He was promoted in 2008 to defensive line coach and held that job for three seasons before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks.
• Kevin Winston, who is currently the Panthers' Vice President of Player Affairs, served as Tampa Bay's director of player development on Dungy's staff from 1996-99.
• Panthers Outside Linebackers Coach Tem Lukabu put in two seasons on Greg Schiano's coaching staff in Tampa, working as a defensive assistant.
• Outside linebacker Cam Gill, who recently returned to the Panthers' roster for a second stint in 2024, began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers in 2020. He won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie and got his first career sack (or, more accurately, split sack) in Super Bowl LV. Gill, played in 40 games for Tampa Bay from 2020-23.

SENIOR COACHING STAFFS

• Tampa Bay:

• Head Coach Todd Bowles

• Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers
• Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote
• Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey

• Carolina:

• Head Coach Dave Canales

• Offensive Coordinator Brad Idzik
• Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero
• Special Teams Coordinator Tracy Smith

KEY 2024 ROSTER ADDITIONS

Buccaneers:

• C Graham Barton (1st-round draft pick)
• OLB Chris Braswell (2nd-round draft pick)
• G Ben Bredeson (UFA)
• TE Devin Culp (7th-round draft pick)
• S Mike Edwards (W-TEN)
• P Trenton Gill (FA)
• CB Bryce Hall (UFA…currently on injured reserve)
• CB Troy Hill (FA)
• RB Bucky Irving (4th-round draft pick)
• WR Kameron Johnson (UDFA…currently on injured reserve)
• G Elijah Klein (6th-round draft pick)
• WR Jalen McMillan (3rd-round draft pick)
• G Royce Newman (W-GB)
• S Tykee Smith (3rd-round draft pick)
• CB Tavierre Thomas (UFA)
• S Jordan Whitehead (UFA)

Panthers:

• CB Shemar Bartholomew (W-NYJ)
• RB Jonathon Brooks (2nd-round pick)
• OLB Jadeveon Clowney (UFA)
• WR Jalen Coker (UDFA)
• DT Jaden Crumedy (6th-round pick)
• TE Feleipe Franks (FA)
• S Jordan Fuller (UFA)
• OLB Cam Gill
• OLB Charles Harris (FA)
• G Robert Hunt (UFA)
• CB Dane Jackson (UFA)
• LB Josey Jewell (UFA)
• WR Xavier Legette (1st-round draft pick)
• G Damien Lewis (UFA)
• WR David Moore (UFA)
• T Yosh Nijman (UFA)
• S Demani Richardson (UDFA)
• DE A'Shawn Robinson (UFA)
• TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (4th-round draft pick)
• CB Chau Smith-Wade (5th-round draft pick)
• LB Trevin Wallace (3rd-round draft pick)
• OLB D.J. Wonnum (UFA)

ADDITIONAL 2024 CHANGES/DEVELOPMENTS OF NOTE

Buccaneers:

• As Todd Bowles navigates his third season as the Bucs' head coach he is working with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Last year, Bowles picked former Seattle Quarterbacks Coach Dave Canales to replace Byron Leftwich, but Canales departed this offseason to take over as the head coach of the Panthers. Bowles then turned to Liam Coen, who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree with the Rams and most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Three members of the Bucs' 2023 staff followed Canales to Carolina – Brad Idzik, Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert, which led to some other new additions on Bowles staff in 2024. Those include Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry, Pass Game Coordinator Josh Grizzard, Wide Receivers Coach Bryan McClendon and Assistant Offensive Line Coach Brian Picucci. In addition, long-time Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong retired in the offseason, so the Bucs brought in Thomas McGaughey as his replacement.
• Under Coen, the Buccaneers' offense employs quite a bit more pre-snap shifts and movement than it had in 2023, and Coen also has widened the variety of the types of runs the ground game employees. One of Coen's other key initiatives in an attempt to get a moribund rushing attack going is to give quarterback Baker Mayfield multiple plays to choose from in the huddle and at the line so that the offense runs into unfavorable looks less often.
• Despite having tight salary cap restrictions, the Buccaneers made it a priority to retain key players from the 2023 season who were scheduled to hit free agency. General Manager Jason Licht and his staff successfully checked off every item on their list of priorities, beginning with a new two-year deal for franchise icon Mike Evans. That helped bring the team's negotiations with quarterback Baker Mayfield to a conclusion. After Mayfield played the 2023 season on a one-year prove-it deal, his resurgence landed him a lucrative new multi-year contract. The Bucs were also able to re-sign linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin. With the other deals in the works, the Bucs used the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and later inking him to a new contract making him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.
• All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs didn't need a new contract for 2024 but he was entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Buccaneers were highly motivated to lock him in to a new long-term pact. That lengthy process came to a head on August 1, when the two sides agreed on a five-year extension that runs through the 2029 campaign and makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL.
• In March, the Buccaneers traded cornerback Carlton Davis, who had started 75 games over six seasons with the team, to the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick in this year's draft. The Buccaneers eventually used that pick to select Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
• In a Week Seven Monday Night Football game against Baltimore, the Buccaneers' offense took several serious blows when both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans suffered significant injuries. Godwin, who at the time was leading the NFL with 50 receptions, sustained a dislocated ankle that will keep him out for at least the rest of the regular season, though he has spoken of the possibility of returning for the postseason if the Buccaneers make it into the field. Evans, who caught his 100th career touchdown pass earlier in the Ravens game, incurred a hamstring injury that so far has caused him to miss three games.

Panthers:

• The Panthers hired a new head coach for the second year in a row, in this case taking one from a division rival as their choice was former Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales. Canales spent just one season on Todd Bowles' staff in Tampa but was credited with helping to revive quarterback Baker Mayfield's career. After he also had a hand in turning former journeyman passer Geno Smith into a quality starter in Seattle, the Panthers believed he would be a good fit with young franchise quarterback Bryce Young. Canales took former Buccaneers Wide Receivers Coach Brad Idzik with him to Charlotte to be the offensive coordinator.
• Canales and the Panthers actually benched Young after two poor starts in September, turning to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton made five starts, the first one a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but sprained the thumb on his throwing hand in a car accident, leading to Young reassuming control of the offense. Young has kept the job for the last four games, including wins over the Saints and Giants.
• Carolina was involved in two trades of wide receiver Diontae Johnson in the 2024 calendar year. First, the Panthers sent cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round draft pick to Pittsburgh in March in exchange for the veteran receiver and a seventh-round pick. Then, on October 29, Carolina sent Johnson back out to Baltimore along with a sixth-round pick to get back a fifth-round selection.
• The Panthers also made an even bigger trade in the offseason, sending edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants in March. Carolina had placed the franchise tag on Burns but elected to send him to the Giants for a 2024 second-round draft pick, a 2025 fifth-rounder and a swap of fifth-rounders in 2024. Burns had 46.0 sacks in five seasons in Charlotte, never finishing a season with fewer than 7.5, and made two Pro bowls.
• In addition to Burns, Carolina's defense lost two key performers to injuries early in the season. First, defensive tackle Derrick Burns suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season against the Saints. Three weeks later, in a game in Cincinnati, linebacker Shaq Thompson tore an Achilles tendon and was also lost for the season.
• With the emergence of Chuba Hubbard as one of the most productive running backs in the NFL, the Panthers elected to lock him into another contract. The two sides agreed on a four-year, $33.2 million extension on November 7. The Panthers backfield also now features rookie Jonathon Brooks, a second-round pick who was drafted while recovering from ACL surgery after an injury in his final season at Texas. Brooks began the season on the reserve/non-football injury list but was activated on November 6 and has since played in one game, logging two carries for seven yards. The Panthers also activated veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen from injured reserve after he missed seven games with a hamstring injury. Thielen returned to action against the Chiefs in Week 12 and had three catches for 57 yards.

INJURY REPORT

Key:

DNP: Did not participate in practice

LP: Limited participation in practice

FP: Full participation in practice

NL: Not listed

Buccaneers:

• WR Mike Evans (hamstring) – WEDS: FP
• DL Will Gholston (knee) – WEDS: FP
• CB Troy Hill (ankle/foot) – WEDS: DNP
• S Tykee Smith (knee) – WEDS: DNP
• OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (ankle) – WEDS: DNP
• OLB Markees Watts* (knee) – WEDS: FP
• S Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) – WEDS: DNP
• T Tristan Wirfs (knee/foot) – WEDS: LP

* Watts is in his 21-day practice window for return from injured reserve.

Panthers:

• OLB Amare Barno* (knee) – WEDS: LP
• WR Jalen Coker (quadriceps) – WEDS: DNP
• OLB Jadeveon Clowney (knee/rest) – WEDS: DNP
• CB Caleb Farley (shoulder) – WEDS: LP
• LB Josey Jewell (rest) – WEDS: DNP
• S Lonnie Johnson (personal) – WEDS: DNP
• DE LaBryan Ray (hand) – WEDS: FP
• DE A'Shawn Robinson (rest) – WEDS: DNP
• TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck) – WEDS: DNP
• WR Adam Thielen (hamstring/rest) – WEDS: DNP
• OLB D.J. Wonnum (hamstring) – WEDS: LP

* Barno is in his 21-day practice window for return from PUP.

WEATHER FORECAST

Mostly sunny. High of 50, low of 24, 4% chance of rain, 45% humidity, winds out of the WNW at 8 mph.

GAME REFEREE

Head referee: Tra Blake (5th season, 3rd as referee)

BETTING LINE

• Favorite: Buccaneers (-6.0)
• Over/Under: 46.5

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

• Points Scored: K Chase McLauglin, 83
• Touchdowns: WR Mike Evans/RB Rachaad White, 6
• Passing Yards: QB Baker Mayfield, 2,799
• Passer Rating: QB Baker Mayfield, 104.1
• Rushing Yards: RB Bucky Irving, 579
• Receptions: WR Chris Godwin/TE Cade Otton, 50
• Receiving Yards: WR Chris Godwin, 576
• Interceptions: CB Zyon McCollum, 2
• Sacks: DL Vita Vea, 6.0
• Tackles: LB Lavonte David, 77

Panthers-

• Points Scored: K Eddy Pineiro, 66
• Touchdowns: RB Chuba Hubbard, 8
• Passing Yards: QB Bryce Young, 1,083
• Passer Rating: QB Andy Dalton, 82.0
• Rushing Yards: RB Chuba Hubbard, 876
• Receptions: WR Xavier Legette, 33
• Receiving Yards: WR Diontae Johnson*, 357
• Interceptions: S Xavier Woods, 2
• Sacks: DE A'Shawn Robinson/OLB Charles Harris, 3.0
• Tackles: S Xavier Woods, 77

* No longer with the Panthers

TEAM STAT RANKINGS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

• Scoring Offense: 4th (28.2 ppg)
• Total Offense: 7th (369.5 ypg)
• Rushing Offense: 10th (128.1 ypg)
• Passing Offense: 7th (241.5 ypg)
• First Downs Per Game: 3rd (22.3)
• Third-Down Pct.: 2nd (50.4%)
• Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 8th (6.42%)
• Red Zone TD Pct.: 2nd (69.8%)
• Scoring Defense: 24th (24.8 ppg)
• Total Defense: 29th (376.2 ypg)
• Rushing Defense: 16th (120.7 ypg)
• Passing Defense: 29th (255.5 ypg)
• First Downs Allowed Per Game: 30th (21.8)
• Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 24th (43.5%)
• Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 17th (7.84%)
• Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 16th (56.1%)
• Turnover Margin: t-16th (0)

Panthers-

• Scoring Offense: 29th (17.6 ppg)
• Total Offense: 31st (285.5 ypg)
• Rushing Offense: 24th (107.7 ypg)
• Passing Offense: 31st (177.8 ypg)
• First Downs Per Game: 32nd (16.2)
• Third-Down Pct.: 27th (33.8%)
• Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 5th (5.71%)
• Red Zone TD Pct.: 10th (58.1)
• Scoring Defense: 32nd (30.9 ppg)
• Total Defense: 30th (387.3 ypg)
• Rushing Defense: 32nd (160.5 ypg)
• Passing Defense: 24th (226.7 ypg)
• First Downs Allowed Per Game: 31st (23.7)
• Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 32nd (49.3%)
• Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 31st (4.94%)
• Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 23rd (63.8%)
• Turnover Margin: t-23rd (-5)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• LB Lavonte David has 36.5 career sacks and needs 2.5 more to tie David Logan for sixth place in Buccaneers history.
• WR Mike Evans caught his 100th career touchdown pass against Baltimore in Week Seven, becoming just the 11th player in NFL history to reach triple digits in that category. One more would move him out of a tie with Steve Largent and Tim Brown and into sole possession of ninth place all-time in that category.
• QB Baker Mayfield has 24 touchdown passes and one more would put him at 25 in 2024, just three below the career high of 28 he threw last season. That would also allow him to join Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in team history to have consecutive seasons with 25-plus touchdown passes.
• S Antoine Winfield Jr. recorded his 17th career sack in Week 12 against the New York Giants. One more sack would put him into a tie with Adam Archuleta, Bill Bates and Roman Harper for the 11th-most by an NFL defensive back since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
• WR Sterling Shepard's next game played will be the 100th of his career.

NOTABLY QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Todd Bowles on Tampa Bay's improvement in red zone offense compared to last year: "Really, schematically, we've been running the ball well – that kind of opens up quite a few other things right there. They scheme it well and the guys do a good job of executing. I think Baker [Mayfield] does a great job of understanding situations down there. [Mayfield and Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen] do a great job of understanding each other – when we can take a shot, when we can run it, and taking advantage of certain things we see."
• Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen on how he has seen RB Bucky Irving grow in the pass game: "He's got really natural hands. All of those backs really do. When you have those guys that … have the ability to catch the ball but [are] already ready to make the move on the next defender, that's challenging as a defender. I don't care who it is. When that guy has the ability to catch the ball anywhere – because he has really good hands – while also still being able to make a move on the defender, that is difficult. That is challenging to be able to tackle. So yeah, you continue to see his development in the pass game [which] will be able to help us really win games."
• Quarterback Baker Mayfield on about the Bucs' offense is allowing him to complete 70% of his passes: "You know, completion percentage is obviously the play calls and scheme, but trust with the receivers and then also, like I keep saying to you guys, letting the defense dictate where the ball needs to go. Not trying to force things, not trying to do too much, move through progressions, and then it goes back to check downs and simple things that are easy throws that these guys are making explosive plays off of. It's me just trusting that and trusting the guys that we have, and we have the right group to do that."
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers on stopping Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard: "The thing is, you're not going to beat Carolina if you can't stop him. He's, to me, one of the most underrated [running] backs in the league. He's fifth [ranked in rushing yards], but I think he deserves a lot more praise than we actually give him. He's a tremendous, tremendous [running] back. He's had success against us in the past and he's had success [against] a lot of people this year if you really look at it. When they get the running game going, it sets up all of their play actions and he's a big part of that. He's got a lot of explosives."
• Guard Ben Bredeson on the Bucs' offense hitting on all cylinders in Week 12: "We've experienced that a couple times. Like you said, when it's clicking, it's a great offense. We've got a great scheme with great players and Baker does a great job of running the show. It's a fun offense when everything's working like that. You can start feeling it. Everyone's playing together and our confidence is high."