The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave up a go-ahead touchdown with 30 seconds left in regulation, missed a field goal in overtime and still left Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte with a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The win improved Tampa Bay's record to 6-6 and put them into a first-place tie in the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons, who lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

"Every week we say it's a playoff game and we've got to take care of us," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "And it's not going to be easy. As it was today, it's going to be a dogfight every week. We've just got to come ready to play and make less mistakes. Our hearts are into it, but we've got to clean up some things. It's hard to win in this league. We'll take a win any way we can get it."

Chase McLaughlin hit a 30-yard field goal with 2:13 left in overtime after a 38-yard run by Rachaad White took the ball down to Carolina's 10-yard line. McLaughlin had missed a 55-yarder on the Bucs' first possession in the extra period but had sent the game to overtime with a 51-yard shot as time expired in regulation. The Bucs got their extra shot in overtime when OLB Anthony Nelson forced a fumble by RB Chuba Hubbard that OLB Yaya Diaby recovered at Tampa Bay's 29.

"It was a tough game [and] the football gods were kind to us," said Bowles. "The first half of the season, we wouldn't have finished that game out. We did a heck of a job fighting back all season. They played tough, we played tough. We made mistakes in the first half of the season and this game we pulled it out. We learned some mental toughness."

The Buccaneers won in overtime for the first time since beating the Arizona Cardinals, 19-16, on Christmas Day in 2022. In six road games so far this season, the Buccaneers are 4-2 and have never trailed at the end of regulation. Tampa Bay previously lost in overtime this season to the Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs, in each case losing the opening coin toss and giving up a touchdown on the first drive of the extra period.

"We found a way to win," said Mayfield. "To be on the right side of things at the end there is good for us. We were sloppy at first all over. Offensively, too many penalties, mental errors, things like that, but to find a way to push it into overtime and get the win is big time for us."

The Buccaneers scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead. Rookie RB Bucky Irving scored on a six-yard run with nine minutes left and his 43-yard run on Tampa Bay's next drive set up McLaughlin's 26-yard field goal. However, Carolina's rapidly-improving young quarterback, Bryce Young, then directed a 60-yard drive ending in a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR Adam Thielen and a three-point lead. QB Baker Mayfield threw a 17-yard pass to WR Mike Evans and scrambled for 10 yards to get the Bucs into range for McLaughlin's game-tying kick.

Irving had the best game so far of his impressive rookie season, rushing 25 times for 152 yards and a touchdown and adding three catches for 33 more yards. He did much of that damage in the second half after suffering a hip injury on the kickoff return that ended the first half. Overall, the Buccaneers rushed for 236 yards against the NFL's 32nd-ranked rush defense, averaging 6.1 yards per tote.

"He had a heck of a game," said Bowles. "He had over a hundred yards. Rachaad played well as well. [Irving] has a hip pointer right now. Rachaad finished the game and had the big run at the end."

Mayfield overcome a sluggish start to complete 21 of 33 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His favorite target was WR Mike Evans, recently returned from a hamstring injury, who caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. His incredible one-handed snag of a fade pass in the first quarter gave the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead.

"That was an interesting one," said Mayfield, who briefly left the game in the third quarter after getting stepped on, initially believing he had suffered an Achilles tendon tear. "Honestly, it scared the daylights out of me. I've seen some people pop their Achilles before and they say it feels like you got cleated. Obviously, not knowing what exactly happened that's what I thought I did. It was a little painful, but I got taped again and went back out there."

Nelson's critical forced fumble was part of an impressive outing for the sixth-year player, who was pressed into a larger role with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out with an ankle injury. In addition to that overtime takeaway he had six tackles and three hits on Young. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of his second son on Friday.

Diaby also had three hits on Young and six sacks, but the Bucs sacked him just once. Young consistently evaded pressure and extended plays before hitting his targets downfield. The first pick in the 2023 draft who had been benched earlier this season, Young completed 26 of 46 passes for 298 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. However, Tampa Bay's defense did a good job of slowing down Chuba Hubbard and the Panthers' rushing attack, which compiled 78 yards and averaged 3.7 per carry. The Bucs' defense also consistently tightened up in the red zone, allowing just one of four Panther trips inside the 20 to result in a touchdown.

After racking up 450 yards and 30 points in a Week 12 win at the New York Giants, the Buccaneers' offense struggled to find any rhythm in the first half, gaining just 146 yards and failing on all five third-own tries to go into halftime down 13-10. Mayfield completed only two of his first eight passes, though that included three drops. The Bucs also committed the only turnover of the first half, with Mayfield's interception leading to Carolina's go-ahead field goal right before the intermission. The deficit could have been worse but Panthers K Eddy Pineiro missed two field goals and the home team went one-for-three in the red zone.

Carolina got the ball first after a touchback, and Young started the drive with a quick five-yard pass to WR Xavier Legette. Young then took a deeper shot down the right seam to TE Feleipe Franks but LB Lavonte David had good downfield coverage and it was incomplete. Another deep shot to WR Adam Thielen was out of his reach and the Panthers lined up to punt. The ball bounced out of bounds at the Bucs' 26.

White went over right tackle on first down for six yards but a dropped shotgun snap on second down led to a seven-yard loss. Mayfield's third-down attempt was out of reach for Evans down the left numbers. Trenton Gill's punt was a low liner but it bounced and rolled all the way down to the Carolina 21.

The Panthers got five on their first play again, this time on Hubbard run. Hubbard's next run went for just two. On their third down, Young made a very quick decision to dash up the middle and had open field in front of him but Winfield saved the Bucs by nabbing him from behind a yard short. Carolina's second punt was downed at the Tampa Bay 37.

The Bucs brought out their two-back package on first down and White found a seam on the right side for a gain of 11. Evans couldn't hold on to Mayfield's next pass on a quick curl. A tunnel screen to WR Sterling Shepard was well-timed as Carolina sent a DB blitz from his side and he was able to find a seam for 21 yards to the Carolina 31. Irving's first carry went up the middle and a spin move at the end helped him finish with 11. Two more Irving runs made it third-and-four and White's third down run left the offense inches from a first down. Bowles chose to go for it on fourth down and White was able to power over the line for a first down at the nine. An Irving run and an incompletion in TE Cade Otton's direction made it third-and-goal and the Bucs tried the classic fade pass to Evans. The ball wasn't caught but the play drew a pass interference call on CB Mike Jackson made it first-and-goal at the one. Irving's first run from there was stopped so Mayfield went back to the fade and this time Evans made an incredible catch for the two-yard score.

DL Logan Hall nearly sacked Young on the first play of Carolina's next drive but the quarterback was able to get off a lob to rookie RB Jonathon Brooks, who made one man miss to break free for a gain of 18. The Panthers' line picked up a blitz two plays later and Young found Legette on the left sideline for a gain of 14 into Bucs territory. The pocket collapsed on Young on first play and his desperation pass was incomplete. Two plays later, on third-and-three from the Bucs' 31, the Bucs loaded up the line and were able to stop Hubbard a yard short of the sticks. Carolina sent out K Eddy Pineiro to hit a 47-yard field goal with under a minute left in the first quarter.

RB Sean Tucker ran the ensuing kickoff out to the Bucs' 26, and Irving's first-down carry gained just a yard. Mayfield tried to find Shepard on a double move but the ball was out of reach. Mayfield hauled in a high snap on third down and was able to scramble up the middle to buy time but WR Trey Palmer wasn't quite able to pull in a sliding catch. The Bucs punted on the first play of the second quarter flipped the ball back to Carolina's 24.

Diaby trapped Hubbard in the backfield for a loss of one but a neat play-action seam pass to Legette worked perfectly for a gain of 14. Young was pressured into a first-down incompletion and WR David Moore couldn't get his feet down on a deep out to the right sideline. A big blitz on third down put Young in a dire situation but TE Tommy Tremble turned his route up the right sideline during the scramble and Young got off a deep pass to him for a gain of 38 to the Bucs' 25. Two plays later, a wild combined reverse/flea-flicker didn't work and Young eventually had to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone. A third-down deep shot to Legette was out of reach and Pineiro came out again to try to make it a one-point game with a 38-yard field goal. However, the kick missed wide to the left.

The Bucs next drive started with a holding call and never recovered. Mayfield was tripped up by Jadeveon Clowney for a loss of 13 while trying to escape to the left. On third-and-24, Otton dropped an attempted TE screen and the Bucs had to punt it back. Gill shanked the kick and it went out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 36.

A seven-yard run by Hubbard had a personal foul tacked on the end to take the ball down to the Bucs' 14, though a false start before the next play backed it up five yards. Three plays later, on third-and-six, Young broke away from pressure in the backfield and dashed to the left front pylon for the go-ahead touchdown at the midway point of the second quarter.

After a touchback, Irving picked his way for a gain of 12 up the middle but was swarmed over on the next play for a loss of three. A false start cost the Bucs five more yards but Mayfield threw a strike to a sliding Evans on a deep out and Evans alertly extended the ball past the yard marker for a gain of 18 and a first down. Mayfield went back to Evans on a post over the middle on the next play for 27 yards to the Carolina 21. Mayfield patiently waited for a swing pass to Irving to develop and the rookie back juked past one defender to get all the way down to the five. That's as close as it got to the end zone, however, as one Irving run, a false start and two incompletions in Shepard's direction left the Bucs in fourth down at the nine. Chase McLaughlin tied the game with a 27-yard field goal with 3:39 left in the first half.

After a touchback, Young got the Panthers moving with a play-action rollout pass to Thielen for a gain of 16. A roughing the passer penalty on OLB Yaya Diaby advanced the Panthers to the Bucs' 34 and a one-yard run by Brooks brought on the two-minute warning. One incompletion and a false start later and the Panthers were facing a third-and-14. A completion to Thielen on a curl down the left hash marks got 11 back and the Bucs called a timeout at the 1:45 mark. Pineiro came out again to try a 45-yarder and this one hooked to the left.

The Bucs thus took over at their own 35 and quickly drew a 14-yard pass interference penalty on an attempted seam pass to Otton. Two more passes to Otton moved the chains but Mayfield's next throw, also to Otton on the sideline, was intercepted by CB Chau Smith-Wade and returned to the Carolina 43.

Two short completions moved the ball across midfield to the Bucs' 45 with 34 seconds left in the half. Two plays later, Young stood his ground in a collapsing pocket and got off a 19-yard pass to Tremble for 19 yards. The Panthers used their final timeout at the 0:23 mark. Moore got out of bounds on a quick out to the Bucs' 20, followed by a throwaway taking the ball down to the 14-second mark. Another out to Moore took the ball out of bounds at the Bucs' eight. Thielen couldn't quite haul in a hard pass in the back of the end zone, a ruling that stood after a replay review. Pineiro was good this time from 27 yards out and the Panthers took a three-point lead into the intermission.

The Bucs had the ball to start the second half and Mayfield rolled right on play action and found Evans for a gain of 10. White got four on a run up the middle but the Bucs gave five back with a false start. Two plays later, on third-and-nine, Mayfield fired in the direction of an open Evans but S Jordan Fuller leaped high to just tip it away. The Bucs punted the ball back to the Carolina 19.

Carolina got it close to midfield with one play, as Young hit Legette near the left sideline for a gain of 21. Hubbard burst up the middle for nine more on the next play. After moving the chains two plays later, Young tried to get the ball to TE Stephen Sullivan downfield but it was out of reach. It was third-and-seven moments later, and Legette couldn't hold on to a sliding catch on a slant. Carolina punted from the Bucs' 47 and Trey Palmer executed a fair catch at the 22.

A seven-yard run by Irving and a 12-yard catch by Evans in traffic made it first down at the 40, and Irving then avoided disaster by grabbing his own fumble on the bounce and even rushing forward for five. Mayfield tried to scramble on second down but couldn't quite get the corner as he was tripped up by OLB Amare Barno. Things got worse on the next play when LB Josey Jewell brought Mayfield down awkwardly on a seven-yard sack. Mayfield was very slow to get up but he did limp off the field under his own power. Gill's punt rolled to a stop at the Carolina 12 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

A pressure by Diaby on second down left Carolina in third-and-four and a great rush around the end by OLB Anthony Nelson resulted in a hit on Young and an incompletion. The resulting punt rolled to Tampa Bay's 33.

Trask came in for the first two plays and gave Irving the ball twice on a run and a pass for a total of nine yards. Mayfield then came back in but his first pass on third-and-one was intercepted by S Xavier Woods and returned to Tampa Bay's 20.

A nine-yard run around left end by Brooks was followed by another run for no gain thanks to a hard stop by David. On third down, Young somehow got a pass off with DL Will Gholston hanging on him and it resulted in a first down at the Bucs' six. Two more Brooks runs amounted to just two yards, and Young's rollout pass on third down was well-defended and incomplete out of the back of the end zone. Pineiro's 22-yard field goal was good, pushing the Panthers' lead to six points with 19 seconds left in the third quarter.

After a kickoff return out to the 31 by Rakim Jarrett, Irving got four yards on the last play of the period. After the teams switched sides, Irving took a toss right and cut up for just enough to move the chains. Two more Irving runs got a total of 12 yards and got the ball over midfield. Mayfield then faked a handoff to Irving, who leaked out to the right and eventually was the target on a 12-yard catch-and-run. Two plays later, Irving took another run to the right and made several quick cuts to get the ball down to the 22 for a first down. Three plays later, on third-and-six, Mayfield threw a tunnel screen to Shepard who picked his way through traffic to the six-yard line. Irving got the ball again on first down and dashed diagonally to his left to find the end zone untouched. Chase McLaughlin's extra point gave the Bucs a one-point lead with nine minutes to go.

Tampa Bay's defense then came up with a big three-and-out beginning with a nine-yard sack by Kancey on first down. On third-and-10, Nelson hit Young as he threw and CB Zyon McCollum made a diving breakup before the ball could get to Legette. The resulting punt was fair caught by Palmer at the Bucs' 25 with 7:18 left.

Two Irving runs picked up seven yards, and Mayfield went to Evans on a quick slant to move the chains. Two plays later, Irving bounced a run out to the right, stiff-armed a would-be tackler and dashed downfield for a gain of 43 yards to the 11. From there, the Bucs got it to third-and-one but White was forced outside on a third-down run and eventually dropped for a loss of six. McLaughlin came in to kick a 26-yard field goal for a four-point lead.

Gill's ensuing kickoff landed short of the landing zone, leading to a touchback that put the ball at the Carolina 40. Hubbard converted a third-and-three on Hubbard's three-yard run, and Moore got nine on a short pass on the next play. The Bucs forced another third-and-one but the Panthers converted when Hubbard took a short pass and was able to just extend the ball past the line. An incompletion stopped the clock with 49 seconds left, and Young then found Tremble over the middle for a 14-yard gain to the Bucs' 25. Carolina used their last time out at the 36-second mark. After the break, Young stepped up under pressure and found Thielen wide open for a go-ahead touchdown.

The Bucs got the ball back with 30 seconds left and all three timeouts. Mayfield fired a 17-yard pass to Evans and the first time out was spent at the 0:23 mark. An incompletion took four seconds off the clock. Mayfield scrambled for 10 yards to the Carolina 43 and then completed a five-yard pass to Shepard. After a second timeout, Mayfield and Shepard hooked up again for five more. The final timeout was spent with a second left, setting up a 51-yard field goal. McLaughlin calmly nailed it to send the game to overtime. The Buccaneers won the coin toss and got the first possession of the extra period.

A personal foul on Carolina on the kickoff to start overtime allowed the Bucs to start at their own 34. After a four-yard White run, Mayfield found McMillan cutting over the middle and delivered it for a gain of 22 to the Carolina 40. Mayfield took a sack two plays later to put the Bucs into a third-and-14 and a short pass to Otton got just seven yards and McLaughlin's 55-yard try sailed wide left.

Thielen made an incredible one-handed catch to convert a third-and-five and get the ball to the Bucs' 34, but Nelson forced a fumble by Hubbard on the next snap and Diaby fell on it at the Bucs' 29. Two plays later, Mayfield found Evans for a gain of 21 to the Carolina 48. Bowles then used his first timeout of overtime with 3:44 left in the period. After the clock stoppage, White took a carry around right end and broke free for a 38-yard gain to the Panthers' 10. Mayfield took a knee to position the kick and McLaughlin drilled the 30-yarder for a dramatic Bucs win.