The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won in dramatic fashion on Sunday in an NFC South battle with the Carolina Panthers, 26-23 in overtime. The Bucs' victory improved their record to 6-6 and put them in a tie with the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the division.
Chase McLaughlin hit a 30-yard field goal with 2:13 left in overtime to ice the win for the Buccaneers. McLaughlin had missed a 55-yarder on the Bucs' first possession in the extra period after sending the game to overtime with a 51-yard kick as time expired in regulation. After the missed 55-yarder, the Panthers took over at the 45-yard line. Anthony Nelson turned the tide. He tackled Chuba Hubbard and forced a fumble in the process. Yaya Diaby recovered the football at Tampa Bay's 29, putting Mayfield and company back on the field.
"We found a way to win," said Baker 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."
Offensive View
The Buccaneers scored 10 points in the fourth frame to take a four-point lead. Rookie running back Bucky Irving scored on a six-yard run and his 43-yard rush on Tampa Bay's ensuing drive set up McLaughlin's 26-yard field goal. On the touchdown play off a counter run, Ko Kieft and Payne Durham pulled as the lead blockers to create the crease for Irving. However, Carolina then orchestrated a 60-yard drive that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Adam Thielen and a three-point advantage for the home team. On the 43-yarder, Durham executed a crisscross block inside to help spring Irving for the explosive run. Baker Mayfield threw a 17-yard pass to Mike Evans and scrambled for 10 yards to get the Bucs into range for McLaughlin's game-tying kick.
Irving posted a season-best 185 yards from scrimmage (152 rushing, 33 receiving), in addition to scoring a rushing touchdown. It was his third game this season with 100-plus yards from scrimmage – tied for the second-most such games among rookies this season. Irving has recorded consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage – the only rookie to accomplish that feat this season and the first since Miles Sanders in 2019. Over the past 10 seasons, Irving joins Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Sanders as the only rookies to record consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. Irving now has the two highest scrimmage yard totals by a rookie this season and has done so in consecutive weeks.
Mayfield completed 21 of 33 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His favorite target was Evans, who recently returned from a hamstring injury and caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Whether a double-move off a release on a corner route or an in-cut for a first down, Evans helped set the tone. His highlight-reel one-handed grab off a fade in the first quarter provided the Buccaneers with a 7-0 lead. From second-and-goal, after Evans' drew a defensive pass interference penalty on Mike Jackson that provided a fresh set of downs, Evans' fended off Jaycee Horn (inside leverage) with his left hand and made a spectacular grab with his right, while managing to get both feet down in bounds. A 21-yard gain off a bubble screen by Sterling Shepard and a slippery run by Irving/wham block by Cade Otton helped set up the touchdown.
Defensive Outlook
Anthony Nelson's crucial forced fumble may end up being the turning point of the year for Tampa Bay in the division hunt. Nelson was thrust into a larger role with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out with an ankle injury. In addition to the takeaway in overtime, he notched six tackles and three quarterback hits on Young. Yaya Diaby also recorded three hits on Young and six tackles, and Calijah Kancey snagged a takedown.
Kancey notched his sixth sack of the season against Young, and his fifth over the past four games. His 5.0 sacks since Week Nine are tied for the fourth-most in the NFL during that span. His 6.0 sacks are the second-most among players with 350-or-fewer defensive snaps played this season, trailing only Aidan Hutchinson (7.5). The Panthers' signal-caller consistently used his legs to escape pressure as the Bucs' unit struggled with lane integrity and Young found his targets downfield. Young completed 26 of 46 passes for 298 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
