The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one more chance to extend their season beyond Week 18, with the 2-14 Carolina Panthers standing in the way of a third straight NFC South title. The Buccaneers will head to Charlotte over the weekend to face the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium; the game will be played Sunday, January 7 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX.
The Buccaneers had a chance to clinch the division in Week 17 but dropped a 23-13 decision to the New Orleans Saints, in the process snapping a four-game winning streak that had put them in the driver's seat. Still, the Bucs know that a win over the Panthers in Week 18 will achieve that goal regardless of the outcome of the Saints' season finale against the Falcons. If both the Buccaneers and Saints, who split their season series, win over the weekend to go to 9-8, Tampa Bay will come out on top thanks to a better record against common opponents.
The Panthers absorbed their 14th loss in Week 17, getting blanked 26-0 on the road by the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, that came on the heels of a Week 15 win over Atlanta and a strong performance in a last-second loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, had perhaps his best game as a pro yet, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. In Sunday's loss to Jacksonville, Young was sacked six times and threw for just 112 yards with one interception.
The Buccaneers and Panthers met at Raymond James Stadium in Week, with the home team holding off a late Carolina rally to secure a 21-18 victory. A Chuba Hubbard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion cut the lead to three points in the fourth quarter and the Panthers had the ball for one more scoring opportunity before safety Antoine Winfield Jr. sealed the win with an interception near midfield.
