The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, as the Carolina Panthers extended their own run to eight straight victories with a 27-6 decision. Panthers QB Cam Newton ran for 68 yards, including a 56-yard scramble in the first quarter that set up the game's first touchdown, and threw scoring passes to Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn, Jr. Newton also scored on a one-yard dive on fourth-and-goal just before halftime.
The Buccaneers came into the game having committed just one giveaway in their last four games combined, but Carolina forced two turnovers and turned them into 10 points. Rookie QB Mike Glennon's unfortunate fumble in the second quarter – the ball simply slipped backwards out of his grasp on a third-and-goal pass attempt – proved to be the game's turning point. Instead of taking the lead in what was a 7-6 ballgame, the Bucs instead saw Carolina score the game's next 20 points.
The Bucs had difficulty sustaining any offense against the NFL's first-ranked scoring defense. QB MikeGlennon completed 14 of 21 attempts for 180 yards but, for the first time in his nine NFL starts, did not throw a touchdown pass. RB Bobby Rainey ran hard between the tackles but the Bucs' rushing attack generated just 66 yards on the day.
Carolina completed a two-game sweep of the season series with Tampa Bay and improved to 9-3. The Buccaneers fell to 3-9 on the season.
