The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could run on Sunday at Bank of America, but at the end of the day they couldn't hide from the consequences of a 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Buccaneers and Panthers came into the game tied at 7-7 each and atop the NFC South, but the home team finished the day with a one-game lead in the division with two weeks left in the regular season. Rookie K Ryan Fitzgerald's 48-yard field goal with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter provided the winning points, and the Buccaneers' final attempt at a comeback ended on the only turnover of the game, an interception by rookie S Lathan Ransom with 42 seconds left and the ball in Carolina's half off of the field.
The Bucs fell to 7-8 while Carolina improved to 8-7 after winning for the third time in the last five weeks.
"We know we're at right now," said quarterback Baker Mayfield. "We've got to win out to win the division and get in the playoffs. It's as clear as it can be. Wish we would have taken care of business today, but the situation doesn't change. It sucks. Too many penalties on offense today. We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot. We've got to finish with seven points in the red zone instead of three. Same story, different day."
Head Coach Todd Bowles note that the interception was the product of miscommunication between Mayfield and Mike Evans, and Mayfield explained that Evans had believed that the quarterback was about to take off on a scramble. Mayfield had already run four times for 49 yards in the game, including a 26-yard jaunt that kick-started that final drive.
"Unfortunately, it was [miscommunication]," said Mayfield of the interception play. "I was trying to find a lane to step through and make a throw to him and he thought I was going to scramble, which based on some of the scrambles earlier today, you can't blame him. It's just a sucky situation."
The Buccaneers and Panthers will meet again in Week 18 in Tampa, and the NFC South title could still be on the line. Despite the loss, the Buccaneers can still capture a fifth straight division title by winning their last two games, at Miami next Sunday and then against the Panthers one more time.
"We understand that," said Bowles. "The biggest thing is our confidence is good, camaraderie is good and that's high but that's not enough right now. It's the execution that we're lacking and missing a few things here or there. We shot ourselves in the foot enough today to lose this ballgame by three. And we understand that…we definitely understand that. We've got to take it one day at a time and, again, I think the guys are accountable, the coaches are accountable. We're going to load up, we're going to come back Monday and hopefully in two weeks we get a chance to see them again and play for something.
The Buccaneers succeeded in running the ball against Carolina's defense, gaining 169 yards on the ground and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. However, the passing attack wasn't nearly effective, as Mayfield threw for 145 yards on 18-of-26 passing, much of it in the fourth quarter. The only completion of more than 13 yards on the day for Tampa Bay was a 40-yard grab by rookie WR Emeka Egbuka that gave the Bucs a potential go-ahead scoring opportunity midway through the final period. However, the drive stalled outside of field goal range and the Bucs had to punt, with Carolina taking the ensuing possession down for the game-winning score.
Bucky Irving led the rushing attack with 71 yards on 19 carries and Sean Tucker scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter that gave Tampa Bay a short-lived 17-13 lead. Rachaad White added 45 yards on five totes.
The game Tampa Bay's third straight loss by four points or less after consecutive home defeats to the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons by scores of 24-20 and 29-28, respectively. After a 6-2 start to the season, the Buccaneers have lost six of their last seven to fall a game below .500.
WR Kameron Johnson helped keep the Bucs in the game with kickoff returns of 39 and 43 yards to set up short fields. Those were Tampa Bay's two longest kickoff returns of the 2025 season. The two ensuing drives resulted in 10 points, including a 50-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin that tied the game at 20-20 early in the fourth quarter. It was McLaughlin's 11th made field in 11 attempts from 50 yards and beyond this season, as he set an all-time NFL record for most consecutive 50+-yard field goals in a single season.
However, there was also a very damaging special teams sequence after the Buccaneers had fallen behind, 23-20, late in fourth quarter. Carolina's kickoff was allowed to hit the ground in the landing zone and bounce into the end zone for a touchback that puts the ball at the 20 instead of the 35. In addition, a personal foul called on rookie LB John Bullock pushed it all the way back to the 10-yard line. The Bucs' offense still managed to get the ball into Carolina territory but the drive ended on the interception by Ransom.
Tampa Bay's defense held the Panthers to 275 total yards and 16 first downs but had a crucial letdown just before halftime when rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan got behind CB Jamel Dean to catch a 22-yard touchdown from Bryce Young against a heavy blitz. Carolina had no timeouts left and just 12 seconds on the clock at the snap. Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
"They got behind Dean before the half, which can't happen," said Bowles. "No timeouts – they have to throw it inbounds and they have to throw it out of the end zone. He should have been back and made that play; he did not make it."
LBs Lavonte David and SirVocea Dennis led the Bucs' defense with 10 and eight tackles, respectively, and each had a sack. Rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish turned in five tackles and had two pass breakups, including one in the end zone. Tampa Bay did not get much pressure on Young otherwise, and when they did he was able to escape the pocket or get off quick throws.
"The ball was coming out quick with some empties and some things like that," said Bowles. "The pressure we did get, we missed the quarterback on one on the touchdown. When the pressure was there, the ball was coming out so fast, but we've got to make some plays in the pass rush and getting back there."
While the Buccaneers won the yardage battle and only turned the ball over once, they hurt themselves with eight penalties, including a handful of false starts that kept the offense off-schedule.
"False starts were a problem were a problem," said Bowles. "You can't start first-and-15 every drive and expect to overcome that offensively. We did some good things but there were too many penalties that hurt us and shot ourselves in the foot."
The Bucs kicked off to start the game with McLaughlin driving it through the end zone for a touchback. CB Jamel Dean broke up Young's first pass and David made a quick tackle on a dumpoff to Dowdle to make it a quick third-and-long, but Young kept the drive alive with a hard pass through traffic to McMillan for a gain of 11. The Panthers then broke off two long runs in a row, the first an end-around by WR Jimmy Horn Jr. that he found the corner on for a gain of 25, and the second a blast up the middle by Dowdle for 13 to the Bucs' 13. Tampa Bay's defense then got the Panthers into a third-and-three and got the stop when OLB Chris Braswell kept Hubbard from getting around the left edge. Rookie K Ryan Fitzgerald came on to start the scoring with a 27-yard field goal.
Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 0 – 10:30 left in the first quarter
WR Kameron Johnson gave the Bucs good field position for their first drive by returning Carolina's kickoff 37 yards to the Tampa Bay 47. Irving got the first handoff and made one cut to find a gap for a gain of six into Panthers territory, and a similar play on second down got six more to the 41-yard line. Two plays later, Mayfield ripped a seam pass to Evans for a gain of 13 to the 27. However, an Irving run and a tunnel screen to Godwin were both stopped quickly for a net of one yard. On third-and-nine, McMillan caught a short pass, briefly bobbled it and then eluded several tacklers to get 10 yards and a first down at the 16. A Tucker sweep left earned three yards, after which Irving crashed up the middle and weaved through the defense to put the ball within inches of the goal line. With Evans isolated out to the right in one-on-one coverage, Mayfield chose the signature fade pass and Evans plucked it over the defender for the one-yard score.
Tampa Bay 7, Carolina 3 – 4:01 left in the first quarter
After another touchback OLB Yaya Diaby stopped Dowdle for a gain of one and Young hit TE Mitchell Evans in the left flat for a gain of five. On third-and-four, Young took a shotgun snap but handed off underneath to Hubbard, who shot forward for a gain of 10 and a first down. Young tripped in his dropback on the next play and got up just in time to be overwhelmed by Dennis for an eight-yard sack. Vita Vea tipped the next pass at the line, making it third-and-15. The pass rush got to Young quickly on third down and he settled for a swing pass out to the right to TE Ja'Tavion Sanders that gained only three. Johnson fair caught the ensuing pass at the Bucs' 10.
Irving pounded over left tackle for three yards to start Tampa Bay's second drive and bring the first quarter to an end. After the teams switched sides, Irving got another carry that he took within inches of the sticks, and a third that just got the ball past the line to gain. White came in and got the next handoff, exploiting a seam over left guard to get into the open field for a gain of 39. A hands-to-the-face penalty on Carolina was tacked onto the end, putting the ball at the Panthers' 34. Three plays later, Mayfield tried to get the ball to Evans on a deep out to the right but CB Mike Jackson was able to leap and deflect it away at the last moment. McLaughlin came on to knock a 48-yard field goal just over the crossbar but Carolina was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the kick and the 15-yard walk off made it first down at the 15. Mayfield then put the ball into White's stomach on a zone-read and the back went up the middle for three yards. Irving's second-down carry tacked on only three more, but Godwin sat down in a zone hole on third-and-four and Mayfield zipped a pass into his hands for a first down at the four. Runs by White and Tucker took the ball down to the two and the Bucs brought in a jumbo package with Vita Vea and extra lineman Benjamin Chukwuma in the backfield. Tucker got another handoff but was immediately bottled up, and his attempt to reverse field and get around the right edge ended up in a loss of three. McLaughlin came on and again and re-added the three-points on a 23-yard shot.
Tampa Bay 10, Carolina 3 – 8:09 left in the second quarter
McLaughlin drilled another touchback, and Evans bounced off a tackler to get eight yards on a first-down catch. Young was on target to Legette on a post on the next snap but the receiver bobbled the ball and it eventually hit the ground. On third-and-two, the Panthers went over the top to McMillan down the right sideline but he was well-covered and wasn't able to bring it in. Sam Martin hit a line drive punt to Johnson that the returner was able to get back to the Bucs' 21-yard line at the midway point of the second quarter.
An Irving run got just one yard, and an illegal blindside block call on C Graham Barton erased a nice completion to Irving and put the ball all the way back at the 12. A quick pass to TE Cade Otton in the right flat was good for only six and Mayfield was sacked back at the nine by LB Christian Rozeboom on third-and-long. Riley Dixon's first punt of the game was fielded at the Panthers' 49 by Trevor Etienne, who got 12 yards to the Bucs' 39.
Two plays into the ensuing drive Young had time to throw and eventually found McMillan down the middle for a gain of 17 to the 23. OLB Haason Reddick tapped Dowdle down for no gain on first down and Parrish ran step for step with McMillan into the end zone to knock down a pass on second down. McMillan went over to the right side on third down and ran a route down the sideline with Morrison in tight coverage. It went out of bounds incomplete and the Panthers sent out Fitzgerald to drill a second three-pointer, this one from 41 yards out.
Tampa Bay 10, Carolina 6 – 2:06 left in the second quarter
Tucker's kickoff return out to the Bucs' 33 brought on the two-minute warning. White started the drive in the backfield and got three yards over left guard on first down. An early snap seemed to catch Mayfield by surprise on second down and the play broke down quickly, turning into an incompletion over the middle. Third-and-seven became third-and-12 due to a false start, and the third-down play didn't go any better, leading to a punt with 1:17 left on the first-half clock. Dixon's second punt was returned by Etienne to the Carolina 37.
A short pass out to the right to McMillan picked up eight and a handoff to Dowdle earned a first down at the Carolina 48. After a Panthers timeout stopped the clock at 43 seconds, Young tried to hit Legette on a quick out but it was incomplete. His next pass to Legette worked better, with the receiver getting out of bounds at the Bucs' 40. A short pass to Dowdle took it to the 38 and the Panthers used their second timeout. Young found WR Jalen Coker in the left flat for eight yards to the 30 and Carolina burned its final timeout with 18 seconds left. A short pass to Dowdle only used up six seconds and gained seven. On the next snap, Young tried another end zone lob to McMillan and this time it worked as Dean got turned around and McMillan easily hauled it in for the go-ahead score.
Carolina 13, Tampa 10 – 0:07 left in the second quarter
There were two seconds on the clock after Tucker's kickoff return and the offense came out to kneel out the clock.
The Buccaneers got the ball first in the second half, with Johnson getting it out to the 34. A play-action rollout pass to WR Tez Johnson didn't work as Jackson closed in quickly to drop him for a loss of one. After an Irving run made it third-and-seven, Mayfield escaped the pocket and was able to sprint all the way to the Carolina 40 for a gain of 23. Irving's next run up the middle worked to the tune of six yards, and his next run left the ball just shy of the line to gain. Mayfield gave it to Irving again on third down and he was able to lunge his way for the first down at the 29. An outlet pass to White and a run up the middle by Irving left the Bucs in a third-and-four and Mayfield converted with a perfectly-placed out to Godwin on the right sideline. A McMillan end-around initially looked promising but was stopped after a gain of just one. On third down, Mayfield went through his progressions and eventually found a wide-open White, who took the ball down to the one. Mayfield tried to get a second fade pass in to Evans in the end zone but this one was incomplete. Mayfield targeted Evans again on the next play and the play drew a pass-interference call to make it first-and-goal inside the one-yard line. This time, the Bucs ran the ball and Tucker was able to walk in after bouncing his carry out to the left.
Tampa Bay 17, Carolina 13 – 6:41 left in the third quarter
Another touchback put Carolina back at its 35, though a false start before the first snap moved it back to the 30. A Young scramble bit off eight of the 15 needed yards, and Hubbard swept left and found the edge for 10 on the next play. Young scrambled again on the next play but just before crossing the line of scrimmage he was able to dump it off to Evans for another gain of 10 into Bucs territory. DL Logan Hall flushed Young with a near sack on the next play but the quarterback was still able to pick up four yards. A pass down the line to McMillan left the Panthers in a third-and-one and McMillan managed to catch a quick pass for 11 yards despite having Morrison all over him. Young kept it on a zone-read on the next play and got the right edge for a pickup of nine to the Bucs' 17. Hubbard got the first down at the 11 on the next play. Parrish made a great play to break up pass to Coker in the end zone on first down and David wrapped Hubbard up after a gain of five on second down. On third-and-five, the Bucs' pass rush got to Young almost immediately but he somehow escaped and started scrambling. With the Bucs' defense converging on him, he suddenly put the ball up to Sanders, who was wide open in the end zone for the go-ahead score.
Carolina 20, Tampa Bay 17 – 0:08 left in the fourth quarter
Johnson gave the Bucs a boost with his second long kickoff return of the day, this time, dashing to the right sideline and up the field for 43 yards to the Panthers' 43. That was the final play of the third quarter. A false start cost the offense five yards before first down, and Irving got those and one more back on a first-down run. Godwin made a lunging grab of a pass over the middle for a first down at the Carolina 29, and Irving's next carry was good for five. Mayfield kept the ball on a zone-read on second down but had to go to the ground in front of a gang of defenders after gaining just one yard. Mayfield was then sacked back at the 32, setting up a 50-yard field goal attempt. McLaughlin split the uprights to tie the game with 11 and a half minutes left.
Tampa Bay 20, Carolina 20 – 11:24 left in the fourth quarter
Tampa Bay's defense was able to get a stop after allowing one first down. After Hubbard's three-yard run made it first-and-10 at the Carolina 46, David and Dennis broke through for a nine-yard sack. On third-and-19, another quick pass rush flushed Young and he eventually dumped the ball off to Hubbard for a gain of seven. Johnson fair caught Martin's punt at the Bucs' 12 with eight minutes left in regulation.
A nice Mayfield scramble was erased by a holding call, moving the ball back to the six. Mayfield threw quickly to McMillan on first-and-16 but he went down to the ground to make the catch with a gain of just five. On second down, with the pocket starting to collapse on him, Mayfield got off a deep post pass to Egbuka for a big gain of 40 yards to the Carolina 49. However, Irving was met in the backfield for a loss of two on the next play and Mayfield's second-down pass in Evans' direction was well-defended and incomplete. A delay of game penalty cost the Bucs five more yards but actually erased a third-down sack. On third-and-17, Mayfield tried to get the ball to Godwin just past the sticks but the ball hit the ground and the Bucs had to punt with five minutes left. A holding penalty on the Bucs on the punt, which was nearly blocked, added 10 yards to the Panthers' field position, putting the ball at the Carolina 27.
The Bucs' defense got Carolina into a quick third-and-four thanks to Hall's quick reaction to a screen to Dowdle, but Young went over the top on third down and Coker caught it down the right sideline for a gain of 34 to the Bucs' 33. Two Dowdle runs made it third-and-seven at the 30 and the Bucs used their first timeout at the 2:28 mark. Yaya Diaby pressured Young quickly on third down and his hurried pass fell incomplete. Fitzgerald then gave Carolina a three-point lead with a 48-yard field goal.
Carolina 23, Tampa Bay 20 – 2:20 left in the fourth quarter
After the unfortunate kickoff sequence that forced the Bucs to start at their own 10-yard line, Mayfield completed a six-yard pass to Evans that brought on the two-minute warning. A 26-yard scramble by Mayfield got the ball all the way out to Tampa Bay's 42-yard line, and three plays later a catch over the middle by Cade Otton converted a third-and-four and got the ball across midfield. A six-yard catch by Evans and a false start made it second-and-nine at the Carolina 37, and that's where the drive came to an end. Evans and Mayfield were not on the same page on the next play, as Mayfield's pass went directly to Ransom instead for the game-sealing pick.
