Carolina Panthers Hold On in Win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Take Control of NFC South
In the first of two matchups over these next three weeks, the Carolina Panthers got the better of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a close 23-20 finish in Charlotte on Sunday. The Panthers’ win puts them comfortably in first place in the NFC South for the time being.
Bryce Young Delivers in the Clutch Yet Again
When talking about career revivals, there’s perhaps been no better example of that than what Panthers QB Bryce Young has done this season for Carolina. In the biggest game of his career to this point, Young put on his Superman cape to carry the Panthers to another clutch win.
The Former Heisman winner finished with 191 yards passing and two touchdowns as Young thoroughly outdueled Bucs star QB Baker Mayfield in the win. In his 14 career wins in his career, Young has managed to lead the Panthers to a game-winning drive in 12 of those wins now. Young also holds the record for the youngest QB ever to reach 12 career game-winning drives in NFL history.
Carolina Panthers Run Balanced Offense to Perfection Against Bucs
After struggling mightily to find any traction on offense in their loss against the New Orleans Saints last week, the Panthers were able to find their rhythm on offense today. That rhythm was evident in the run game, as over 5 Panthers players finished with 20-plus yards on the ground.
The receiving game also saw the usual players for Carolina have a massive impact on the game. Star rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan continued to showcase his big-play ability, finishing with 6 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, with that score coming on a 22-yard catch to give the Panthers a 13-10 lead heading into halftime.
Panthers second-year receiver Jalen Coker also put together a solid performance for Carolina in the win. Coker finished with 3 catches for 47 yards, while also securing a clutch 34-yard grab to get the Panthers in range for the game-winning field goal in the final two minutes.
Buccaneers Season Collapse Almost Complete
After starting the season at a solid 6-2 and holding a commanding lead in the NFC South division race, the Buccaneers are now one more loss from losing both the division and a playoff spot. This latest loss moved the Bucs to a dreadful 1-6 in their last seven games.
After starting the season on a heater to put himself squarely in the MVP race, Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has cooled off drastically since then. In his last 7 starts for Tampa Bay, the former Oklahoma Sooner has only managed to throw for 200 yards in a game twice during that span.
Much of the Bucs’ and Mayfield’s struggles during this part of the season can be traced to the plethora of injuries that have now caught up to them. Some of those injuries hit key players, such as receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan missing a large portion of the season, and starting running back Bucky Irving falling prey to the injury bug as well.
Carolina Panthers in Firm Control of Their Playoff Destiny
In a turnaround season for the ages, the Carolina Panthers are now a win away from securing their first playoff berth since 2017, and their first NFC South division title since 2015. While the Panthers can breathe a little bit easier for a bit, the last two games will perhaps be the two biggest games for the franchise in a long time.
Before they face off against the Buccaneers again in the regular season finale in two weeks, the Carolina Panthers will have a chance to clinch the division next week at home against the 12-3 Seattle Seahawks. That game will be the second time in four games that the Panthers have faced off against the NFC’s number-one-seeded team, with the Panthers upsetting the then 9-3 Los Angeles Rams in a close 31-28 finish three weeks ago.
