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.
