The Panthers took a step toward making the playoffs for the first time since 2017 by beating the Buccaneers 23-20 on Sunday, but the focus in the locker room after the game was on the steps they still need to take.
A win over the Seahawks at home in Week 17 is not enough to clinch the NFC South by itself. If the Buccaneers win in Miami, the Panthers’ playoff hopes will come down to their Week 18 game in Tampa and that’s why quarterback Bryce Young wants the team to keep its celebration brief before they turn their attention back to the task at hand.
“Yeah, it feels great, and it’ll feel great for the next 24 hours,” Young said, via the team’s website. “After that, it’s not going to matter. This is what, Week 16? That’s not when the playoffs start. So there’s still a lot more work to be done. There’s still a lot more football to be played. Again, 24-hour rule, we’ll celebrate this one, but we know that we have to refocus.”
The biggest reason why the Panthers have not put the division away already is because they have not won consecutive games since a three-game win streak moved them to 4-3 in October. That’s kept the Bucs alive while they’ve lost six of their last seven games and this would be an ideal time for the Panthers to show the kind of consistency that has eluded them over the last couple of months.
The Panthers control their destiny in the NFC South.
Safety Lathan Ransom made up for a costly penalty in Week 15 by picking Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield off with 42 seconds left to play in Sunday’s game. The pick sealed a 23-20 win for the Panthers and gave them a leg up on the Bucs in the divisional race heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Panthers will host the Seahawks next Sunday while the Bucs take on the Dolphins, so the odds will be against Carolina slamming the door on the Bucs before the two teams renew acquaintances in Week 18. This is now seven wins for the Panthers as an underdog, however, and counting them out seems unwise given how shaky the Bucs have been while losing six of their last seven games.
Bryce Young was instrumental to Sunday’s win. The Panthers quarterback threw a pair of touchdowns and did not turn the ball over while also running four times for 20 yards. His biggest completion was a 34-yard strike to wide receiver Jalen Coker to set up Ryan FitzPatrick’s go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter and he also showed impressive agility in avoiding coverage on a touchdown pass to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders earlier in the second half.
First-round wideout Tetairoa McMillan had the other touchdown and moved closer to 1,000 yards on the season with six catches for 73 yards.
The Bucs had an edge in time of possession and offensive plays, but they were hampered by eight penalties and leaky protection that kept Mayfield under pressure for much of the afternoon. That only resulted in two sacks, but the Bucs were not able to make much happen through the air over the course of another disappointing afternoon.
Given the depths of their slide, it’s hard to feel overly confident about their chances of winning either of their remaining games. If they don’t, there will likely be questions about whether it is time for bigger changes in Tampa before the 2026 season gets underway.
The Buccaneers moved back into the lead on their first possession of the third quarter, but they weren’t on top for long.
Bryce Young wriggled away from pressure on a third down and stayed alive long enough to flip a six-yard pass to a wide-open Ja’Tavion Sanders in the end zone. The tight end’s score made it 20-17 with eight seconds to play in the third quarter.
It wasn’t the only time that Young used his legs on the drive. He had three runs for 21 yards to go with a pair of passes to rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan as the Panthers moved 65 yards in 11 plays.
The Bucs will have to answer or the Panthers will move into Week 17 with the inside track on the division title in the NFC South.
The Buccaneers scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession of Sunday’s game against the Panthers and they’re back in the lead after doing the same to start the second half.
Running back Sean Tucker scored from a yard out and the Buccaneers now lead 17-13 with 6:41 to play in the third quarter.
The Bucs tried a pair of passes to wide receiver Mike Evans from the 1-yard line and Evans drew a pass interference flag on the second one to give them a fresh set of downs. Tucker’s score capped a 14-play, 66-yard drive that saw Baker Mayfield pick up a key first down with a 23-yard scramble against a Carolina blitz.
The Bucs have ruled edge rusher Anthony Nelson out with a knee injury, so the rest of the defense will have to make the lead stand up if the Bucs are going to end the day in first place in the NFC South.
The Panthers needed most of the first half to find their way to the end zone, but getting there was enough to send them into halftime with a lead over the Buccaneers.
Quarterback Bryce Young and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan hooked up for a 22-yard score with seven seconds left in the first half to give the Panthers a 13-10 lead in the battle for first place in the NFC South.
The touchdown capped a strong final drive for Young. He was 6-of-7 to lead the Panthers 63 yards and finished the half 12-of-20 for 107 yards. McMillan has four catches for 57 yards and the touchdown was the seventh of the first-round pick’s rookie season.
Baker Mayfield opened Tampa’s scoring with a one-yard touchdown to Mike Evans and the Bucs drove for a field goal on their second possession, but back-to-back three-and-outs left the door open for the Panthers to move into the lead. Mayfield has only thrown 10 passes through 30 minutes and opening things up in the second half may be a must if the Bucs want to win this one.
They’ll get the ball to kick off the second half, so we’ll find out soon if that’s an adjustment they make in the locker room.
