Buccaneers beat Panthers in OT behind Chase McLaughlin's heroics, tie Falcons for NFC South lead: Takeaways

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6), thanks to a pair of crunchtime field goals by Chase McLaughlin, survived a wild affair against a longtime rival to come away with a 26-23 overtime road win over the Carolina Panthers (3-9) on Sunday.

An inspired showing from the reeling Panthers gave quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs all they could handle in a back-and-forth contest that came down to the last few possessions. Down 16-10 following a 13-10 halftime deficit, the run-heavy Buccaneers jumped to a four-point lead with a touchdown from standout rookie Bucky Irving and a field goal before Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, amid a solid showing, led a shocking nine-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to move Carolina ahead 23-20 with 30 seconds to play.

Carolina’s lead would be short-lived, however. Mayfield, who survived a third-quarter injury scare, drove Tampa Bay downfield to position McLaughlin for a 51-yarder to send the game into overtime. A promising Panthers drive, highlighted by an impressive Adam Thielen one-hand grab, ended with a Chuba Hubbard fumble, paving the way for an eventual game-winning McLaughlin 30-yarder.

McLaughlin’s heroics spoiled Young’s near-game-winning series while saving a monster day for Irving, who tallied a career-best 152 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries with three catches for 33 yards. Young showed more flashes of his future as a possible bonafide starter en route to 298 yards and a TD, including a career-high 186-yard first half, in a matchup more about pride than playoff hopes for Carolina.

With their Week 13 win, the Bucs are in position to secure a fourth-straight NFC South title after tying the Atlanta Falcons (6-6) for the division lead.

Bucs prevail after Mayfield injury scare

Mayfield endured a brief injury scare and a hiccup upon returning to the field before helping the Bucs win the game. After missing two plays in the third quarter with an apparent right foot/ankle injury, he threw an interception on his first play back.

Mayfield then led the Buccaneers on scoring drives on four of their final five possessions, including overtime. With Dave Canales — the Bucs’ offensive coordinator in 2023 during Mayfield’s bounce-back year — on the other sideline, Mayfield’s numbers weren’t the prettiest. But he made a couple of throws down the stretch but mostly kept handing the ball to Irving, who carved up the Carolina defense in the fourth quarter.

Mayfield finished with 235 yards, a TD and two interceptions while top target receiver Mike Evans logged eight catches for 118 yards and a score for his first 100-yard game of the season. — Joe Person, Panthers beat writer

Panthers fall short again after another near upset

For the second consecutive week, the Panthers gave a visiting team a scare but couldn’t come away with the win. After Young led the Panthers to a go-ahead touchdown late in regulation, the Bucs tied it with a field goal to force overtime.

The Panthers were in field goal position in the extra period, but Hubbard was stripped by Anthony Nelson and the Bucs’ Yaya Diaby recovered at the Tampa Bay 29. The Bucs quickly drove into Panthers’ territory before McLaughlin won it with his leg, the second week in a row the Panthers fell on a walk-off field goal after dropping a 30-27 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs last week in Charlotte. — Person

Carolina’s red-zone problems persist in winnable game

The Panthers’ offense is, at least, getting into scoring position behind Young. The bad news? They came away with too many field goals in close losses the past two weeks.

The Panthers had 10 red-zone opportunities in those two games, resulting in six field goals, three touchdowns and one missed field goal. In the second half Sunday, Canales went away from Hubbard — the team’s leading rusher and a tough, red-zone runner — in favor of rookie Jonathon Brooks, who was playing in his second NFL game after returning from ACL surgery. Brooks had touches on five consecutive plays before an incompletion brought on kicker Eddy Piñeiro for a short field goal. — Person

Required reading

(Photo: Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)





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About The Author

Fannie Hogan is a writer and editor who covers lifestyle, books, sports, education, and tech. She's always loved to write—from the time she was a little girl writing stories about talking animals to the day she got her first job as an editor at a lifestyle magazine. Her hobbies include long walks on the beach, running, and taking breaks from work to read a good book.

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