QB Baker Mayfield's TD and Tampa Bay's clutch defense keep the Bucs' playoff hopes alive in a 16-14 win over Carolina.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost all of the first 26 games they ever played.
Tampa’s most recent losing streak wasn’t nearly as long, but it felt like it.
A four-game losing streak is hardly historic, but the way the Bucs lost those games — all four by one possession — made it feel like an eternity.
On Tampa Bay’s first game of 2026, the team ground out a 16-14 win in pouring rain over the Carolina Panthers (8-9) to improve to 8-9 and stay alive in the NFC South race.
The Bucs drew first blood a little more than five minutes into the game, with quarterback Baker Mayfield hitting tight end Cade Otton for an 18-yard touchdown.
Tampa added on later in the first quarter on a Chase McLaughlin 29-yard field goal, which pushed the lead to double digits.
Carolina answered in the second quarter, with TE Tommy Tremble catching an 8-yard TD pass from Bryce Young. Before this, Mayfield threw his eighth interception in the last eight games, this one to linebacker Christian Rozenboom.
Another McLaughlin FG gave Tampa a 13-7 lead going into halftime. This field goal was set up by an interception by rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish.
Carolina had a chance to cut the lead in half, but Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yard FG attempt.
Tampa kept that 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
Early in the fourth, Tampa pushed the lead back to two possessions on McLaughlin’s third field goal of the game, this one from 48 yards out.
Carolina was driving to make it a one-score game, but a failed flea-flicker attempt led to a fumble, which veteran linebacker Lavonte Davis recovered at the Tampa 29.
The Bucs held the ball for 5:55 minutes on their next possession, but didn’t get any points as McLaughlin’s fourth FG attempt was blocked.
The Panthers took advantage, as Young tossed an 8-yard TD pass to receiver Jalen Coker.
Tampa’s offense needed to close out the game, and it did.
The Bucs now await the outcome of Sunday's Atlanta Falcons division matchup against the Saints in New Orleans. If the Falcons win, finishing with an 8-9 record, Carolina will win the NFC South on a tie-breaker.
If New Orleans wins, Tampa is in.
Falcons-Saints is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET from the Super Dome.