Another late Baker Mayfield interception seals a 23-20 loss for the Bucs vs. the Panthers. A miscommunication with Mike Evans costs Tampa a chance to take a late lead. The NFC South race is heating up with two games to play.
A miscommunication with wide receiver Mike Evans and an errant throw by quarterback Baker Mayfield ended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ opportunity to take control of the NFC South in a 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers (8-7) in Charlotte, Sunday.
With the Buccaneers (7-8) trailing 23-20 late in the fourth quarter, Mayfield (18-of-26, 145 yards, TD, INT) had led Tampa Bay to the Carolina 37-yard-line with 49 seconds left to play and looked poised to tie the game or take the lead.
On second-and-9, Mayfield avoided the initial pressure and then threw a pass to the outside, but Evans (5 receptions, 31 yards, TD) had stopped his route and Carolina safety Lathan Ransom made a diving interception at the Panthers’ 30-yard-line to end Tampa Bay’s threat.
The loss was the Buccaneers’ sixth loss in their last seven games and was the first time Mayfield registered a loss (5-1) in his career against the Panthers.
Although Tampa Bay’s probability of winning the NFC South dropped from 96 percent to 59 percent with the loss, they can still win the division with wins in their next two games, including a rematch with the Panthers at home to end the regular season.
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After receiving the opening kickoff, the Panthers got off to a productive start on their first drive of the game. Spurred on by a 25-yard run by Jimmy Horn Jr., Carolina drove to the Tampa Bay 10-yard line but settled for a Ryan Fitzgerald 27-yard field goal for the first points of the game and a 3-0 lead with 10:30 left in the first.
The Buccaneers didn’t take long to answer on their first drive of the game. Led Mayfield, Tampa Bay went 53 yards in 10 plays and took the lead 7-3 after Mayfield hit Evans for a 1-yard touchdown with 4:01 left in the quarter.
Although the Tampa Bay defense forced Carolina to punt on the next drive, the Buccaneers’ drive stalled, setting up a 48-yard field goal attempt by Chase McLaughlin with 12:15 left in the second quarter.
McLaughlin’s attempt was good, but the Panthers’ A’Shawn Robinson was called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness personal foul for making contact with the long-snapper’s head, giving the Bucs an automatic first down.
Despite getting the penalty, the Panthers’ defense held, resulting in a 23-yard McLaughlin field goal to extend Tampa Bay’s lead 10-3 with 8:09 left in the first half.
Tampa Bay then forced Carolina to punt on their second consecutive possession, but were themselves forced to punt with time winding down in the first half.
Just before the two-minute warning Young and the Panthers’ offense finally got into a rhythm and cut the lead to 10-6 on a 41-yard field goal by Fitzgerald with 2:06 remaining.
The Bucs punted on their next possession leaving the door open for the Panthers to score before the half. Young then proceeded to lead the Panthers 63 yards in less than a minute, capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan (6 receptions, 73 yards, TD) with seven seconds left to take a 13-10 lead into halftime.
Mayfield finished the first half 7-of-10 passing for 41 yards and a touchdown, while Young ended the first half 12-of-20 passing for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Like the first half, the Buccaneers took their first drive down the field in 14 plays and retook the lead, 17-13, on a Sean Tucker 1-yard touchdown run with 6:41 left in the third.
The Panthers then answered with their own long drive to once again retake the lead 20-17 with seven seconds left in the third on a six-yard touchdown pass from Young to Ja’Tavion Sanders.
Although Tampa Bay got good field position on the ensuing kick return, they only managed 11 yards and settled for a 50-yard McLaughlin field goal with 11:24 left to tie the game 20-20.
Tampa Bay forced Carolina to punt again, but turned around and punted the ball back to the Panthers less than five minutes to play. Young set up Fitzgerald’s eventual 48-yard game-winning field goal after hitting Jalen Coker for 34 yards on third-and-4 giving the Panthers the ball on the Tampa Bay 33-yard line.
Fitzgerald finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 in his field-goal attempts.
Tampa Bay will play its last road game of the season when they take on the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 28, while Carolina will play in its final home game of the season against the NFC leading, Seattle Seahawks.