Buccaneers Keep Playoff Hopes Alive With 16 to 14 Win Over Panthers in Critical NFC South Update

Tampa Bay, FL - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their postseason path intact Saturday night, edging the Carolina Panthers 16 to 14 in a tightly contested NFC South matchup that now places Tampa Bay firmly in the division title conversation entering the final week of the regular season.

Tampa Bay controlled early tempo behind a methodical opening drive, capped by Baker Mayfield’s 18 yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton on the first possession. The Buccaneers leaned on sustained drives and field position to establish a 10 to 0 lead late in the first quarter, limiting Carolina’s offensive rhythm.

Carolina responded in the second quarter after a Tampa Bay interception, as Bryce Young connected with Tommy Tremble for an 8 yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10 to 7. The Buccaneers answered with another clock draining possession, settling for a Chase McLaughlin 36 yard field goal at the end of the half to take a 13 to 7 advantage into the break.

The second half turned into a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to convert scoring opportunities. Tampa Bay extended its lead early in the fourth quarter with a 48 yard McLaughlin field goal, pushing the margin to 16 to 7 and reinforcing the importance of every possession.

Carolina mounted a late rally behind Young, who engineered a 72 yard drive midway through the fourth quarter. The drive concluded with an 8 yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker, trimming the score to 16 to 14 with 2:27 remaining and shifting momentum sharply.

The Buccaneers responded with a critical ball control series, converting multiple short gains on the ground to drain the clock. Tampa Bay forced Carolina to use its remaining timeouts before punting the ball back with limited time left.

On the final sequence, Carolina attempted to keep the drive alive with lateral passes, but a fumble on the last play was recovered by Tampa Bay, sealing the victory and ending the Panthers’ comeback attempt.

Mayfield managed the game efficiently, spreading the ball across multiple receivers and avoiding costly mistakes in the second half. Otton emerged as a key target in high leverage moments, while the Buccaneers’ run game provided consistent short yardage production.

Defensively, Tampa Bay generated timely pressure and forced two interceptions, limiting Carolina’s margin for error. The Buccaneers also held firm in the red zone, allowing only one touchdown on four Carolina trips inside the 20.

With the win, Tampa Bay remains alive in the NFC South race. The Buccaneers can clinch the division with a win next week combined with a Falcons loss to the Saints. Carolina, meanwhile, saw another late effort fall short as it continues to evaluate its young core heading into the offseason.

The result underscores Tampa Bay’s resilience in close games and sets up a decisive final week with playoff implications firmly in play.