In a must-win Week 17 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered a dominant performance, trouncing the Carolina Panthers 48-14 to keep their playoff and NFC South hopes alive. Baker Mayfield headlined the victory, throwing for 359 yards and five touchdowns in a near-flawless outing.
The Buccaneers (9-7) overwhelmed Carolina early, scoring on five consecutive first-half possessions to jump out to a commanding 27-7 lead. Mayfield connected with Mike Evans on touchdown passes of 2 and 1 yards, while rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan added two more scores on receptions of 10 and 16 yards.
The Panthers (4-12), playing without leading rusher Chuba Hubbard, struggled to establish any offensive rhythm. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young managed two touchdown passes to Adam Thielen, but Carolina’s offense was largely stymied by a relentless Tampa Bay defense that sacked Young five times and held the Panthers to just 39 rushing yards.
Rookie running back Bucky Irving continued his breakout campaign with a stellar performance, rushing for 120 yards on 20 carries and adding four receptions for 77 yards. Irving surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season (1,033), despite serving as a backup to Rachaad White for most of the year.
Irving’s standout day against Carolina came as no surprise; he torched the Panthers for 152 yards and a touchdown in their last meeting on December 1.
Linebacker J.J. Russell provided a highlight in the third quarter, returning a blocked punt for a touchdown to further cement Tampa Bay’s dominance.
Tampa Bay’s win marked their fifth victory in six weeks and, coupled with Atlanta’s overtime loss to Washington on Sunday night, gave the Buccaneers sole possession of first place in the NFC South. With one game left in the regular season, the Bucs can clinch their fourth straight division title by defeating the New Orleans Saints at home next Sunday.
Baker Mayfield improved to 4-0 against his former team, completing 27 of 32 passes without an interception. The veteran quarterback has been instrumental in Tampa Bay’s late-season surge and remains undefeated against the Panthers since being released by Carolina two years ago.
Mike Evans inched closer to making NFL history, finishing with eight catches for 97 yards. The star wide receiver needs just 85 yards in the season finale to tie Jerry Rice’s record of 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards.
Carolina will close their disappointing season with a road game against the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. Tampa Bay will host the New Orleans Saints with a chance to clinch the NFC South title and secure their fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
With momentum firmly on their side and Mayfield playing some of the best football of his career, the Buccaneers are poised to make a strong push into the postseason.
