The Buccaneers are tied for the NFC South lead.
The Falcons lost their third consecutive game earlier in the day, and the Bucs eked out a 26-23 overtime win over the Panthers. Both the Falcons and Bucs are 6-6, but Atlanta holds the tiebreaker by virtue of its sweep of Tampa.
It was another crushing blow to the Panthers, who lost to the Chiefs 30-27 on a last-play field goal last week.
This time Chase McLaughlin made a 51-yard field goal with no time left to tie it on the last play of regulation and then the Bucs kicker won it with 2:50 left in overtime with a 30-yarder.
It was a back and forth, as momentum went from one sideline to the other, late in the fourth quarter into overtime.
The Panthers took the 23-20 lead on Bryce Young’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the Bucs went 36 yards in six plays to set up McLaughlin’s tying kick.
The Bucs earlier had a chance to put the game away on third-and-1 at the Carolina 2 with 3:15 remaining, but Josie Jewell and Jaycee Horn stopped Rachaad White for a 6-yard loss. Tampa Bay settled for a 26-yard McLaughlin field goal.
On the kickoff to start overtime, Panthers cornerback Caleb Farley drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty after Jon Rhattigan stopped returner Sean Tucker at the Tampa Bay 19. Two plays later, Baker Mayfield found Jalen McMillan for 22 yards.
Trevin Wallace’s 8-yard sack of Mayfield backed up the Bucs enough that McLaughlin had to attempt a 55-yard field goal, and it was wide left with 6:31 left in overtime.
It gave the Panthers a chance to win on a field goal on their first overtime drive.
Thielen made a spectacular one-handed catch with his left hand for a 16-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 34. On the next play, though, Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard ran 4 yards before Anthony Nelson stripped the ball. Yaya Diaby recovered for the Bucs at their own 29.
Five plays and 59 yards later, the Bucs had the hard-earned win.
Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving had a career day, rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The Bucs finished with 236 rushing yards and 209 passing yards.
White had a 38-yard run to the Carolina 10 on the game-winning drive, and he finished with 76 yards on 11 carries.
Mayfield was 21-of-33 for 235 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Both of his picks led to Panthers’ field goals on short drives of 49 and 16 yards. He left for two plays in the third quarter after Jadeveon Clowney inadvertently stepped on the side of the quarterback’s foot.
Mike Evans caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Young went 26-of-46 for 298 yards and a touchdown, with Thielen catching eight for 99 yards and a touchdown. He nearly had another touchdown, but officials and replay ruled he bobbled the ball after hitting the goal post after sliding out of bounds.
Panthers kicker Eddy Piñeiro, who entered as the NFL’s most-accurate kicker of all time, missed field goals of 38 and 45 wide left. He made kicks of 47, 27 and 22 as the Panthers went 1-of-4 in the red zone.
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