FULL SCORE
- Tampa Bay’s defense is improving somewhat. It’s been a rough season for the Buccaneers defense, which entered Week 18 ranked 23rd in points allowed. But with their backs against the wall, the Bucs came forward. The interior held strong against Carolina’s run game to hold the Panthers to just 19 rushing yards, easily the fewest allowed by Tampa Bay all season. Shutting down the running lanes forced the Bucs Bryce Young to take off during miserable rains. While he had some success, especially late to make the collar tight, Tampa Bay was able to bend rather than break against the pass for most of the contest. And when Carolina had perhaps the most momentum toward the end of the first half, coming off a TD with the ball back up the middle, freshman Jacob Parrish returned the interception. Tampa Bay converted the turnover into three points before halftime that proved the difference in the final score. The Bucs’ offense arguably played too conservatively as the game continued after getting hot — it ran the ball 38 times — but for once, Todd Bowles’ defense allowed such an approach to turn into a win. Carolina’s 14 points are Tampa Bay’s second-best outing of the season.
- The Panthers didn’t seem ready at the moment. It was Carolina’s chance for its first winning season since 2017 and its first NFC South title since the 2015 Super Bowl. The division crown could still come if the Falcons win on Sunday to give it to them, but the Panthers no longer have a say in their own destiny. Fans will be quick to point out that a collection of calls went against them in the third quarter: There was an early whistle on a pass return that ultimately made an errant field goal more difficult, officials missed a Bucs defender who ripped off a tight end. Tommy Tremblehis helmet, Tetairoa McMillan saw a 33-yard first down wiped out by offensive pass interference, and on the next possession, a defensive pass interference benefited the Bucs after a Carolina safety Nick Scott and the Tampa tight end Cade Otton seemed to tangle the legs. It had to be frustrating, but so was Carolina’s performance. Neither Rico Dowdle nor Chuba Hubbard averaged over 2.0 yards per carry. There were also some head-scratching play calls, the most obvious example being a fumble in rainy conditions with Carolina already set up on Tampa’s 24-yard line. Dowdle slipped, still attempted the throw and the Bucs recovered the fumble to maintain a 16-7 lead. Bryce Young played well outside of a momentum-swinging interception before halftime. He made it interesting late with a 40-yarder to McMillan on fourth-and-8, which set up an eight-yard TD dime to Jalen Coker two plays later. However, he was ultimately unable to overcome failures elsewhere. The Panthers are ahead of schedule, but they weren’t quite there Saturday.
- The NFC South will have a sub-.500 champion. It was an important battle featuring the only two teams capable of winning the division, but Tampa Bay’s victory did not settle the NFC South. The Buccaneers still need the Saints to beat (or tie) the Falcons on Sunday. Otherwise, the Panthers will be able to get back into the playoffs with a win in Atlanta. Both clubs will regret that it has come down to this. The Buccaneers appeared to be the runaway favorites in the division after starting the year 6-2, only to lose seven of their last nine. The Panthers, who had alternated wins and losses since Week 7, finally dropped two in a row to end the regular season when a win in either game would have punched their ticket to the playoffs. It’s a bit of an embarrassing proposition for the league that the Falcons, a team that has been out of contention since Week 14, could potentially end up in a three-way tie for first place to send the Panthers through. Anyway, all that matters is getting to the dance. Both the Panthers and Buccaneers have shown themselves to be dangerous, albeit inconsistent, this season. One of them will look to put it together when he holds a hunting card next week.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Panthers-Buccaneers (via NFL Pro): The Panthers, who need the Falcons to win on Sunday, have a 60% chance to win the NFC South. The Buccaneers, who need Atlanta to lose, have a 40% chance to win the division.
NFL Research: Thanks to his recovery in the fourth quarter, Lavonte David joined Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as the only players with 40-plus career carries and 35-plus takeaways since at least 1982.