The Tampa Bay Buccaneers escaped Bank of America Stadium with a thrilling 26-23 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, December 1st. The win, secured with a clutch field goal by Chase McLaughlin, puts the BUCS back in the thick of the NFC South race . The game not only boosted Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes but also showcased standout performances from key players, including Mike Evans and rookie running back Bucky Irving.

Slow start, strong finish

The Buccaneers offense, once again, got off to a slow start to begin the game. After a solid 6-yard gain by Rachaad White to start the drive, a botched snap on the second play doomed the series and seemingly set the tone for many who had already feared would be the proverbial trap game. The drive ended in a quick 3-and-out.

The BUCS' second possession saw Mayfield and Company take a slow and measured attack, taking the ball 65 yards down the field for a touchdown. The running attack behind Bucky Irving and White powered the drive. The two RBs combined for 38 yards on the scoring drive. Mayfield also hit Sterling Shepard for a 21-yard gain. But it was none other than Mike Evans who finished the series with yet another all-time highlight: a one-handed catch for the touchdown.

But after that, the offense went flat. Two consecutive 3-and-outs followed. The offense managed to get into FG range on just one of their next seven possessions after the touchdown.

All the while, the BUCS defense kept the game from getting out of hand. They limited the Panthers to one touchdown and two FGs while the offense struggled over two quarters. All three Carolina scores were aided by short fields that came through interceptions by Mayfield or shanked punts and kickoffs by Trenton Gill. This was a classic case of the offense and the defense not playing well simultaneously. Failure to play complementary football has cost the BUCS several games in 2024, and it looked as though that could be the case through most of the 3rd Quarter in Charlotte.

With the first offensive possession of the 4th Quarter, OC Liam Coen decided to ride the wave of the running game and grind out the Panthers on the ground. Bucky Irving was the weapon of choice. Irving led the charge on the 60-yard touchdown drive that ended up being the last one the BUCS would score. The shifty RB got 8 touches on the 11-play scoring drive, including the 6-yard run to get the BUCS back in the end zone to take a 17-16 lead. “Bucky, Bucky, Bucky” chants filled the half-empty stadium to the chagrin of some local fans.

The BUCS defense followed up by forcing Carolina into a 3-and-out. At this point, it felt like the team was one touchdown score away from possibly sealing the deal.

The Buccaneers offense, once again, took the field with momentum on its side. And Coen, once again, put the ball in the hands of Irving. This time, 5 carries, including a huge 43-yard scamper up the middle, got the BUCS to Carolina's 5-yard line. But Irving had to exit the game with a hip injury.

With just over 3mins to go and with the game hanging in the balance, the BUCS kept the ball on the ground with Rachaad White. On 2nd Down, he picked up 3 yards. On the next play, 3rd Down, White lost 6 yards on a run attempt to the left. With a 1-point lead, and 3:18 left on the clock, the BUCS kicked a FG to put the team up by 4 points.

At this point, the game felt eerily reminiscent of the first game against Atlanta on the road. It just felt like the door was left open for the opposition for far too long. Too many "this could be the game" moments. In Atlanta, up 30-27 on the scoreboard, the defense blocked a FG attempt followed by a Bucky Irving fumble. And then, it was the Lavonte David intercepting Kirk Cousins with 1:44 left. After that, the offense had a 30-second 3-and-out that included a no-call on a facemask to Bucky Irving but an offensive holding call on the same play. It was a 10-yard penalty that pushed the BUCS out of FG range. Instead of going up by 6 or more and making it harder for the opposition, the multiple misfortunes kept the Falcons within striking distance.

That was the feeling on the 45-degree night in Charlotte. Like the BUCS kept giving the Panthers a way to win the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Trent Gill kicked the ball off, which landed short of the new landing zone. The penalty put the ball on the BUCS 40-yard line, making it a bit easier for the Panthers to score. And they did just that. In 9 plays, the defense surrendered a 60-yard touchdown as the Panthers took a 3-point, leaving 30 seconds on the game clock.

Down 20-23, with all 3 timeouts and under a minute on the clock, it was on Baker Mayfield to break out of his relative funk and navigate a drive to the ball within FG range. He answered the call.

Ball on the BUCS 30. On the first play, it was 17-yard pass to Mike Evans.

Timeout.

19 seconds to go. Ball on the BUCS 47. On 2nd Down, Mayfield can't find a receiver downfield and scrambles to his left for 10 yards and gets out of bounds.

11 seconds to go. Ball on the Panthers' 43. Mayfield finds Sterling Shepard for a 5-yard completion.

Timeout.

6 seconds to go. Ball on the Panthers 38. Mayfield connects with Shepard once again for a 4 yard gain.

Timeout.

3 seconds to go. Ball on the Panthers 34. Chase McLaughlin comes in for the 51-yard FG Attempt.

It's Good!!!

OVERTIME in the Queen City.

OT Genesis

This victory serves as a turning point for Tampa Bay, showcasing their resilience and ability to win close games. The team is now 4-6 in their last 10 outings that went to overtime.

Their two most recent overtime losses were to Atlanta and Kansas City this season. In both games, the BUCS were the visiting team. Tampa has been the road team in 7 of the last 10 games. In what may become a permanent change in the BUCS' strategy in overtime games, Lavonte David was the captain who made the call on the coin flip to begin the extra period. Previously, it was Baker Mayfield who made the call, resulting in the team seeing the opposition receiving the ball in the first and only possessions.

This time, it was the BUCS winning the coin toss and subsequently winning the game after two drama-filled offensive possessions and what seemed like a miracle defensive stop by the defense.

On the team's first possession in OT, it looked like they were destined to end it with a TD based on how well they moved the ball on the first three plays. Rachaad White found a running lane for 4 yards to start. And then Mayfield hit Jalen McMillan for a huge 22-yard pass completion that put the BUCS at the Panthers' 40-yard line. Bucky Irving followed up with a 4-yard run. But on the next play, Mayfield was sacked for a loss of 8 yards, which essentially killed the momentum and the drive. A short pass to Otton on 3rd down and 14 set up a 55-yard FG attempt by Chase McLaughlin.

NO GOOD. McLaughlin missed just his second FG of the season.

Carolina took possession at their 45-yard line, needing 30-35 yards to get into FG range and end the game. On the first play, Bryce Young couldn't find a receiver and scrambled for 5 yards after being chased out of the pocket by Vita Vea. On their second play, the pass rush forced Young to bail on the play and throw the ball in the dirt almost immediately.

On 3rd and 5, with the game on the line, Young found Adam Thielen 16 yards down the field for one of the best one-handed catches this year outside of Mike Evans'. Already in FG range at the 34, Carolina decided to run the ball. 4th-year RB Chuba Hubbard took the handoff and got three yards past the line of scrimmage before Anthony ripped the ball away and forced a fumble.

Yaya Diaby wisely fell on the loose ball after making one quick attempt at picking it up and running with it.

With yet another chance to close the game out, the BUCS offense took the ball at their own 29. After a 2-yard gain on the ground by Rachaad White, Mayfield connected with Evans on a 21-yard pass to put the team at the Panthers' 48-yard line. On the next play, Rachaad White all but ended the game with a 38-yard run to put the BUCS on the 10-yard line for the game-ending FG. The run ties White's 2nd-longest of his career.

That set up McLaughlin for the game-ending 30-yard FG.

The BUCS finally walked away with a win in OT.

WHAT THIS WIN MEANS

With this victory, the Buccaneers moved into a tie for first place in the NFC South, intensifying their playoff aspirations. Head coach Todd Bowles praised the team’s grit, particularly the offensive line, which paved the way for 236 rushing yards, the second-highest total for the BUCS this season. Bowles also highlighted the growing confidence of the rookie Irving, who has emerged as a critical playmaker down the stretch.

The win not only keeps Tampa’s Playoff hopes alive, along with the Atlanta Falcons’ loss, it also boosted the chances of the team making the postseason significantly. The BUCS now have a 61% chance of making the Playoffs compared to the 51% before Week 13 began. Had they lost, it would’ve dropped to 30%.

The BUCS feel like they control their destiny heading into the regular season's final month. In the Playoffs, teams need to find a way to win tough games. It’s not a coincidence that teams who find ways to win tough games are the ones who up in the Playoffs to begin with.