Bucky Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, Tampa Bay piled up 258 rushing yards on 49 carries, and the defense and special teams turned four Carolina giveaways into 20 points as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the Carolina Panthers 43-13 on Sunday, October 25, at Bank of America Stadium.
The Buccaneers improve to 2-5 and win a division game for the first time this season. Carolina falls to 3-3 and has a short week before a Thursday night trip to Green Bay. Baker Mayfield, back after missing three games with an injured right thumb, needed only 11 throws in his return: he completed 7 of 11 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown, and he is now 7-1 in his career against the Panthers.
Tampa Bay sets the tone
The Buccaneers won the toss, took the ball and went 70 yards in 14 plays over 7:38. Irving finished the drive with a 4-yard run up the middle. “We took the ball and just wanted to set the tone early,” Mayfield said. “It wouldn’t have mattered though, as I think the defense would have set the tone regardless.”
Carolina’s mistakes started at the end of the first quarter. David Moore muffed a punt, Ko Kieft recovered at the Carolina 18, and Chase McLaughlin kicked a 22-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter. Three minutes later, Al-Quadin Muhammad beat the Panthers’ protection on third-and-14 and stripped Bryce Young, and Calijah Kancey scooped up the ball and ran 32 yards for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead.
A touchdown worth four points
The Panthers finally broke through on their next drive, when Young found Darren Waller streaking down the middle for a 50-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay blocked the extra point, and Zyon McCollum picked it up and ran 70 yards the other way for two points. Instead of 17-7, it was 19-6.
Irving fumbled on the next drive, but David Sills V fell on it, and Irving scored from the 1 four plays later to make it 26-6. McCollum then intercepted Young near midfield and returned it to the Carolina 32. A Chris Godwin Jr. touchdown was wiped out by an illegal shift, but on the next snap Mayfield threw 14 yards to Tez Johnson for a touchdown with four seconds left in the half. Tampa Bay led 33-6 at the break.
Diaby keeps coming
YaYa Diaby sacked Young on back-to-back plays early in the third quarter, leaving Carolina with fourth-and-30, and finished with three of Tampa Bay’s five sacks. Right tackle Taylor Moton was hurt on the first of those plays and was carted off; he broke his fibula, a week after returning from blood clots in his lung. Tykee Smith intercepted Young on Carolina’s next possession, and McLaughlin added a 44-yard field goal for 36-6.
“It’s just that we know this offense so well,” Diaby said. “They know us and we know them. So we just came with a game plan and attacked.”
Carolina put together a 14-play drive late in the third quarter, but Young’s fourth-and-1 pass from the Tampa Bay 5 fell incomplete. The Buccaneers answered with a 94-yard drive, and Sean Tucker went 46 yards untouched up the left side for a touchdown and a 43-6 lead with 10:21 to play. Anthony Tyus III scored the Panthers’ only other touchdown on a 12-yard run with 5:28 left.
The numbers
- Tampa Bay ground game: 49 carries for 258 yards. Irving had 24 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns, Kenny Gainwell 14 for 88, and Tucker seven for 52 and a score. The Buccaneers had 17 rushing first downs and held the ball for 35:57.
- Baker Mayfield: 7 of 11 for 64 yards and a touchdown, no interceptions, no sacks.
- Bryce Young: 14 of 27 for 163 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions; sacked five times and lost a fumble. Kenny Pickett finished the game and went 3 of 4 for 47 yards.
- Panthers receivers: Tetairoa McMillan caught four passes for 40 yards, Waller had the 50-yard touchdown, and Mitchell Evans had two catches for 39.
- Tampa Bay defense: Diaby had three sacks, Muhammad forced the fumble, and McCollum and Smith each had an interception. Linebacker Josiah Trotter led the team with 10 tackles.
- Carolina defense: Bobby Okereke had 10 tackles and Nick Scott had seven.
- Turnovers: Carolina 4, Tampa Bay 0. The Buccaneers scored 20 points off those giveaways and two more on the blocked extra point.
Tampa Bay converted seven of 12 third downs and gained only 322 yards, but it did not need many. Carolina outgained the Buccaneers through the air 178-64 and still never got within three scores after the first quarter. Tampa Bay had played 12 straight one-score games dating to last season before Sunday. Asked where a game like this had been, Todd Bowles said: “I wish I had an answer for that, but it was very welcome.”
What they said
“With all of these handoffs, I don’t know, my thumb might be pretty sore,” Mayfield joked. Bowles, who called it a full-team effort, said his quarterback “made the plays when we needed them. He didn’t need to make many.”
Dave Canales was blunt. “Turnovers really in every phase,” the Panthers coach said. “A sack-fumble on a protection issue, a dropped punt led to points, the blocked kick. It really combined to put us in a really big hole.” Young took the blame: “I can’t turn the ball like that. It hurts the team and that’s on me.”
At halftime, Carolina presented Luke Kuechly with his Hall of Fame ring. Kuechly also hit the “Keep Pounding” drum before kickoff.
What comes next
Carolina visits the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, October 29, at 8:15 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 1, at 1 p.m. ET.
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