Bucs at Panthers, let’s talk about it.
Football is a game of inches, but it’s also a game of quarters. Let’s dive into a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of some Tampa Bay Bucs’ football. This week, Tampa Bay took on their divison rival— the Carolina Panthers. For the Bucs, a return to a .500 record was on the line, for the home team a win would be a very respectable capitalization of the momentum gained from a good team performance a week ago against the Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, on a personal level, this game would be Dave Canales’ first matchup against his former employer.
First Quarter:
The Bucs began Sunday’s battle with their defense. Fresh off last week’s beat down of the New York Giants Todd Bowles’ unit dished out more of the same— A quick three-and-out headlined by two incomplete passes down the field. Tampa’s offense, to the dismay of Bucs’ fans, quickly matched Carolina punt for punt. It took nearly five minutes of play for the game to net its inaugural first down, which came on Tampa Bay’s second drive.
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Good things can come in bunches and one first down was quickly followed by many others. The Bucs’ offense held the ball and marched down the field with a long, physical drive that culminated in Baker Mayfield tossing a touchdown to Mike Evans, who snared six points with just one hand. 7-0, Bucs.
Dave Canales, perhaps feeling some pressure to respond, put the ball in the hands of his rookie, Jonathon Brooks. Brooks’ 18-yard spark helped the Panthers rally from their touchdown allowed with three points of their own. 7-3, Bucs.
Second Quarter:
15 minutes prior to the intermission, Bryce Young hit Tampa Bay with a highlight play— rolling out and connecting on deep shot to move the chains on third down and 10. Young’s heroics, however, would register no impact on the scoreboard as Carolina’s second field goal attempt would be no good.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
A similar description would be fitting for Tampa Bay Bucs’ first-half offense— No good. Aside from one promising drive Baker Mayfield and co. spent the better portion of the first 25 minutes of their Sunday getting bludgeoned by a lesser opponent.
The bludgeoning wasn’t exclusive to Tampa’s offense, as their defense took center stage— giving Bryce Young and the Panthers’ fans in attendance a moment to celebrate. Deep in the red zone, Young took off— accelerating towards the pylon and out-racing Antoine Winfield Jr. for six points. 10-7, Carolina.
In desparate need of a counter punch, the Bucs’ offense finally found life and it came from the hands of Mike Evans. Evans, who started the drive with one catch for two yards, finished with 47— including a second down and 17 conversion. Mike Evans’ contributions led directly to a Chase McLaughlin kick and three Tampa Bay points. 10-10, tie.
After trading a missed field goal for a turnover, Bryce Young stepped back out on the field with 43 seconds left and a chance to give his team a lead going into the locker room and the futility of Tampa Bay’s defense continued, letting Carolina into scoring range— Eddie Pinero, given a short kick, delivered. 13-10, Panthers.
Third Quarter:
Post the break, the Bucs’ fans got to see more of Trenton Gill, quickly and frequently. Two punts on their opening two drives and a Baker Mayfield injury turned Tampa’s performance from poor to a nightmare-ish afternoon.
Kyle Trask tossed some warm up passes on the sideline and then even got to throw a live rep in a game before Baker Mayfield heroically jogged back onto the field for a third down and short. In the least Hollywod-esque ending imaginable, Mayfield instantly threw a eye-gouging interception, giving the Panthers three more points. 16-10, Carolina.
Fourth Quarter:
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
As the game’s final quarter got under way, the Bucs’ offense transformed into a Bucky Irving highlight tape. In a drive that featured Bucky, Bucky, and then slightly more Bucky, the Bucs’ offensive escorted the team’s exciting rookie down the field and ultimately into the end zone. 17-16, Tampa Bay.
With another crack at a fourth quarter drive, Liam Coen gave Tampa Bay fans even more Bucky Irving as the first-year back ran through Carolina’s defense, to the tune of 148 yards rushing. Tampa stalled short of the end zone and settled for three points, rather than a game-clinching seven.
The difference between three and seven was all Todd Bowles’ defense needed to give away another late-game lead. Bryce Young, with no panic or pressure applied, walked his offense down the field for a touchdown. In the clutch, Dave Canales versus Todd Bowles, a mismatch that should have favored the Bucs, turned into a deciding factor in favor of the Panthers.
Down three, Baker Mayfield took the field with 30 seconds, three timeouts, and a chance. If you give a puncher enough chances eventually you’re liable to get knocked out. Baker Mayfield swung and his punch landed Tampa Bay in field goal range for the game-tying kick.
Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images
Overtime:
Overtime has not been kind to the Tampa Bay Bucs this season. Even virtually automatic layups like a Chase McLaughlin kick— not so automatic in extra time. McLaughlin, who is as reliable a kicker as the Bucs could ever hope to have couldn’t connect to end Tampa’s first overtime possession. With the miss giving them great field position, the Panthers found Adam Thielen for a phenomenal one-handed grab and were instantly in field goal range. The momentous levels of energy Thielen’s catch provided Carolina were immediately flipped on their heads when a fumble on the next play gave Tampa possession again. That possession gave Chase McLaughlin another opportunity and he rose to the occasion, booting a short field goal through the uprights and giving Tampa Bay the win.
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