> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Buccaneers’ playoff hopes rest with Saints after regular-season finale win - URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/buccaneers-playoff-hopes-rest-with/ - Published: 2026-01-04T13:01:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-04T13:01:03.000Z - Description: Tampa Bay snapped their losing streak and potentially sent some franchise legends out on a high-note in the process. - Author: Collin Sherwin - Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44 TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been stuck in a malaise of lackluster play for much of the second half of the season. However, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, they put themselves in position to play postseason football. The Bucs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) “The focus this week was control today and see where the chips fall, and we did that,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the game. The win was Tampa Bay’s sixth victory in a one-possession game this season. Each of the Bucs’ last four losses during the streak came by one score. The Bucs finished the regular season with an 8-9 record, their worst finish since the 2022-23 season. Even with a below-.500 record, Tampa Bay’s playoff fate still hangs in the balance heading into Sunday afternoon. The Bucs will await the result of Sunday’s Saints-at-Falcons game at 1 p.m. If New Orleans wins or the game ends in a tie, Tampa Bay will win its fifth straight NFC South title and clinch its sixth consecutive playoff berth, extending the franchise’s longest playoff streak. If Atlanta wins, three NFC South teams will finish 8-9 and the Panthers will win the division due to the common-opponent tiebreaker. Regardless of the outcome, the NFC South will have an 8-9 champion, making it just the fifth division winner with a below-.500 record in NFL history. Weather conditions played a major role Saturday. Rain poured down in the hours leading up to the game and continued throughout the entire first half. A slippery field and football were factors all afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay outrushed Carolina 140-19\. The Panthers’ 19 rushing yards marked the second-lowest output by any team during the 2025 season, a critical advantage for the Bucs in the sloppy conditions. “It’s the first time in a long time that we played the way we’re supposed to up front without giving up the big play in the run game,” coach Todd Bowles said. Fourteen points was the second-fewest allowed by Tampa Bay’s defense this season. Bowles credited much of the defensive success to the return of defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, who missed the team’s previous 14 games with a pectoral injury. Running back Bucky Irving led all rushers with 85 yards. Tampa Bay opened the game with a nine-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, marking the third straight game the Bucs scored on their opening possession. They accomplished that just twice in their first 14 games. The drive was capped when Mayfield found tight end Cade Otton for an 18-yard touchdown. Otton finished with nine catches and a season-high 94 yards. Mayfield completed 16 of 22 passes for 203 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It marked his second-highest single-game completion percentage this season. In the second quarter, Mayfield was intercepted by linebacker Christian Rozeboom. It was Mayfield’s eighth interception in his last seven games after throwing just three in the team’s first 10 contests. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan caught four passes for 85 yards. McMillan surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season, becoming the only rookie receiver in the NFL this year to reach the milestone. He is just the second Panthers rookie receiver to do so, joining Kelvin Benjamin. Bucs rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka had one catch for eight yards, finishing the season with 938 receiving yards. He slowed late in the year, recording just 261 yards over his final eight games. Carolina’s offense was derailed by mistakes throughout the afternoon. Young was intercepted by cornerback Jacob Parrish in the second quarter, and running back Rico Dowdle fumbled a flea-flicker attempt in the fourth quarter while driving in Tampa Bay territory. It marked the first time since Nov. 30 that the Bucs recorded multiple takeaways in a game. Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yard field goal in the third quarter. Tampa Bay kicker Chase McLaughlin went 3 of 4, making field goals from 29, 36 and 48 yards, while having a 38-yard attempt blocked. Dowdle’s fumble was recovered by linebacker Lavonte David, giving him his 35th career takeaway. David joined Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis as the only linebackers since 1982 with at least 35 takeaways and 40 sacks. “If this was it for him, he went out in Lavonte fashion,” Bowles said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. His work speaks for itself. What he means to the team and the organization as a whole can’t be replaced.” With uncertainty surrounding Tampa Bay’s playoff future, questions emerged about whether Saturday could have been David’s final game as a professional. David is in his 14th season, all with Tampa Bay, and has signed one-year contracts to return in each of the past two offseasons. “I’m not sure,” David said. “I’m always praying about whatever God’s will is for me, let it be done. Whenever that time comes, I’ll be able to be straightforward, but right now I have no idea.” David recorded six tackles and tied Derrick Brooks as the franchise’s all-time leading tackler. “It’s very fitting for me. I’m proud of it for sure,” David said. “For me to be in the same breath as Derrick Brooks — me growing up and watching him and seeing what he meant to this organization — it’s an incredible feat.” Saturday also marked the final game for Bucs radio play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff, who is retiring after 37 years as the voice of the franchise. Deckerhoff leaves as the most recognizable voice in team history and beloved by generations of Buccaneers fans. The game also marked the first season of Mike Evans’ illustrious career in which he failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards. Evans recorded 1,000 yards in each of his first 11 seasons, tying Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in NFL history. Evans missed nine games this season due to hamstring and clavicle injuries. Now, the Bucs can only wait and watch Sunday afternoon. Mayfield proclaimed after the game that he is “a Saints fan tomorrow,” later adding he was rooting for a tie during his postgame news conference. It hasn’t been pretty for Tampa Bay down the stretch, but the Bucs sit one game away from a return to the playoffs. [Subscribe](#/portal/signup)