Tampa Bay on brink of playoff elimination after loss to Panthers
The Buccaneers losing streak was extended to three games due to Baker Mayfield's late game blunder.
For the last three seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have relied on late-season surges to secure the NFC South crown. In 2025, it has been a late-season skid that has knocked them out of first place.
The Buccaneers lost to the Carolina Panthers 23-20 on Sunday afternoon, a result that moved Carolina into sole possession of the NFC South lead.
The win snapped the Panthers’ five-game losing streak against Tampa Bay and marked coach Dave Canales’ first victory over his former team. Carolina now sits in the driver’s seat for its first division title in a decade and its first playoff berth in seven years.
“We shot ourselves in the foot enough today to lose this ballgame by three, and we definitely understand that,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said.
Tampa Bay committed eight costly penalties, and committed the game’s only turnover.
On Nov. 30, Tampa Bay held off the Arizona Cardinals to improve to 7-5 and maintain a half-game lead over Carolina in the division.
Since then, the Buccaneers have dropped three consecutive games, all against NFC South opponents.
Tampa Bay posted a 10-4 record in December during Bowles’ first three seasons as coach. This year, the Buccaneers have lost all three of their December games.
Despite their struggles, the Buccaneers had a chance to seize control of the NFC South late Sunday. Trailing by three, Tampa Bay drove six plays to the Carolina 42-yard line with 49 seconds remaining before quarterback Baker Mayfield was intercepted by cornerback Lathan Ransom, sealing the game.
Mayfield’s throw was intended for receiver Mike Evans, but Evans broke to the right while Mayfield threw to the left, directly into Ransom’s hands.
“Unfortunately it was,” Mayfield said when asked if the play was a miscommunication. “I was trying to find a lane to step through and make a throw to him, and he thought I was going to scramble. It’s a sucky situation.”
Tampa Bay has now lost four of its last five one-possession games, a sharp contrast to the start of the season when the Buccaneers won three straight games on game-winning drives in the final minute.
Mayfield completed 18-of-26 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in six of his last seven games.
Carolina quarterback Bryce Young completed 21-of-32 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan led all players with six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.
The Buccaneers leaned heavily on the run, carrying the ball 33 times for 169 yards — just the fifth time this season Tampa Bay has logged at least 30 rushing attempts. Running back Bucky Irving had a game-high 19 carries for 71 yards. No Buccaneers receiver finished with more than 40 receiving yards.
Veteran linebacker Lavonte David recorded his 1,700th career tackle, becoming the seventh player since 1994 to reach that milestone. Veteran receiver Chris Godwin Jr. also surpassed 7,500 career receiving yards, becoming just the second player in franchise history to do so.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin continued his strong season, converting field goals from 23 and 50 yards. He leads the NFL with 12 field goals of at least 50 yards and has made 16 consecutive kicks overall.
Despite the late-season slide, the Buccaneers can still claim a fifth straight NFC South title and a sixth consecutive playoff appearance by winning their final two games against Miami and Carolina.
Tampa Bay will put its season on the line next Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium against the Dolphins.