The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired a go-ahead touchdown with 30 seconds left in regulation, missed a field goal in overtime and… Despite it left Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday with a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers. The win improved Tampa Bay’s record to 6-6 and put them in a duel for first place in the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons, who lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

“Every week we say it’s a playoff game and we have to take care of ourselves,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “And it won’t be easy. As it was today, it will be a dogfight every week. We just have to be ready to play and make fewer mistakes. Our hearts are in it, but we have to.” It’s difficult to win in this league, no matter how you do it.

Chase McLaughlin made a 30-yard field goal with 2:13 left in overtime after a 38-yard run by Rachaad White brought the ball to Carolina’s 10-yard line. McLaughlin missed a 55-yard throw on the Bucs’ first possession of overtime, but sent the game into overtime with a 51-yard throw at the end of regulation. The Bucs got their extra shot in overtime when OLB Anthony Nelson forced a fumble from RB Chuba Hubbard, which OLB Yaya Diaby recovered at Tampa Bay’s 29.

“It was a tough game (and) the football gods were kind to us,” Bowles said. “In the first half of the season we wouldn’t have finished the game. We did a great job of fighting back all season. They played hard, we played hard. We made mistakes in the first half of the season and this one too. “We managed it in the game. We learned some mental toughness.

The Buccaneers won in overtime for the first time since defeating the Arizona Cardinals 19-16 on Christmas Day 2022. In six away games so far this season, the Buccaneers are 4-2 and have never been behind at the end of regular time. Tampa Bay has already lost in overtime to the Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs this season, each losing the first coin toss and conceding a touchdown on the first drive of overtime.

“We found a way to win,” Mayfield said. “It’s good for us to be on the right side in the end. We were sloppy everywhere at first. Offensively, too many penalties, mental mistakes, things like that, but finding a way to take it to overtime and getting the win is a big challenge for us.”

The Buccaneers scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead. Rookie RB Bucky Irving scored on a six-yard run with nine minutes left, and his 43-yard run on Tampa Bay’s next drive set up McLaughlin’s 26-yard field goal. But Carolina’s rapidly improving young quarterback Bryce Young then led a 60-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR Adam Thielen and a three-point lead. QB Baker Mayfield threw a 17-yard pass to WR Mike Evans and scrambled for 10 yards to put the Bucs within range for McLaughlin’s game-winning kick.

Irving had the best game so far of his impressive rookie season, running 25 times for 152 yards and a touchdown and adding three catches for 33 more yards. He did much of that damage in the second half after suffering a hip injury on the kickoff return that ended the first half. In total, the Buccaneers rushed for 236 yards against the NFL’s 32nd ranked rush defense, averaging 6.1 yards per tote.

“He had a great game,” Bowles said. “He had over a hundred yards. Rachaad also played well. (Irving) has a hip pointer right now. Rachaad finished the game and had the big run at the end.”

Mayfield overcame a slow start to complete 21 of 33 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His favorite target was WR Mike Evans, who recently returned from a hamstring injury and caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. His incredible one-handed fade pass in the first quarter gave the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead.

“It was an interesting thing,” said Mayfield, who briefly left the game in the third quarter after someone came after him because he initially thought he had torn his Achilles tendon. “Honestly, it scared the crap out of me. I’ve seen a few people rupture their Achilles tendon and they said it felt like getting cleats. Obviously I thought I did it since I didn’t know what exactly happened. It was a little painful, but I was filmed again and went back out.

Nelson’s critical forced fumble was part of an impressive performance from the sixth-year senior, who was thrust into a larger role with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka sidelined with an ankle injury. In addition to that extra time, he recorded six tackles and three hits against Young. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of his second son on Friday.

Diaby also had three hits against Young and six sacks, but the Bucs only sacked him once. Young consistently evaded pressure and played long before hitting his targets downfield. Young, the first pick in the 2023 draft who was benched earlier this season, completed 26 of 46 passes for 298 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. However, Tampa Bay’s defense did a good job of slowing Chuba Hubbard and the Panthers’ offense, which racked up 78 yards and an average of 3.7 per carry. The Bucs’ defense also continually tightened up in the red zone, with only one of four Panther trips inside the 20 resulting in a touchdown.

After rushing to 450 yards and 30 points in a Week 12 win at the New York Giants, the Buccaneers’ offense struggled to find a rhythm in the first half. She gained just 146 yards and failed on all five third-down attempts by halftime, trailing 13-10. Mayfield completed just two of his first eight passes, including three drops. The Bucs also had their only turnover of the first half, with Mayfield’s interception leading to Carolina’s go-ahead field goal just before halftime. The deficit could have been worse, but Panthers K Eddy Pineiro missed two field goals and the home team went 1-for-3 in the red zone.

Carolina got the ball first after a touchback and Young started the drive with a quick five-yard pass to WR Xavier Legette. Young then shot deeper down the right seam to TE Feleipe Franks, but LB Lavonte David had good downfield coverage and the ball was incomplete. Another deep hit to WR Adam Thielen was out of reach and the Panthers lined up to punt. The ball bounced out of bounds at the Bucs’ 26.