The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won in dramatic fashion against the Carolina Panthers 26-23 in overtime in an NFC South battle on Sunday. The Bucs’ win improved their record to 6-6 and moved them into a tie with the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the division.

Chase McLaughlin hit a 30-yard field goal with 2:13 left in overtime to give the Buccaneers the win. McLaughlin missed a 55-yarder on the Bucs’ first possession of overtime after sending the game into overtime with a 51-yard kick at the end of regulation. After the missed 55-yarder, the Panthers took over at the 45-yard line. Anthony Nelson has turned the tide. He tackled Chuba Hubbard and forced a fumble. Yaya Diaby recovered the football at Tampa Bay’s 29 and brought Mayfield and Co. back onto the field.

“We found a way to win,” Baker 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 points in the fourth frame to take a four-point lead. Rookie running back Bucky Irving scored on a six-yard run, and his 43-yard rush on Tampa Bay’s ensuing drive set up McLaughlin’s 26-yard field goal. On the touchdown play of a counter-run, Ko Kieft and Payne Durham acted as lead blockers to create scoring space for Irving. However, Carolina then orchestrated a 60-yard drive that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Adam Thielen, giving the home team a three-point lead. On the 43-yarder, Durham executed a criss-cross block inside to set up Irving for the explosive run. Baker Mayfield threw a 17-yard pass to Mike Evans and scrambled for 10 yards to put the Bucs within range for McLaughlin’s game-winning kick.

Irving totaled a season-high 185 yards from scrimmage (152 rushing, 33 receiving) and also scored a rushing touchdown. It was his third game this season in which he had more than 100 yards from the point of attack, the second-most such games among rookies this season. Irving has amassed more than 150 yards from the point of attack in consecutive games – the only rookie to accomplish that feat this season and the first since Miles Sanders in 2019. Over the past ten seasons, Irving has been along with Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Sanders the only rookie to record consecutive games with more than 150 yards rushing. Irving now has the two highest scrimmage yard totals by a rookie this season in consecutive weeks.

Mayfield completed 21 of 33 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His favorite target was Evans, who recently returned from a hamstring injury and caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Whether it was a double move after a release on a corner route or an in-cut for a first down, Evans set the tone. His one-handed grab in the highlight of the first quarter gave the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead. After drawing a defensive pass interference penalty on Mike Jackson that created a new set of downs, Evans fended off Jaycee Horn (inside lever) with his left hand and made a spectacular grab with his right hand. while he manages to get into the game with both feet. A 21-yard gain after a bubble screen by Sterling Shepard and a slippery Irving run/Wham block by Cade Otton helped set up the touchdown.

Anthony Nelson’s crucial forced fumble could be the turning point of the year for Tampa Bay in the division hunt. Nelson was pushed into a larger role with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka sidelined with an ankle injury. In addition to the overtime takeaway, he recorded six tackles and three quarterback hits against Young. Yaya Diaby also recorded three hits against Young and six tackles, and Calijah Kancey grabbed a takedown.

Kancey recorded his sixth sack of the season against Young and his fifth in the last four games. His 5.0 sacks since Week Nine are the fourth-most in the NFL during that span. His 6.0 sacks are the second-most among players with 350 or fewer defensive snaps played this season, trailing only Aidan Hutchinson (7.5). The Panthers’ signal-caller consistently used his legs to escape pressure while the Bucs’ unit struggled with lane integrity and Young found his targets further down the field. Young completed 26 of 46 passes for 298 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.