The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started a must win game at home against the Carolina Panthers by going 3-and-out after the Panthers win the coin toss and elected to defer. Despite being gifted five yards on a first down encroachment call, the Bucs offense was unable to record even a first down on their opening possession.
The Bucs would start their second drive with poor field position again, but this time they’d pick up a first down on an eight-yard Doug Martin carry. The drive stalled after just a single first down after Mike Evans dropped a Jameis Winston pass on 3rd-and-5.
The Panthers second drive got off to a good start with first downs from Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, and former Buccaneers wide out Russell Shepard who converted a 3rd-and-9, as the Bucs once again struggled to get off the field in a 3rd-and-long situation. A couple Newton completions to far-too-open wide receivers later, the Panthers were inside the red zone. With just over a minute and a half left in the first quarter, the Panthers capped off the 17-play, 82-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard-touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart to put Carolina on top 7-0.
The Bucs would start the drive following the Carolina score with a J.R. Sweezy holding penalty which would have them start 1st-and-20 at their own 15-yard-line, but Jameis Winston found Desean Jackson for 19 yards on first down, allowing the Bucs to convert a 3rd-and-1 with a hand off to Martin on the final play of the first quarter. The Buccaneers drive was mired by another holding call, and eventually stalled, forcing the Bucs to punt the ball back to Carolina. The only good news for the Bucs is Chris Godwin batted the ball back out of the end zone on the punt, allowing the Bucs to down the ball at the Panthers 2-yard-line.
The Panthers were quickly able to move the ball out of the shadow of their own goal post, as Stewart picked up 11 yards on the first carry of the drive. That was all Carolina would accomplish on the drive, and they ended up punting out of their own end zone, after stalling at their own 7-yard-line. Bernard Reedy’s return took the ball into Panthers’ territory, but a block in the back on Godwin forced the Bucs to start all the way back at their own 29-yard-line. The Bucs drive looked as if it might stall around midfield where the Bucs faced a 3rd-and-11, but a Winston pass to Cameron Brate for 17 yards extended the drive. Moments later Winston fumbled the ball while trying to pitch it away while under pressure, and Carolina recovered the ball at their own 37.
After the Buccaneers turnover, each team took turns looking inept offensively, trading punts, and keeping Carolina in solid field position, as the Panthers would start their next drive around midfield with 2:28 remaining in the half. The Panthers were able to move the ball deep into Buccaneer territory, taking their final timeout at the Bucs 10-yard-line before a 3rd-and-6. The Bucs made the stop on third down, but the Panthers Graham Gano pushed through the short 28-yard field goal attempt to put the Panthers ahead 10-0 heading into the half.
The second half looked to be off to a poor start for the Bucs as a big kickoff return by Shepard gave Carolina great field position, and they were in Bucs territory plays into the half, however Chris Conte dove in front of an ill-advised pass from Newton, intercepting the football, and giving Buccaneers fans hope.
The Bucs were able to drive into Bucs territory, but after a great play by Shaq Thompson to stop Martin on a second down carry, and a sack of Winston where he had absolutely no time to throw, the Buccaneers were once again punting the ball back to Carolina. Another good Brian Anger punt pinned the Panthers back at their own 7-yard-line, still clinging to a 10-0 lead.
The Panthers couldn’t do much with their second possession of the second half, and the Bucs once again started with great field position, starting at their own 46-yard-line. Winston almost found Desean Jackson on a deep ball to start the drive, but the officials missed a pretty blatant pass interference on the play. Martin picked up a first down on a carry a play later, and then nine more a play after that. A play later, the Bucs were looking at 1st-and-10 at the Panthers’ 25-yard-line. The Bucs drive stalled short of the end zone, but Patrick Murray came in and remained perfect as the Bucs kicker, hitting the 41-yard field goal, and cutting the Panthers lead to 10-3.
While neither team was able to do much with their next drive, the Panthers moved the ball enough to flip field position, and start near midfield after the Bucs punt, and would start the fourth quarter with the football, and a 2nd-and-9 at their own 45-yard-line. The Bucs were able to hold the Panthers without another fourth down, and less than a minute into the fourth they’d see the ball again still looking for their first touchdown of the afternoon, down seven, in a must-win game.
The Bucs picked up a first down on the following drive, but Winston was picked off when he missed a blitzer coming and was intercepted by James Bradberry. Moments into the Panthers drive, Newton took off for 20 yards, and put the Panthers inside the red zone, and moments after that it was Newton finding Kelvin Benjamin for a touchdown to put the Panthers ahead 17-3 with 8:48 remaining.
The Bucs moved their next drive into Panthers territory, but it was another drive mired by a penalty on the offensive line, and eventually another interception by Winston, as Luke Kuechly stepped in front of a ball Jameis tried to force to Brate, giving the ball back to Carolina with just over six minutes remaining in what looked to be another game inevitably headed towards another Buccaneers loss.
Another Buccaneers drive ended up in scoring territory, but ended with one of the ugliest 4th-and-long plays you'll ever see, as an under pressure Winston was forced into throwing the ball up while being hit, with the ball barely reaching the line of scrimmage.
It wasn't long after that the Panthers put a knee on this game, and likely the Buccaneers season, as the Bucs fell to 2-5 with a 17-3 loss in which they showed very little fight.