The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured the NFC South for the second consecutive week with a 30-24 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. as Tom Brady and his team blew up for 478 yards total attack.
Brady completed 34 of 45 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns – all three went to Mike Evans. The star wideout caught 10 passes for 207 yards and three scores, while Chris Godwin also impressed with 120 receiving yards on nine catches.
The Panthers took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter but only managed 10 points in the second half while Tampa Bay lost 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. Sam Darnold completed 23 of 37 passes for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while DJ Moore caught six passes for 117 yards and a score.
So what happened on Sunday? Let’s take a look at what a season-changing win for the Buccaneers could be.
Why the Buccaneers won
The first half for the Bucs was bad. The Panthers looked much more excited to play the football game while Godwin lost a fumble, Ryan Succop missed a field goal and Brady was clearly upset with his teammates and himself. Then this team settled in as a whole and delivered the best offensive performance of the season.
Brady threw for 432 yards. He hadn’t traversed 385 passing yards all season. His three passing touchdowns also marked a season high. It was common knowledge that Brady and Evans weren’t on the same page for most of the year. That narrative finally died Sunday as Evans set season-highs across the board with 10 catches, 207 yards and three touchdowns. He had three touchdowns in 14 games coming into this matchup.
On Sunday, Evans won his ninth straight season with 1,000 receiving yards and tied Tim Brown for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Evans already owned the NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start an NFL career.
That’s the kind of offensive blast you want just before the playoffs. With Brady being Brady, maybe the Bucs can achieve something if they get hot at the right time.
Why the Panthers lost
Carolina’s lead rusher in D’Onta Foreman surprisingly only had 35 yards and Darnold was just inconsistent. Ultimately, however, 24 historical points were enough to beat the Buccaneers this season. That Panthers loss came down to defense.
How does Evans score three touchdowns by doing the exact same thing? Panthers fans experienced déjà vu throughout the second half as Evans kept scoring, just burning man-coverage along the right touchline. That’s right, all three touchdowns he scored came on the right touchline, in man coverage, and in the same end zone. Jaycee Horn’s loss threatened to be big. Carolina dropped Tampa Bay 20 points in the fourth quarter alone, blasting that game wide and now the Panthers’ postseason hopes have been dashed.
turning point
With a deficit of three points and 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Panthers had a chance to lead a game-winning drive. On the first pull of that drive, rookie left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was edged out by Anthony Nelson, who caught Darnold from behind and forced a fumble. The Buccaneers recaptured loose ball, and Brady hit a one-yard score a few games later to extend the lead to nine points in under two minutes.
game of the game
Evans crossed 1,000 yards and got his ninth straight run thanks to three long touchdown receptions: a 63-yarder in the second quarter, a 57-yarder early in the fourth quarter, and then a 30-yarder seven minutes later.
The second touchdown made Evans the first player in franchise history Record touchdown receptions of more than 50 yards in the same game.
Quotable
What’s next
The Panthers travel to New Orleans next week and end the regular season against the rival Saints (7-9). The Buccaneers will travel to Atlanta to face off against Desmond Ridder and the 6-10 Falcons.