Written by Clark Gerber, a contributing sports writer for WRAL.

Carolina Panthers	18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	21
Final

In the third quarter, the Carolina Panthers gained the advantage. However, it quickly vanished.

Mike Evans ran for a 75-yard touchdown, cancelling out Chuba Hubbard’s leading score and ultimately securing a 21-18 victory for Tampa Bay.

Carolina played their first match with interim head coach Chris Tabor, who stepped in for recently dismissed Frank Reich.

Tabor expressed his disappointment in losing and acknowledged the difficulty and frustration that comes with it. However, he pointed out that there are two ways to handle the situation: with integrity or by making compromises. He posed the question of which approach will be chosen.

Despite the poor weather conditions, Hubbard displayed determination and skill as he carried the Panthers’ offense for the majority of the game at Raymond James Stadium.

He discovered success in only 11 seconds (of game time) before Evans, briefly giving the Panthers a lead of 10-7.

Carolina faced a double consequence when Evans scored a touchdown on the subsequent play from scrimmage.

Brian Burns, a prominent edge rusher, was removed from the game during the extra point when he struck Buccaneers’ offensive lineman Cody Mauch with a punch.

In the absence of Burns, Tampa Bay successfully executed a 7-play, 67-yard drive in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 19-yard run by Chris Godwin and increasing their lead to more than ten points.

In order to keep their chances of winning alive, the Panthers relied on Hubbard once more. He carried the team through an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in his second touchdown.

The game concluded with the third-year running back gaining 104 yards on 25 carries.

Bryce Young’s quick maneuver during the two-point conversion narrowed the score gap for Carolina, but it was the closest they would come to catching up.

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers had an opportunity to either tie the game or go ahead, but their quarterback Young’s pass on 4th and 1 was intercepted by Antoine Winfield Jr, effectively putting an end to their attempt to make a comeback.

Young stated that the league is ultimately based on results. Being close to achieving something is not sufficient. While there are things to learn and improve upon each week, the team failed to achieve their goal.

Young ended the day with a 15 out of 31 completion rate for 178 yards. This marks his fifth consecutive game with less than 200 passing yards.

The Panthers currently hold the lowest record in the league at 1-11. The New England Patriots are the lone team in the league with less than 3 wins.

Carolina will conclude their 3-game away series next Sunday in New Orleans.

Scoring summary

At 6:08 in the first quarter, Rachaad White rushed for 1 yard and Chase McLaughlin successfully made the extra point, giving the Buccaneers a score of 7-0.

At 1:30 PM, Eddy Pineiro successfully kicked a field goal from 23 yards, bringing the Buccaneers’ score to 7-3.

At 5:04 in the third quarter, Chuba Hubbard ran 1 yard, resulting in a touchdown for the Panthers. Eddy Pineiro successfully made the extra point, bringing the score to 10-7 in favor of the Panthers.

At 4:53 in the third quarter, Baker Mayfield made a 75-yard pass to Mike Evans, resulting in a touchdown. Chase McLaughlin successfully made the extra point, bringing the score to 14-10 in favor of the Buccaneers.

At 11:36 in the fourth quarter, Chris Godwin rushed for 19 yards and Chase McLaughlin successfully made the extra point. This brought the Buccaneers to a score of 21-10.

At 5:02 in the fourth quarter, Chuba Hubbard runs for 1 yard and scores a touchdown. The two-point conversion is successful. Bryce Young also runs to the right end and the Buccaneers now lead 21-18.

Source: wralsportsfan.com