According to Steve Reed, a sports writer for the Associated Press,

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have secured a spot in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, with credit going to their strong defense.

Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, the defense pitched a shutout and the Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers 9-0 on Sunday to win their third consecutive NFC South title.

On Sunday, Tampa Bay (9-8) had a crucial game where they either had to win to secure a spot in the playoffs, or lose and be eliminated.

The Buccaneers did not have a strong offensive performance as Baker Mayfield only threw for 137 yards in his comeback game against Carolina. However, their defense managed to do just enough to secure the win, with some help from the Panthers’ mistakes.

The Panthers were limited to 199 yards and 11 first downs by the opposing team, who also caused two turnovers and successfully sacked rookie quarterback Bryce Young three times.

Mayfield praised our defense, even though he hurt his ankle during the game. He credited the defense for making important plays, and also acknowledged our offense for successfully running the ball. While the win wasn’t perfect and there is still room for improvement, Mayfield is focused on the playoffs and resetting for the next game.

Todd Bowles, coach of Tampa Bay, expressed his approval of the team’s established culture, which has successfully endured even after Tom Brady’s departure.

Bowles expressed that there are many methods to achieve a goal. He also noted that the team had strong belief in each other and did not allow outside influences to affect them. Instead, they created their own story and put in dedicated effort and practice to achieve success.

Young completed 11 out of 18 passes for a total of 94 yards, but the Panthers had two potential touchdowns that were ultimately denied.

The Carolina Panthers, who were defeated 26-0 by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, have now become the first team since the Cleveland Browns in 2008 to be unable to score in two consecutive games. This is the first time in the Panthers’ 29-year existence that they have been shut out in back-to-back games.

Carolina’s football team, the Panthers, made history by being the first NFL team since 1991 to not run any plays while in the lead during the fourth quarter of a game. Their only two victories this season were achieved through field goals at the end of regulation when they were behind.

The Panthers, with a record of 2-15, ended the season with the lowest win-loss ratio in the NFL and the second-worst in franchise history. This is only surpassed by their 1-15 season in 2001 under George Seifert. Unfortunately, they will not have the opportunity to choose first overall in the 2024 draft, as that pick belongs to the Chicago Bears as part of the trade for Young.

“This locker room is going to undergo changes,” stated interim Panthers coach Chris Tabor when discussing the upcoming offseason.

Mayfield was on the Panthers for the previous season, but only won one game out of five as a starting player before being let go midway through the season. Despite dealing with some discomfort in his ribs, he managed to complete 20 out of 32 passes. Rachaad White of Tampa Bay rushed for 75 yards.

The Buccaneers were leading 6-0 at halftime thanks to field goals by McLaughlin from distances of 36 and 57 yards. McLaughlin also made a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers consistently made crucial errors, as inferior teams often do.

During the second quarter, Young threw a pass to DJ Chark who then sprinted 43 yards along the sideline, seeming to score a touchdown. However, upon review, it was determined that Chark had actually fumbled the ball while attempting to leap over the goal line. Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Bucs managed to knock the ball out, and Tampa Bay recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.

Winfield described the moment he saw the receiver catch the ball and extend it with one hand, anticipating that he would try to reach for it. He maintained his position and when the receiver did reach, Winfield punched the ball out.

In the third quarter, substitute kicker Matthew Wright of the Panthers failed to make a 52-yard field goal after Young was tackled on third down, leading to a significant 9-yard setback.

Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, the Panthers were penalized for an illegal formation, causing running back Raheem Blackshear’s impressive 28-yard touchdown run to be nullified.

Tabor expressed that we had made a mistake or caused ourselves harm.

ROUGH ROOKIE SEASON

In his first year as a rookie, Young had a difficult time with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses as a starting player. He only averaged 179.3 passing yards per game and had 11 touchdown throws and 10 interceptions, three of which resulted in touchdowns for the opposing team.

However, Tabor remains optimistic about Young’s potential for success.

Tabor believes that in the future, when this person is in their twelfth year and achieving great success, they will look back on their first year and recognize that even though it may have been difficult at the time, it ultimately contributed to their current success. They have a promising future ahead.

INJURIES

Buccaneers: None reported.

In the first half of the game, Panthers’ tight end Tommy Tremble was forced to leave due to a back injury.

UP NEXT

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured the fourth spot in the NFC and will have home-field advantage against the fifth-ranked team.

The Panthers are starting their search for a head coach.

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The NFL section on AP News can be found at: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL.

Source: wralsportsfan.com