Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Bucs live updates: Bucs clinch playoff berth in shutout
The Carolina Panthers (2-15) took on the Tampa Bay Bucs (9-8) on Sunday afternoon in Bank of America Stadium and fell in historic fashion — a 9-0 loss.
That marks the Panthers’ second consecutive shutout loss. They’re only the second team to suffer back to back shutouts since 2008, when the Cleveland Browns did that. It also means the Panthers went the entire 2023 season without leading in the fourth quarter — both of their wins came via walk-off field goals.
With the win, the Bucs will be the NFC South’s divisional winner and will make the playoffs.
The Observer had five journalists passing along live updates and analysis and news from uptown Charlotte. Catch those musings below.
Panthers vs. Bucs NFL score
Bucs 9, Panthers 0 — FINAL
Live updates from Bank of America Stadium
Fourth quarter
0:00: The Bucs took that fumble and used up the last 6:19 to win the game. They earned a first down on the ground right before the two-minute warning and then knelt thereafter to secure the 9-0 win.
6:19: You can’t make this stuff up. Raheem Blackshear takes a run to the left 30-plus-yards for a score, but that gets called back thanks to an illegal formation penalty. That same drive, left tackle Ickey Ekwonu gets beat and quarterback Bryce Young gets sacked and Tampa Bay recovers. The Bucs lead 9-0 and take over from their own 44. The Panthers are staring their second-straight shutout, as well as the league’s first 2-15 season, right in the face.
10:18: Another Bucs field goal (39 yards) punctuates another promising but largely fruitless Bucs possession. This latest one? Nine plays, 37 yards, 4:42 of game time. Baker Mayfield’s stat line in this one thus far: 19 of 31 for 123 yards and a passer rating of 69.7.
Third quarter
0:00: Carolina’s scoreless streak continues. Matthew Wright had a chance to rectify that at the end of the third quarter but missed a 52-yard field goal wide left. The Bucs will take over from their own 42 at the start of the fourth.
Second quarter
0:00: Not much offense in this one thus far. The only two scores have come thanks to two field goals on two of the Bucs’ three final drives. That last Chase McLaughlin field goal soared true from 57 yards as time expired in the second quarter to put the Bucs up 6-0 at the half. The Bucs have 131 total yards; the Panthers have 107. McLaughlin has accounted for all the game’s points, with his other field goal coming from 36 yards.
12:18: One of the more exciting plays of the season — a Bryce Young scramble turned into a 42-yard reception by DJ Chark — gets undone. It was originally ruled a touchdown, but after review, it was called that Antoine Winfield forced a fumble before Chark crossed the goal line. Chark was reaching for the end zone and holding the ball loosely when the fumble occurred. The ball was recovered in the end zone by the Bucs. First-and-10, touchback. Bucs ball. Still scoreless.
First quarter
11:49: The first drive for the Bucs sees a few first downs — and a bunch of Baker Mayfield completions, to the delight of a ton of people in the stadium — but ultimately ends with a punt. The Panthers start on their own 25 after an Ihmir Smith-Marsette punt.
Kickoff, 1 p.m.: Matthew Wright kicks off, and it’s a touchback. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense will start from the 25.
11:35 a.m.: Today’s inactives list just dropped. Those guys out: K Eddy Piñeiro (right hamstring), CB Shaquill Griffin, T Ricky Lee, G Cade Mays, G Ilm Manning, WR Mike Strachan and OLB Marquis Haynes. That means kicker Matthew Wright, who was signed and elevated from the practice squad all this past week, will handle field goal duties today. The Panthers have also activated top cornerback Jaycee Horn, and he’s expected to play, per the team. With Mays out, Nash Jensen and Gabe Jackson expect to start at guard, and with rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo on injured reserve, Terrace Marshall will be active today, too.
Plus, some fun sights and sounds:
11 a.m.: The final game of the regular season is upon us! On the home side, there are the Carolina Panthers — the 2-14 squad with an interim head coach and a rookie quarterback that has already clinched the NFL’s worst record. On the visiting side, there are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the 8-8 team that is a win away from conquering the embattled NFC South and earning a fourth consecutive playoff appearance. But this will likely be a steady mix of fans. Walking into the stadium, you could see Baker Mayfield jerseys of all colors: red for Tampa Bay, blue for Carolina, brown for Cleveland. The cheapest tickets are set for $20 on TicketMaster before fees.
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Bucs score predictions
The Bucs, led by former Carolina quarterback Baker Mayfield, are 4.5-point favorites as of Thursday evening, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The contest will kick off at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast by FOX. Local fans can also catch the game on 99.7 FM or on one of the affiliates on the Panthers Radio Network. Keeping accountable, Observer columnist Scott Fowler leads the way with a 13-3 record, followed by Langston Wertz Jr. at 11-5. The paper’s beat writers, Alex Zietlow (9-7) and Mike Kaye (8-8), have each taken their lumps in predictions this season.
Mike Kaye: Buccaneers 23, Panthers 17. Carolina’s campaign of comeuppance is nearing its end. I’m still not sure what to make of Bryce Young’s yo-yo season, but I’ve been impressed by his durability as he has been bent like an accordion between defenders every week. The Bucs are trying to win the division and still have Panthers killer Mike Evans on their roster, so I can’t imagine this will be a fun afternoon for the Carolina faithful in Uptown this Sunday. The offseason is on its way — time for another lengthy coaching search.
Scott Fowler: Buccaneers 20, Panthers 10. Keep your drinks firmly in your hands and not on your neighbors, ladies and gentlemen, no matter what you see on the field. The Panthers won’t get shut out again, at least, as they did a week ago. But this season is about to come to a merciful end with another loss.
Langston Wertz Jr.: Buccaneers 28, Panthers 13: And so it ends. The Panthers were 2-14 in 2010, 1-15 in 2001 and 4-12 in 1998. But this season feels like the worst of them all. We’ve seen Carolina turn around fast, though. In 2003, two years after the one-win season, Carolina was in the Super Bowl. But these Panthers aren’t winning this week. After Baker Mayfield gets a win, Tampa will go to the playoffs and Carolina will go into an offseason filled with questions: Who’s the new coach? Is there a new GM? How much roster churn will there be? The biggest question, though, is this: Will some hope come with all that change?
Alex Zietlow: Buccaneers 22, Panthers 12. The Panthers played well against the Bucs a few weeks ago, holding Baker Mayfield in check and propelling Chuba Hubbard to a 100-plus-yard, two-touchdown game on the ground. But any hope for a Panthers win in this one doesn’t come from a rational place, I fear. What would constitute a moral victory for Carolina? Keeping rookie quarterback Bryce Young healthy. Everything else can be addressed in the offseason.
Expert predictions across the country
ESPN: Take a look at this week’s picks provided by ESPN’s panel of NFL experts.
CBS: Pete Prisco has the Bucs beating the Panthers and claiming the NFC South title. What a year it has been.
NFL.com: Ali Bhanpuri is taking the Bucs in this one, too, banking on the fact that the Panthers against the Jags show up instead of the Panthers against the Packers.
This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
