Bucs Nation
– The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers, 16-14, to improve to 8-9 on the season and regain a share of the NFC South lead. With a win by the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, or a tie, the Buccaneers would earn their sixth straight playoff berth and claim their fifth straight division title. In doing so, the Buccaneers would become the first NFC team since the 1992–1996 Dallas Cowboys to win five straight division titles. The Buccaneers would also join the Buffalo Bills as the only teams in the NFL to make the playoffs in each of the past six seasons (2020–25).
– The Buccaneers have reached at least eight wins for the sixth consecutive season, which ties the longest-such streak in franchise history (1997–2002). Currently, only Pittsburgh (22 seasons), Baltimore (10), Buffalo (7) and Green Bay (7) have longer active streaks.
– The victory marked Tampa Bay’s sixth straight home win against the Panthers, their longest active home winning streak against any opponent. The six straight home wins is tied for their longest home winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history, joining a six-game stretch against Washington from 1994–2007 and a six-game stretch versus Minnesota from 1998–2008.
– Saturday’s win was Tampa Bay’s sixth straight game decided by four or fewer points, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind a seven-game run between the 2000 and 2001 seasons. It is the longest such streak within a single season in team history.
– The Buccaneers allowed just 19 rush yards on the day, their fewest in a single game since Week 4 of the 2021 season against the New England Patriots (-1). The 19 yards allowed is the ninth-fewest allowed in a single game in franchise history.
– Carolina averaged 1.36 yards per carry (14 carries for 19 yards) on Saturday, the seventh-worst average in their franchise history. Conversely, the 1.36 average allowed was Tampa Bay’s 12th-lowest mark allowed in a single game in Buccaneers franchise history. The 1.36 mark was the second-lowest allowed by any team in a single game this season, trailing only the 1.25 figure allowed by the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Detroit Lions in Week 16.
– The Buccaneers yielded just 16 first downs to Carolina on Saturday, their third-fewest allowed in a single game this season. Tampa Bay allowed the Panthers to gain just one rushing first down on the day, its fewest allowed in a game this season and fewest since Week 15 of the 2024 season against the Los Angeles Chargers.
– Tampa Bay limited Carolina to 1-of-8 (12.5%) on third down attempts on Saturday, with the one conversion allowed marking the fewest the Buccaneers have permitted in a game this season and the fewest since Week 15 of the 2024 season against the Los Angeles Chargers (zero). Similarly, the 12.5% conversion rate was Tampa Bay’s lowest success rate allowed in a game since that same Chargers game (0-for-6; 0%).
– LB Lavonte David finished...
