By Joseph Person, Mike Jones and Ken Bradley
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield rolled right and hit tight end Cade Otton for a 20-yard gain on third-and-4 at the two-minute warning and the waiting — and rooting — game unofficially began.
The Carolina Panthers got the ball back with 16 seconds left and no timeouts at their own 3-yard line, but were unable to do much of anything before time expired and the Buccaneers celebrated … and extended their season for at least one more day.
Advertisement
Tampa Bay’s 16-14 victory means the NFC South winner will be determined late Sunday afternoon. It also means the division winner will finish the season 8-9, becoming the first team since the 2022 Bucs to reach the playoffs with a losing record.
Now, both teams will be glued to their TVs on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET when the New Orleans Saints play at the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs (8-9), Panthers (8-9) and Falcons (7-9) would be tied at the top of the NFC South with an Atlanta win.
Continue Reading on New York Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.