4 months ago
The victor of nan NFC South will person a losing grounds and beryllium crowned astatine location watching connected television.
Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown walk to Cade Otton, Chase McLaughlin kicked 3 section goals and nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided elimination pinch a sloppy 16-14 triumph complete nan Carolina Panthers connected a rain-soaked Saturday.
The Buccaneers (8-9) request New Orleans (6-10) to hit aliases necktie Atlanta (7-9) connected Sunday to clinch a 5th consecutive NFC South title.
If nan Falcons win, nan Panthers (8-9) will unafraid their first section title since coach Ron Rivera and backmost Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 grounds and a Super Bowl quality 10 years ago.
The Buccaneers clasp a two-team tiebreaker complete nan Panthers. But Carolina clasp nan three-team tiebreaker complete Tampa Bay if Atlanta besides decorativeness 8-9.
Before nan Buccaneers faced New Orleans successful October, Mayfield accused nan Saints of soiled play and said: “I do not for illustration them.”
Now, Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes hinge connected nan Saints beating nan Falcons connected nan roadworthy connected Sunday.
The Buccaneers were 0-8 successful games wherever Mayfield threw an interception earlier overcoming his ninth prime successful nan past 8 games.
After McLaughlin’s 38-yard field-goal effort was blocked pinch conscionable complete 5 minutes remaining, Carolina sewage wrong 16-14 connected Bryce Young’s eight-yard TD walk to Jalen Coker pinch 2:27 left.
Mayfield tossed a short walk to Otton for a 20-yard summation connected third-and-4 to widen Tampa Bay’s thrust and tally disconnected much time. The Panthers sewage nan shot backmost astatine their 3 pinch 18 seconds and nary timeouts left. The crippled ended connected a hopeless bid of laterals that resulted successful a fumble.
Mayfield connected pinch Otton connected an 18-yard TD walk for a 7-0 lead arsenic nan Bucs scored a touchdown connected their opening thrust for nan 3rd consecutive game. It was Otton’s first TD of nan season.
Down 10-0, nan Panthers turned Christian Rozeboom’s interception into a speedy score. Rozeboom returned nan prime 20 yards to Tampa Bay’s 19. Young past connected pinch Tommy Tremble connected an 8-yard TD walk to trim it to 10-7.
Jacob Parrish picked disconnected Young precocious successful nan 2nd half and nan Buccaneers sewage a 36-yard section extremity from McLaughlin to return a 13-7 halftime lead.
McLaughlin kicked a 48-yard section extremity early successful nan 4th to widen Tampa Bay’s lead.
Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yarder short connected nan opening thrust of nan 3rd quarter.
Mayfield completed his first six passes earlier misfiring connected a cross-field, 13-yard flip to Payne Durham, who was wide unfastened successful nan extremity zone. The Bucs settled for McLaughlin’s 29-yard section extremity and a 10-0 lead.
Gene Deckerhoff, nan sound of nan Buccaneers for 37 years connected radio, is retiring aft nan season. Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans and seasoned linebacker Lavonte David could person played their past crippled pinch nan Buccaneers and perchance successful nan NFL if they take to retire.
David was a second-round prime successful 2012, made 1 Pro Bowl, was a first-team All-Pro erstwhile and 2nd squad All-Pro twice.
Evans, nan No 7 wide prime successful 2014, had a 1,000-yard play each twelvemonth of his profession until this one, erstwhile he collapsed his clavicle successful October and missed respective games.
