TAMPA,Fla.– The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held off the Carolina Panthers 16-14 to snap a four-game losing streak, setting up a thrilling Sunday, when the NFC South winner will be decided by what happens between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
Bucs quarterback Baker mayfield has said he was not a Saints fan, but he told ESPN after Saturday’s game that “I am tomorrow!”
if the saints defeat the Falcons on Sunday, the Bucs would secure the division at 8-9. It would mark the first time a team has won five straight division championships as conference realignment in 2002, and would tie the Bucs for third-most titles in league history for any division.
A Falcons victory would give Carolina (8-9) its first playoff berth since 2017 and first NFC South title since 2015.
Buccaneers Hold Off Panthers in Mayfield’s Return
TAMPA,Fla. – Baker Mayfield threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the field, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a strong defensive performance to hold off the carolina Panthers 21-18 on Sunday.
Mayfield, playing his first game since suffering a hamstring injury, completed 22 of 35 passes. He connected with /id/39263419/panthers-playoff-hopes-hang-falcons-loss-buccaneers”>https://www.espn.com/nfl/story//id/39263419/panthers-playoff-hopes-hang-falcons-loss-buccaneers
A win by the Falcons would give the Panthers the division title due to the tiebreaker – a 3-1 record against both the Buccaneers and Falcons.However, a Saints victory would leave Carolina to reflect on a frustrating performance in the rainy conditions at Raymond James Stadium.
The loss was a result of struggles across the board, including a largely ineffective performance from quarterback Bryce Young for much of the game, and a struggling running game that managed only 19 yards.
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