Carolina
Panthers
5-6
28
FINAL
33
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
2-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 13 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers 33-28, solidifying their playoff positioning as the season heads into its final stretch. Both teams entered the game with high stakes, looking to bolster their chances for a postseason spot, but it was the Buccaneers who emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle.
Tampa Bay's offense was on fire, led by quarterback Julian Sayin, who threw for an impressive 356 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Bucky Irving added a strong ground game, racking up 123 rushing yards, while rookie sensation Zachariah Branch showcased his skills with 142 receiving yards. Together, they formed a potent trio that kept the Panthers' defense on its heels throughout the game.
Defensively, the Buccaneers made critical plays at key moments, most notably with linebacker Alex Anzalone, who snagged two interceptions to thwart Carolina's drives. While the Panthers' Lathan Ransom made his presence felt with five tackles and a sack, it was Anzalone's timely takeaways that turned the tide for Tampa Bay. The turning point came in the second half when Anzalone's second interception set up a touchdown drive, allowing the Buccaneers to regain momentum and ultimately seal the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Sayin | QB | 38 | 23 | 61% | 356 | 4 | 3 | 93.7 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 18 | 11 | 61% | 238 | 2 | 3 | 102.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 14 | 123 | 8.8 | 17 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 13 | 60 | 4.6 | 21 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Jimmy Horn Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey`Dez Green | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 7 | 142 | 20.3 | 69 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| Trey`Dez Green | TE | 6 | 120 | 20.0 | 53 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 3 | 67 | 22.3 | 27 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 6 | 56 | 9.3 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Jimmy Horn Jr | WR | 1 | 55 | 55.0 | 49 | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 16 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
| Jalen McMillan | WR | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | — | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Bauer Sharp | TE | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Demani Richardson | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bobby Brown III | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Thornton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Roberts | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathaniel Watson | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

