Carolina
Panthers
2-8
56
FINAL
28
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
4-6
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-scoring affair, the Carolina Panthers triumphed over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a decisive 56-28 victory in Week 12 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications on the line, the Panthers showcased their offensive firepower, solidifying their position in the hunt for postseason glory.
Leading the charge for Carolina was quarterback Bryce Young, who delivered a phenomenal performance with 425 passing yards and five touchdown passes. Complementing his effort, wide receiver Jalen Coker had a standout game, racking up 198 receiving yards, making crucial catches that kept the Buccaneers' defense on its heels. Despite the loss, Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving put on a show of his own with 108 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to match the Panthers’ explosive offense.
Defensively, the Panthers were relentless, with Devin Lloyd leading the way with 10 total tackles, while Derrick Brown contributed significantly with 1.5 sacks, consistently pressuring the Tampa Bay offense. The turning point came when Young connected for a touchdown shortly after a defensive stop, shifting momentum decisively in favor of Carolina. The Buccaneers struggled to regain control, ultimately allowing the Panthers to pull away for the convincing win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 40 | 30 | 425 | 5 | 1 | 138.0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 32 | 20 | 217 | 2 | 1 | 90.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 18 | 108 | 6.0 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 16 | 98 | 6.1 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| British Brooks | FB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Wiley | TE | 2 | -3 | -1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Coker | WR | 11 | 198 | 18.0 | 2 | 59 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 9 | 96 | 10.7 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 87 | 21.8 | 2 | 49 | 0 |
| John Metchie III | WR | 5 | 74 | 14.8 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 6 | 49 | 8.2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 2 | 42 | 21.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jared Wiley | TE | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 10 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jarran Reed | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Bullock | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Patrick Jones II | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'Davious White | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |

