Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
1-4
7
FINAL
27
Carolina
Panthers
3-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Carolina Panthers secured a convincing 27-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 of the 2026 season, solidifying their position in the playoff race. With this win, the Panthers showcased their dominance on both sides of the ball, proving they are a force to be reckoned with as they move deeper into the season.
Bryce Young led the charge for Carolina, throwing for an impressive 300 yards and two touchdowns, displaying his poise and precision throughout the contest. Meanwhile, Tetairoa McMillan emerged as his top target, racking up 108 receiving yards and providing critical plays to keep the chains moving. Chuba Hubbard contributed to the offensive effort with 55 rushing yards, effectively complementing Young's aerial assault.
Defensively, the Panthers were relentless, with Tershawn Wharton recording a pivotal sack that disrupted Tampa Bay's rhythm. Bobby Okereke’s interception was a game-changing moment, halting any momentum the Buccaneers had hoped to build. Overall, Carolina's defense, coupled with their offensive efficiency, was instrumental in determining the outcome of this matchup, as they thoroughly outperformed Tampa Bay in all facets of the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 30 | 24 | 80% | 300 | 2 | 0 | 130.5 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 48 | 28 | 58% | 274 | 1 | 1 | 72.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 15 | 55 | 3.7 | 20 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 8 | 50 | 6.3 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 13 | 46 | 3.5 | 24 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | — | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Bauer Sharp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 5 | -2 | -0.4 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 6 | 108 | 18.0 | 22 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 7 | 84 | 12.0 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Bauer Sharp | TE | 8 | 78 | 9.8 | 20 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 7 | 72 | 10.3 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | — | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | SS | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demonte Capehart | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 36 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

