Late INT gives Carolina advantage in NFC South The Carolina Panthers moved closer to making their first playoff appearance since 2017 after winning the first of two pivotal matchups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Rookie safety Lathan Ransom intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass with 42 seconds left at the Carolina 35-yard line to secure the 23-20 victory that puts the Panthers (8-7) a game ahead of the Bucs (7-8) in the NFC South with two games to play. Ryan Fitzgerald gave Carolina the lead when he kicked a 48-yard field goal with 2:20 left after the Panthers drove 43 yards in seven plays. Bryce Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards, two touchdowns, a 22-yarder to Tetairoa McMillan and a 6-yarder to Ja'Tavion Sanders nd no interceptions. Mayfield, who started six games for the Panthers in 2022, was 18-of-26 passing for 145 yards, a touchdown to Mike Evans and the game-sealing interception. It was the second consecutive game that Mayfield did not reach 200 passing yards. The two teams went back and forth all afternoon. After Fitzgerald gave the Panthers an early 3-0 lead, Evans' TD reception put the Bucs ahead 7-3. Young's third-down throw to McMillan with 7 seconds remaining in the first half put Carolina ahead 13-10 at the break. After they traded TDs in the third quarter, Chase McLaughlin pulled the Bucs even at 20-20 with a 50-yard field goal. The Panthers play the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks next Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, while the Bucs travel to Miami to play the Dolphins. If the Panthers win and Bucs lose next week, the Panthers win the NFC South. If they both win, both lose or if the Panthers lose and Bucs win, the division title will come down to a Week 18 winner-take-all scenario when Carolina plays at Tampa. A rookie comes up big Ransom went from goat to hero in a week. Ransom's personal foul on Saints QB Tyler Shough set up New Orleans' game-winning field goal in Week 15. But with Tampa Bay driving into Panthers territory on its final drive Sunday, Ransom intercepted Mayfield on a second-down pass intended for Evans. In addition to Ransom, fellow rookie Nic Scourton was all over the field, covering screens, running down ball carriers, and sharing a sack on Mayfield in the second half. Scourton, the second-round pick from Texas A&M, took down Mayfield (along with Derrick Brown) on a key third down to force the Bucs to settle for a field goal. Scourton now has four sacks on the season, trailing Brown (4.5) for the team lead. The last rookie to lead the Panthers in sacks was Julius Peppers. Young comes up clutch again While Mayfield faltered on the Bucs' final possession, Young came through with a big throw on what proved to be the 12th game-winning drive of his career. Young lofted a perfectly placed pass to Jalen Coker for 34 yards to put the Panthers in field goal range for Fitzgerald, whose 48-yarder with 2:20 left was the difference. Mayfield kept in check It's no secret that Mayfield still has a little extra something for the Panthers after the way things ended in 2022, after just seven games. He entered Sunday 4-0 against the Panthers since taking over as the Bucs' starting quarterback two seasons ago. He mostly hurt the Panthers with his legs Sunday, picking up 49 yards on four carries. But he was limited in the passing game. Rookie Emeka Egbuka was targeted just twice and had one reception for 40 yards. Mike Evans, who had 14 career TD receptions against the Panthers going into Sunday, added another one when he put Tampa Bay up 7-3 in the first quarter. But he finished the game with just five receptions for 31 yards. The Athletic, published 22 December 2025