Bucs blow another 2nd-half lead as division race comes to the wire They're just not going to do this the easy way, are they? The Bucs had a chance to practically wrap up the NFC South division crown on Sunday but blew two leads against the Panthers in a 23-20 loss. The odds say Tampa Bay will still win the division, but the reality is the Bucs have squandered numerous opportunities to put the NFC South away. If Carolina beats NFC No. 1 seed Seattle next weekend and Tampa Bay loses at Miami, the Bucs will be spending January at home for the first time since 2019. With the defense's struggles in recent weeks, the Bucs were clearly trying to compensate by running the ball and controlling the clock. Unfortunately, the offense had too many penalties and pass-protection breakdowns that sabotaged drives. Carolina drove 43 yards to set up a 48-yard game-winning field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald with 2:20 remaining. The Bucs had a chance to tie the game in the final two minutes, but their final drive was derailed when backup linebacker John Bullock was called for a dead-ball personal foul on the kickoff that pushed Tampa Bay back to the 10. The Bucs moved into Carolina territory on their final drive, but Baker Mayfield threw an interception on second and 9 from the 42 to basically seal it. Play of the day The offense screwed up by failing to hold on to the ball and kill the clock at the end of the first half. The defense screwed up by allowing the Panthers to quickly move into field-goal range. And then Todd Bowles screwed up by calling a zero blitz when the Panthers were at the 22 with 12 seconds remaining and no timeouts. It was clearly a situation where Carolina was going to take a shot at the end zone, and the blitz meant Jamel Dean was in 1-on-1 coverage. Dean got beat by Tetairoa McMillan for a touchdown that put the Panthers up 13-10 going into halftime. Game ball While the defense failed again in the final minutes, Lavonte David finished the game with 10 tackles and teamed up with SirVocea Dennis on a sack. Keep an eye on Shaq Barrett. Or maybe Chidi Ahanotu. He's only 55, so he's probably still in decent shape. The outside pass rush continues to be a problem, and re-signing 36-year-old Jason Pierre-Paul did not help much on Sunday. Playoff update Take a deep breath. Even with Sunday's loss, the Bucs are in decent shape. As long as the Panthers do not beat the Seahawks next week, Tampa Bay can clinch the NFC South by winning the season finale against Carolina at Raymond James Stadium. Up next This is the most consequential Tampa Bay-Miami game in at least 25 years. At least for the Bucs, it is. If Carolina beats Seattle next week, the Bucs must beat the Dolphins to remain alive. The Dolphins, meanwhile, could be playing for coach Mike McDaniel's job. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times, published 22 December 2025