Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19 Carolina Panthers 22 Sunday 24 December 2017   at Bank of America Stadium
SCORING CAR 8:13-1Q Gano FG25 TB 2:24-1Q Murray FG31 CAR 8:38-2Q Gano FG28 TB 2:58-2Q Murray FG41 CAR 2:43-2Q Byrd 103 kick return (kick blocked) TB 0:02-2Q Murray FG21 TB 10:27-3Q Wilson 18 pass from Winston (Murray kick) CAR 4:49-3Q Gano FG30 TB 14:57-4Q Murray FG26 CAR 0:35-4Q Newton 2 run (Gano kick)
Of all the games the 2017 Buccaneers lost, they will look back at this one and wonder how.  Numerous scoring chances went begging, fieldgoals instead of touchdowns, a kick return score against them, a failed fake punt that saw a penalty extend a drive and then a winning score with 35 seconds left on a ball that was fumbled.  Jameis was simply magnificent but could not do it all on his own and the record fell to 4-11.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Barber 13-51, Martin 6-7, Winston 3-6, Rodgers 1-2, Sims 1-0. PANTHERS: Newton 14-52, McCaffery 9-39, Stewart 7-19, Whittaker 1-5. PASSING BUCS: Winston 27-21-367-0-1. PANTHERS:  Newton 25-16-160-1-0, Anderson 1-0-0-0-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Evans 6-107, Godwin 3-98, Humphries 3-51, Brate 3-13, Martino 2-57, Barber 2-4, Sims 1-19, Wilson 1-18. PANTHERS: Bersin 3-45, Olsen 3-27, Funchess 3-11, Clay 2-24, McCaffery 2-19, Byrd 1-31, Whittaker 1-4, Stewart 1-(-1). INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Alexander 1-28. PANTHERS: none. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Sims 1-13. PANTHERS: Byrd 3-146, Whittaker 2-19, Cox 1-13. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Humphries 0-0. PANTHERS: Clay 1-3. SACKS BUCS: McCoy 1-12, Russell 1-8. PANTHERS: Short 1.5-13.5, Horton 1.5-6.5, Peppers 1-13, Worley 1-2, Addison 0.5-3, Lotulelei 0.5-3.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 76 Smith LDE 95 Russell LG 64 Pamphile DT 93 McCoy C 68 Hawley DT 90 Baker RG 62 Smith RDE 92 Gholston RT 77 Benenoch MLB 58 Alexander TE 84 Brate WLB 54 David TE 82 Auclair DB 35 Elliott WR 12 Godwin LCB 36 McClain WR 13 Evans RCB 24 Grimes QB 3 Winston SS 23 Conte RB 25 Barber FS 43 Ward PLAYED 7 Murray, 9 Anger, 10 Humphries, 16 Martino, 22 Martin, 26 Robinson, 27 Rivers, 32 Rodgers, 34 Sims, 37 Tandy, 39 Johnson, 45 Cross, 49 Bullough, 51 Beckwith, 59 Bond, 65 Sanborn, 66 Wester, 85 Wilson, 94 Clarke, 96 Siliga, 98 McDonald. DID NOT PLAY 14 Fitzpatrick, 67 Liedtke, 71 Ward. INACTIVES 4 Griffin, 11 Jackson, 29 Smith, 52 Harris, 72 Gettis, 79 O’Connor, 91 Ayers.
COMMENTARY CREW Kenny Albert and Ronde Barber
GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud pens an open letter to Jon Gruden Tom Jones decides that playing hard and moral victories cannot count Grading the various performances in the game How Roy Cummings saw it unfold for Florida Football Insiders Scott Smith’s official game report The NFL Gamebook and play-by-play
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to view the big plays Chris Godwin’s 70-yard run and catch was the longest play of his NFL career Adam Humphries was the last person you would expect to win a jump ball near the goal-line Bobo Wilson’s first NFL reception was also his first NFL touchdown