The Carolina Panthers are officially in the driver’s seat of the NFC South race, and they’ve got their rookie core to thank for it. In a gritty 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Carolina not only kept its playoff hopes alive-they gave themselves two clear paths to clinch their first postseason berth since 2017.
It all came down to a pair of rookies stepping up in crunch time. First, kicker Ryan Fitzgerald drilled a 48-yard field goal with 2:20 left to break a 20-20 tie.
Then, with the Bucs threatening in the final minute, safety Lathan Ransom picked off Baker Mayfield at the Carolina 30-yard line with just 42 seconds remaining. Game over.
Panthers win.
“I think it’s just us being able to come into our own,” quarterback Bryce Young said afterward. “A lot of key young guys, and you’re just seeing them getting more and more comfortable.”
Young’s not wrong. This team has been growing up fast, and Sunday was another step forward. The Panthers are playing with a playoff mindset already-every game is a must-win, and they’re treating it that way.
“For us, we play a one-game season,” Young said. “That’s kind of our mentality-going 1-0 each week.
The playoffs? Yeah, that’s out there.
But we don’t have the luxury to think about that yet. Next week is the biggest game of the year.
That’s always how it will be.”
That mindset has served Young well. Sunday marked the sixth time this season he’s led a fourth-quarter or overtime scoring drive that gave Carolina the lead for good.
The only other quarterback with that many is Denver’s Bo Nix. That’s elite company for a rookie.
“It feels great, and it’ll feel great for the next 24 hours,” Young said. “After that, it’s not going to matter.
There’s still a lot more work to be done. A lot more football to be played.”
The Panthers needed every bit of that composure on Sunday. This was a back-and-forth battle, and Carolina had to take the lead three separate times to finally put the Bucs away.
It started late in the first half, when Fitzgerald hit a 41-yard field goal to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 10-6. Then came one of the most impressive drives of the game.
With just over two minutes left in the half, Young engineered an eight-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard touchdown strike to Tetairoa McMillan with seven seconds on the clock. Young went 6-of-7 for 60 yards on the drive and looked completely in control.
Tampa Bay responded in the third quarter, retaking the lead at 17-13. But again, Young answered. With the pocket collapsing, he scrambled and found Ja’Tavion Sanders for a six-yard touchdown-Sanders’ first of the season-giving Carolina a 20-17 edge heading into the fourth.
Young kept that drive alive with some savvy running and a clutch third-down completion to McMillan. It was the kind of sequence that shows why Carolina believes they’ve got their guy.
The Bucs tied it up again midway through the fourth on a 50-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin, a drive set up by a 44-yard kickoff return from Kameron Johnson.
But Young wasn’t done. On third down, with the game hanging in the balance, he found Jalen Coker for a 34-yard completion that put Carolina in range for Fitzgerald’s game-winner.
“Bryce just did the right thing with the ball,” head coach Dave Canales said. “Threw it away when he had to, extended plays when he could. The confidence, the connection, the work he’s put in with this young skill group-it’s paying off.”
Coker’s catch was a big-time moment, too. One-on-one coverage, high-pressure situation, and he delivered.
Young finished the day 21-of-32 for 191 yards, two touchdowns, no picks, and 20 rushing yards on four carries. He also played through a bit of adversity-an offensive lineman stepped on his ankle early in the game, but after a quick retape, he didn’t miss a snap.
“We’re all playing through something this time of year,” Young said. “It’s football.
Everyone’s dealing with something. Any chance I can be out there with the guys, I’m always going to take it.”
With the win, Carolina moves to 8-7 on the season, while the Bucs drop to 7-8. The math is simple now: if the Panthers beat the Seahawks next week and Tampa Bay loses to Miami, Carolina clinches the NFC South and earns a home playoff game. If not, the division will come down to a Week 18 rematch with the Bucs.
But for now, Canales is focused on the moment-and proud of how far his team has come.
“There’s hope and belief in that locker room,” he said. “Everything’s still right in front of us.
These guys have earned the right to play meaningful football in December. That’s not something you can fake.
That comes from the work, the accountability, the preparation.”
Canales also pointed out that, given how the season started, the Panthers have essentially been in playoff mode for a month.
“We’ve been playing playoff football for a really long time,” he said. “Every game has mattered, and that’s why we’re in this spot now. We’ve got another week, another opportunity, and we’ve got to take the lessons from this one and move forward.”
Next up: the Seahawks in Charlotte. Another must-win. Another chance for this young Panthers team to prove they belong in the postseason conversation.