The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a chance to respond after a frustrating Week 15 loss to the Falcons - a game that head coach Todd Bowles didn’t mince words about, calling the performance “inexcusable.” He believed the message had been delivered loud and clear heading into Sunday’s matchup with Carolina. But if the Bucs heard it, they didn’t act on it - and now, with playoff hopes still mathematically alive, the question is whether this team can actually rise to the moment.
Tampa Bay had its chances against a Panthers team that’s struggled all year, but once again, the Bucs found a way to beat themselves. They surrendered a lead just before halftime when rookie quarterback Bryce Young beat the blitz and connected with wideout Tetairoa McMillan, who slipped behind cornerback Jamel Dean for a touchdown with seven seconds on the clock. It was a backbreaking lapse in coverage at a critical moment - and it wouldn’t be the last.
To their credit, the Bucs regrouped and retook the lead in the third quarter. But Young, showing the kind of poise that made him the No. 1 overall pick, continued to make plays under pressure. He escaped the rush and hit tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders for another score, capping a drive that gave Carolina a 23-20 edge with just over two minutes to play.
Still, the Bucs had a shot. Baker Mayfield had the ball in his hands with time on the clock - the kind of opportunity quarterbacks live for.
But the final drive came undone when Mayfield and Mike Evans weren’t on the same page. The miscommunication led to a costly interception by Panthers safety Lathan Ransom, effectively ending the game and sealing Tampa Bay’s sixth loss in their last seven outings.
That interception was just one of several self-inflicted wounds. The Bucs were flagged eight times, a recurring theme in their recent slide. Penalties, blown coverages, missed assignments - all of it added up, and Bowles didn’t shy away from calling it out.
“Our confidence is good, camaraderie is good - and that’s high - but that’s not enough right now,” Bowles said postgame. “It’s the execution that we’re lacking. We shot ourselves in the foot enough today to lose this ballgame by three.”
Bowles emphasized accountability, both from players and coaches, and said the focus now is on taking it one day at a time. There’s still a chance - a real one - that the Bucs could be playing for the division in Week 18. But with the Dolphins up next and the Panthers facing the Seahawks, Tampa Bay’s margin for error is razor-thin.
And here’s the thing: we’ve heard variations of this message from Bowles before. The talk about execution, accountability, and confidence has been a staple of his postgame comments throughout the second half of the season.
But talk only goes so far. The Bucs need results - and fast - if they want to turn this season-ending stretch into something more than a missed opportunity.