The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched the NFC South for the second straight year with their 30-24 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. The Buccaneers haven't looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders for most of the season, but that changed on Sunday, as Tom Brady and his team exploded for 478 yards of total offense.
Brady completed 34-of-45 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns -- all three of which went to Mike Evans. The star wideout caught 10 passes for 207 yards and the three scores, while Chris Godwin also impressed with 120 receiving yards on nine catches.
The Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, but managed just 10 points in the second half while Tampa Bay dropped 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. Sam Darnold completed 23-of-37 passes for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while D.J. Moore caught six passes for 117 yards and a score.
So, what happened on Sunday? Let's take a look at what could be a season-changing win for the Buccaneers.
Why the Buccaneers won
The first half for the Bucs was poor. The Panthers looked much more excited to play the game of football, while Godwin lost a fumble, Ryan Succop missed a field goal and Brady was visibly upset with his teammates and himself. Then, this team as a whole settled in and delivered the best offensive performance of the season.
Brady threw for 432 yards. He hadn't crossed 385 passing yards all season. His three passing touchdowns also tied a season high. It was well known that Brady and Evans weren't on the same page for the majority of the year. That narrative finally died on Sunday, as Evans put up season-high numbers across the board with 10 catches, 207 yards and three touchdowns. He had three touchdowns in 14 games coming into this matchup.
On Sunday, Evans clinched his ninth consecutive season with 1,000 receiving yards, tying Tim Brown for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Evans already owned the NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start an NFL career.
This is the kind of offensive explosion you want to have right before the playoffs. With Brady being Brady, maybe the Bucs can accomplish something if this is them getting hot at the right time.
Why the Panthers lost
Carolina's leading rusher in D'Onta Foreman surprisingly had just 35 yards, and Darnold was just inconsistent. Ultimately, however, 24 points scored historically has been enough to beat the Buccaneers this season. This Panthers loss came down to the defense.
How does Evans score three touchdowns doing the same exact thing? Panthers fans experienced deja vu the entire second half, as Evans scored again and again just by burning man coverage along the right sideline. Correct, all three touchdowns he scored came on the right sideline, in man coverage and occurred in the same end zone. The loss of Jaycee Horn loomed large. Carolina allowing Tampa Bay to drop 20 points in the fourth quarter alone blew this game wide open, and now, the Panthers' postseason hopes have been dashed.
Turning point
Down three points with 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Panthers had a chance to lead a game-winning drive. On the first play of that "drive," rookie left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was beat on the edge by Anthony Nelson, who hit Darnold from behind and forced a fumble. The Buccaneers recovered the loose ball, and Brady punched in a one-yard score a couple plays later to extend the lead to nine points with under two minutes remaining.
Play of the game
Evans crossed 1,000 yards receiving for the ninth consecutive season, thanks to three long touchdown receptions: a 63-yarder in the second quarter, a 57-yarder early in the fourth quarter and then a 30-yarder seven minutes later.
The second touchdown made Evans the first player in franchise history to record touchdown receptions of 50-plus yards in the same game.
Quotable
What's next
The Panthers travel to New Orleans next week, and will finish out the regular season against the rival Saints (7-9). As for the Buccaneers, they will travel to Atlanta to take on Desmond Ridder and the 6-10 Falcons.