Irving got the scoring started on the game's opening drive after the Bucs won the coin toss and elected to take the ball first. Irving had 11 touches and 51 yards on the 70-yard touchdown march, including the four-yard run at the end. Irving scored again on a one-yard run late in the second quarter.
"We took the ball, trying to set the tone early with our guys," said Mayfield. "It wouldn't have mattered, I think the defense would have come out and set the tone regardless, but we wanted the ball for that reason. We wanted to set the tone for us."
That opening drive almost stalled just past midfield but Mayfield kept it alive with a scrambling 19-yard throw to WR Tez Johnson. Mayfield and Johnson also hooked up later in the third quarter on another third down scramble drill, this one for a 14-yard touchdown. Johnson led the team with just 33 receiving yards but still made a big impression on Mayfield.
"For Tez to be able to have two really critical scramble-drill catches…that was big time," said Mayfield.
The Buccaneers produced their most dominant first half in recent memory, taking a 33-6 lead into halftime, which ranked as the third most first-half points in a game in franchise history. That included a season-high 17 points off turnovers, but the offense also produced 196 yards, mostly on the ground. Mayfield only had to throw nine passes in the half, but the last one was an improvisational 14-yard end zone pass to Tez Johnson that was the 200th regular-season touchdown pass of his career. Irving ran 18 times for 84 yards and two touchddowns and the Bucs had 147 ground yards in the half overall.
Diaby had the first three-sack game of his career and the first by a Buccaneer since Devin White in 2020. After producing just six sacks through their first five games, the Bucs now have two consecutive five-sack games. The Bucs' defense also got its hands on six Young passes, including two by CB Jacob Parrish.
The Bucs won the opening coin toss and elected to take the ball first, with WR Kam Johnson returning the kickoff to the 30. The offense tried to start with a tunnel screen to Godwin and it was blocked up well but the receiver bobbled and dropped the pass. Fortunately, Irving found the right edge on his first carry and broke free for a 15-yard gain. Two more Irving runs moved the chains again as they went for three and seven. Mayfield was pressured quickly on the next snap and his desperation pass was batted away, and on second down he had to settle for a flat checkdown to Irving (technically a run) that gained nothing. On third down, Mayfield scrambled to the right and directed action downfield, eventually firing a 19-yard strike to WR Tez Johnson. Mayfield was flanked by both Irving and RB Kenny Gainwell on first down and he gave it to the former, who spun downfield for a gain of five. Irving made two tacklers miss on a short carry and he ended up getting to within a few inches of the first down. Guard Dan Feeney came in to play fullback on third down and helped pave the way for irving to get to the 15 for a first down. A catch and a run by Irving made it third-and-one at the six, and another plunge up the middle moved the chains again, making it first-and-goal at the four. One more handoff to Irving, who started up the middle and shifted right to trot into the end zone upright, got the job done.
Carolina's first drive started at its own 25 and got going with a swing pass to Hubbard, who ran out of bounds with a six-yard gain. Hubbard took handoffs on the next two plays and got enough for a first down at the 40. Three plays later, after a short catch by WR John Metchie made it third-and-six, Young threw over the middle to McMillan in a crowd and it was off his outstretched hand for an incompletion. Tez Johnson called for a fair catch on the resulting punt at the Bucs' 18.
Gainwell got the next carry, which went for three, then Irving came back in to do the same, making it third-and-four. Mayfield had to use a timeout before the next snap, and then took a shot to Godwin down the right sideline, which drew a pass interference call on CB Akayleb Evans. That made it first-and-10 at the Bucs' 45, and Gainwell turned his next two handoffs into eight yards. Unfortunately, Gainwell was bottled up completely and lost three yards, leading to a punt that bounced off WR David Moore's chest, with TE Ko Kieft recovering the loose ball at the Panthers' 18.
A fake to Irving and a pitch to Tez Johnson on an end-around worked to perfection as Johnson accelerated around the corner for a gain of 14. A one-yard run on a keeper by Mayfield took the ball to the three as the first quarter expired. After the switch of sides, RB Sean Tucker came in to run behind a jumbo package but slipped trying to make a cut and lost a yard. Mayfield tried to throw a shallow out to WR Ted Hurst on third-and-goal but the ball was deflected at the line by LB Bobby Okereke and the Bucs settled for McLaughlin's 22-yard field goal and a 10-point lead.
Carolina's next possession started at the 31, with Hubbard getting four on a sweep right on first down. A delayed swing pass to Hubbard with multiple rushers closing in on Young worked well as Hubbard had room to scamper for nine yards. Similarly, a tunnel screen to McMillan was blocked perfectly and gave him room for a seven-yard pickup. A holding call on the edge on TE Mitchell Evans erased a long run by Hubbard into Bucs territory and Diaby caught Young from behind for a one-yard sack on second-and-13. Muhammad made it two sacks in a row but this one was a huge play as Young lost the ball on nine-yard sack, with Kancey catching it on a hop and sprinted untouched for a 32-yard touchdown.
The Panthers started anew at their 28 and got nine right away on a quick curl to WR Jalen Coker. OLB David Walker pressured Young on second down and his throw to TE Darren Waller was too tall. Hubbard kept the drive moving by getting around right end for an eight-yard run. On the next snap, Young found Waller deep down the middle of the field and he split the defense for a 50-yard touchdown. The Bucs managed to score some points on the exchange, though, as Smith blocked the extra point attempt by Ryan Fitzgerald and McCollum scooped up the ball and dashed all the way to the other end zone for two points.