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Passing Optional in Win at Carolina | Data Crunch

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in a 43-13 win, marking their 11th victory in their last 13 matchups with their division rivals from Charlotte. The win also evened up the all-time series between the two teams at 26-26. The 30-point margin of victory was the 10th largest in franchise history and the Buccaneers largest against any team since a 48-14 home win on December 29, 2024 against…the Carolina Panthers. It was Tampa Bay's third-best margin of victory in a road game in team annals.

Largest Margin of Victory, Road Games, Buccaneers History

1. 40: 47-7 at Detroit, 12/26/20

2. 35: 35-0 at Cincinnati, 12/27/98

3. 30: 43-13 at Carolina, 10/25/26

4t. 28: 45-17 at Philadelphia, 11/22/15

4t. 28: 35-7 at Cincinnati, 9/29/02

Tampa Bay took a 33-6 lead into halftime on Sunday, marking the third most points the team had ever scored in a first half. The only greater totals were 35 against Chicago on Oct. 24, 2021 and 34 at Detroit on Dec. 26, 2020.

The Buccaneers rolled over the Panthers despite quarterback Baker Mayfield having to throw only 11 passes against the team that traded for and then waived him during the 2022 season. Mayfield completed seven of those 11 throws for 64 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 109.7 passer rating. That is the third lowest total of passes ever thrown in a victory by the Buccaneers and the lowest in 46 years.

Fewest Pass Attempts in a Victory, Buccaneers History

1t. 10, vs. Green Bay in 21-3 win, 10/21/79

1t. 10, at New Orleans in 33-14 win, 12/11/77

3. 11, at Carolina in 43-13 win, 10/25/26

4. 12, vs. St. Louis in 17-7 win, 12/18/77

5t. 13, at Detroit in 23-20 win, 11/13/88

5t. 13, vs. Kansas City in 3-0 win, 12/16/77

The Buccaneers threw just 11 passes because their run game was dominant throughout the afternoon, starting with a 70-yard opening drive that included 10 carries by running back Bucky Irving for 51 yards. By game's end, the Bucs had rolled up 258 yards on 49 carries, marking the fourth-most rushing yards and tied for the third-most runs in a game in team history. It was the 14th time the Bucs have run the ball 46 or more times in a game, and they are 14-0 in those contests.

Most Rushing Attempts, Single Game, Buccaneers History

1. 62, vs. Kansas City, 12/16/79

2. 51, at Cincinnati, 12/27/98

3t. 49, at Carolina, 10/25/26

3t. 49, vs. Oakland, 11/10/96

3t. 49, vs. New York Giants, 11/2/80

Most Rushing Yards, Single Game, Buccaneers History

1. 283, at Philadelphia, 11/22/15

2. 278, at Oakland, 11/14/12

3. 277, at New Orleans, 10/13/24

4. 258, at Carolina, 10/25/26

5. 250, vs. Dallas, 12/3/00

Irving posted his second 100-yard rushing game, with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 24 totes. It was his fifth career 100-yard game and his first with multiple rushing touchdowns. The performance continued his outsized success against the Panthers in his young career. Irving has now faced Carolina five times and 527 rushing yards, 654 yards from scrimmage, 4.62 yards per carry, three touchdowns and 33 rushing first downs.

With his 110 yards from scrimmage, Irving increased his career total to 3,015, becoming the 22nd player and 12th running back in team history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark. He got to that milestone on a total of 595 touches; since Irving entered the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, only he and San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey have created 3,000-plus yards from scrimmage on fewer than 600 touches.

Irving produced his 110 yards in three quarters of play, as he was rested in the fourth period with the game well in hand. Running backs Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker finished up the ground-game dominance, with Gainwell gaining 88 yards on 14 carries and Tucker adding 52 yards on seven handoffs. That marked Gainwell's best outing so far since joining the Buccaneers in free agency this past offseason, and it was his third-most rushing yards in any game in his career. Tucker's contributions included a 46-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career and his second score of the season.

Tucker has now scored 13 touchdowns on 185 touches since joining the Buccaneers in 2023. He is the first running back in team history to surpass 10 touchdowns scored on fewer than 200 touches.

The Bucs' 258 outburst on the ground Sunday came just two weeks after the team piled up 241 rushing yards in a win at Dallas. Tampa Bay now ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards per game and yards per carry, with Week Seven's Monday Night Football game still to be played.

Bucs vs. Panthers

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