NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 17 Game Recap: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Carolina Panthers 24

Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

In a battle for the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-24 on Sunday. The win brings the Bucs' record to 8-8 on the season, clinching them a second straight NFC South title, while the loss drops the Panthers to 6-10 on the year.

These are PFF’s standout players from the game.

Offensive spotlight: While quarterback Tom Brady could easily be the standout player today with over 400 yards passing and four total touchdowns, his go-to wide receiver, Mike Evans, had a career day. His 86.6 receiving grade was the best mark from either team on first review, thanks to his 207 receiving yards from12 targets and 10 catches. He also hauled in three touchdowns of 63, 57 and 30 yards.

Defensive spotlight: Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting had one of the best games of his season. He finished the contest with a 91.9 coverage grade. This came from only allowing 14 yards and one catch while also grabbing one interception.

Rookie spotlight: Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu had a good day blocking, especially in the pass-blocking category. He finished the day with a 90.0 pass-blocking grade on first review and did not allow a sack or a pressure.

Offensive line spotlight: It was a tough game back for Bucs right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who finished the day with a 63.9 overall grade on first review. He only yielded one pressure on the day, but it did result in a sack. However, he was the highest-graded Bucs offensive lineman in a game where both offensive lines struggled.

Box Score

Passing
Carolina Panthers
Player Fantasy Comp/Att Yds YPA TD Int
Sam Darnold 27.64 23 / 37 341 9.2 3 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Player Fantasy Comp/Att Yds YPA TD Int
Tom Brady 40.68 34 / 45 432 9.6 3 0
Rushing
Carolina Panthers
Player Fantasy Car Yds YPC TD Long
Sam Darnold 27.64 5 20 4 0 11
Chuba Hubbard 9.5 3 12 4 0 7
Laviska Shenault Jr. 4 1 7 7 0 7
D'Onta Foreman 3.5 13 35 2.7 0 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Player Fantasy Car Yds YPC TD Long
Tom Brady 40.68 3 4 1.3 1 2
Rachaad White 9.8 11 22 2 0 7
Leonard Fournette 8.7 10 28 2.8 0 7
Julio Jones 3.3 1 13 13 0 13
Receiving
Carolina Panthers
Player Fantasy Tgt Rec Yds YPR TD
DJ Moore 26.7 10 6 117 19.5 1
Shi Smith 17 4 4 70 17.5 1
Tommy Tremble 12.3 3 3 33 11 1
Chuba Hubbard 9.5 3 3 53 17.7 0
Giovanni Ricci 4.2 1 1 32 32 0
Laviska Shenault Jr. 4 3 2 13 6.5 0
Terrace Marshall Jr. 3.5 3 2 15 7.5 0
Ian Thomas 1.9 1 1 9 9 0
Raheem Blackshear 0.9 1 1 -1 -1 0
Stephen Sullivan 0 2 0 0 0 0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Player Fantasy Tgt Rec Yds YPR TD
Mike Evans 51.7 12 10 207 20.7 3
Chris Godwin 25 9 9 120 13.3 0
Rachaad White 9.8 5 5 26 5.2 0
Leonard Fournette 8.7 4 4 19 4.8 0
Russell Gage 6.3 3 3 33 11 0
Cade Otton 3.7 6 2 17 8.5 0
Julio Jones 3.3 2 1 10 10 0
Ko Kieft 0 1 0 0 0 0

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