The Numbers Behind the Buccaneers’ OT Thriller
Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers capitalized on an overtime fumble from Chuba Hubbard and won a thriller against a much-improved Carolina Panthers team by a final score of 26-23. With a Bucs win and the Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Chargers today, Tampa Bay is now tied (though, without the tiebreaker) for the lead in the NFC South with a 6-6 record.
What are the numbers that defined the game for the Buccaneers?
152 – Bucky Irving had 152 rushing yards against the Panthers. It’s the most rushing yards any Tampa running back has had in a game all season, and it was a huge portion of Tampa Bay’s 236 total rushing yards on the day.
10 – Irving had 28 touches (25 carries, three catches) on the day, which set the rookie’s career high by 10 (18 in Week 12).
2 – Bucky Irving had exactly twice as many rushing yards as Rachaad White (76).
1 – Tampa Bay had one scoring drive in the second and third quarters combined – a 27-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin in the second quarter.
30 – Tampa had 30 seconds to erase a 23-20 lead on their final regulation drive. They executed a six-play, 36-yard drive to send it to overtime.
3 – This was the third overtime game the Bucs have played this season, and the first where they came out victorious.
100-plus – Mike Evans had 118 receiving yards this afternoon. It’s the first time all season that he’s topped the century mark in terms of receiving yards in a game, and he had more receptions (8) and targets (12) than every other Buccaneers wide receiver combined.
43 – The Bucs’ run defense, which has struggled for a good portion of the season, limited Chuba Hubbard to 43 rushing yards. It was his lowest rushing yardage total since Week 1.
3 – Yaya Diaby’s fumble recovery from Chuba Hubbard in overtime was one of three fumble recoveries that the Bucs had on the day. Though the other two they recovered were both their own.
33.3% – Both teams combined to score touchdowns on just three out of nine combined red zone opportunities. The Bucs converted two of their five opportunities and the Panthers converted one out of four times.
1 – Despite his reputation as a gunslinger, Baker Mayfield had more interceptions than touchdowns for the first time all season and only the second time in his tenure as the Bucs starter.
7 – Both teams committed exactly seven penalties. The Panthers had a slight “edge” in terms of penalty yards accumulated (62-54).
4/7 – Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton both had the same amount of receptions (4) and targets (7). However, Shepard had more than twice as many yards (42) as Otton (20).
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