Newton, Carolina slip past Tampa Bay
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Bucs had the firstplace Carolina Panthers on the ropes Sunday, a chance to salvage something from this miserable season.
Then they did what bad teams do and beat themselves.
Quarterback Cam Newton fumbled the snap, picked it up and rushed 2 yards up the middle for a go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds remaining to give the Panthers a 22-19 win.
Carolina clinched a playoff spot and handed Tampa Bay (4-11) its fifth straight loss.
The Bucs led 19-15 and had a chance to expand it, but Patrick Murray — who had kicked four field goals — missed wide right from 51 yards.
That gave the Panthers the ball in great field position needing a touchdown to win.
Newton hit Brenton Bersin for 23 yards on first down and fired 13 yards to Kaelin Clay to move the ball to the 23. He hit Clay again for a first down to the 12-yard line with 1:25 remaining.
The Panthers faced fourth and 3 at the 5-yard line when defensive tackle Chris Baker jumped offside, enabling Jonathan Stewart to pick up the first down on a 1-yard run on the next play, and Newton scored one play later.
Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston passed for 367 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. But he fumbled three times, with Carolina recovering the last fumble with 30 seconds remaining and running out the clock.
Winston, who turns 24 in January, tied Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino for the most NFL touchdown passes before his 24th birthday with 68, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The Bucs star tied the mark with an 18-yard pass to former college teammate Bobo Wilson.
“It doesn't really matter if you have those games when you lose,” said Winston, who was 21-for-27. “I have to say, a bunch of unfortunate things just happen to us. We just have to get better.”
Through three seasons, Winston has 41 interceptions with one game to play. Marino had 43 picks in his first three seasons.
Still, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter called Winston a “warrior.”
The Bucs trailed at halftime 12-9, unable to convert several chances to score touchdowns. The difference in the game was three plays, really.
Winston lost two fumbles in the first half and the Bucs allowed a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to Damiere Byrd.
The first fumble came on the opening possession when Winston was sacked by Wes Horton and lost the ball at the Tampa Bay 33-yard line.
That led to Graham Gano’s 25-yard field goal.
A 34-yard run by Peyton Barber, who started the game, got the Bucs back into scoring position.
But from third-and-7 from the Carolina 13-yard line, Mike Evans slipped in the end zone and the pass was incomplete, even though Evans was called for pushing off on the play.
Another Buccaneers scoring drive ended when Winston fumbled the snap at the Carolina 18-yard line and Julius Peppers recovered.