Late goal-line stand lifts Tampa Bay over Carolina
Panthers fail to get a TD, drop to 0-2
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jameis Winston threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, and Tampa Bay held QB Cam Newton in check and came up with a late goal-line stand as the Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers 20-14 on Thursday night to give coach Bruce Arians his first victory with the team.
Chris Godwin had eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown and Peyton Barber ran for 82 yards and a score as the Bucs won despite converting only two of 12 third-down situations in the game that was delayed 25 minutes in first quarter because of lightning in the area.
Newton finished with 324 yards passing, but was held without a touchdown for the second straight game. He also fumbled.
Newton couldn’t get the Panthers (0-2) into the end zone on the final drive despite numerous breaks. On fourth-down play from the 2, the Bucs stopped
Christian McCaffrey after he took a snap out of the wildcat formation. Tampa Bay took over on downs.
The Buccaneers (1-1) got plenty of pressure on Newton with three sacks coming from Shaquil Barrett. They also held McCaffrey to 53 total yards from scrimmage after he racked up 209 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Panthers failed to reach the end zone, only scoring on Joey Slye’s four field goals and a safety by Luke Kuechly. They are 0-2 for the first time since the 2013 season.
JETS: Sam Darnold is sick and sidelined — likely for several weeks.
Coach Adam Gase announced Thursday the second-year quarterback has mononucleosis and will miss at least the team’s game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.
Trevor Siemian will start in Darnold’s place and could be the starter moving forward until Darnold recovers.
Siemian was signed as a free agent in the offseason after spending last season with Minnesota. The 27-year-old quarterback played in Denver his first three NFL seasons, and is 13-11 as a starter.
Nearly overshadowed in the stunning news about the quarterback was Gase announcing that running back Le’Veon Bell would be among the players sitting out of practice because of a sore shoulder.
Bell wrote on Twitter, though, that an MRI revealed no damage to his shoulder and he’s expecting to play against the Browns.
“I got great news,” Bell wrote. “My shoulder is fine so no worries.”
HALL OF FAME: First-time eligible candidates Troy Polamalu and Patrick Willis are among 122 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2020.
The nominees include 63 offensive players, 43 defensive players and 16 special teamers.
The class of 2020 will be selected in Feb. 1.
REDSKINS: Running back Derrius Guice had right knee surgery that coach Jay Gruden called a “minor procedure.”