Bucs Gameday

RECAP: Mike Evans Dominates Panthers As Tampa Bay Ends Losing Streak With 21-18 Win

A 75-yard Mike Evans touchdown gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the spark they needed to defeat the Carolina Panthers in a must-win game at home.

Collin Haalboom

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The matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was one between two teams that were both heading in the wrong direction. The good news? One of them had to win.

And when the rain started to pour down at Raymond James Stadium early in the game, it felt inevitable that whoever did manage to grind out a victory would be doing so in a way that would not fit the criteria of ‘aesthetically pleasing’.

Which is exactly what was happening... until Mike Evans took over. 

Let's run it back. 

Buccaneers Linebacker Carted To Locker Room With Back Injury

The Bucs started with the ball, and the first drive saw a run-heavy approach with some nice wrinkles mixed in by OC, Dave Canales. But the drive was halted on 3rd-and-13 when Baker Mayfield attempted a pass to Trey Palmer over the middle that was well short of the sticks.

As has been the case in many of their games this season, that would be the first of many punts for Jake Camarda.

The Panthers would experience the same fate on their first possession, thus giving the Buccaneers a fresh chance at scoring first.

A 40-yard pass down the sideline from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans placed the Buccaneers at the Panthers’ 5-yard line. And after a flag was thrown for a pass interference penalty against Mike Evans, the Bucs’ had a fresh set of downs from the 1-yard line. They wouldn’t need them though, as Rachaad White punched it in for a touchdown on the very next play.

Dec 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) hands off to running back Rachaad White (1) against the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers 7, Panthers 0

Like the Bucs, Carolina found more success on their second drive.

As the rain began to pour down at Raymond James Stadium, the Panthers seemed unbothered, as they managed to move the chains several times as they worked their way past midfield. Then, a costly unnecessary roughness penalty committed by Carlton Davis as he tackled Panthers' wide receiver, Jonathan Mingo, gave the Panthers a free pass into the red zone. However, Ryan Neal came up with a huge TFL on Chuba Hubbard, forcing the Panthers to settle for a field goal.

Buccaneers 7, Panthers 3

Meanwhile, K.J. Britt, who was filling in for injured linebacker Devin White, had to be carted off the sideline after suffering a back injury of his own. Without Britt, the Buccaneers were officially down three inside linebackers. Bowles got creative, and used five defensive backs for the majority of the game, while Ryan Neal moved up to occupy a linebacker position. 

Buccaneers Linebacker Carted To Locker Room With Back Injury

The relentless downpour in Tampa was obviously having a significant impact on both teams' offenses, as neither was able to muster up any sort of productivity with the ball. Each of the next four possessions in the game resulted in punts.

Then, about halfway through the second quarter, Baker Mayfield tossed an 'ugly duckling' of a pass into the air – targeting a wide-open Mike Evans – but after the ball hung in the air for several seconds too long, it was picked off by Panthers’ defensive back, Xavier Woods.

Dec 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) intercepts the ball from Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

It was far from surprising when the Panthers were unable to capitalize, though. And after both teams had managed to put some points on the board, they both reverted back to their ineptitude on offense, and proved to be incapable of generating any more points in the first half.

At halftime, the Buccaneers led 7-0 over the Panthers.

After both teams exchanged punts to start the second half, Antoine Winfield Jr. — who continues to put together an All-Pro caliber season — came up with a big sack of Bryce Young on third down, for a loss of 9 yards, sending Carolina's punt team back onto the field. 

After Baker Mayfield sailed yet another pass — that should have been intercepted — beyond the reach of Mike Evans, the Bucs were forced to punt again. It should be noted that Mayfield did not play well in this football game. 

Despite the rain playing a factor, Mayfield missed a number of wide-open receivers throughout the course of the afternoon. He had just nine completions with 8:03 remaining in the third quarter. 

Finally, Carolina began to find some success moving the ball. After hitting Sullivan for a gain of 16 yards, Bryce Young then hit Jonathan Mingo along the opposite sideline for a chunk play of 31 yards, putting the Panthers deep into the Bucs' territory. 

Chuba Hubbard, who had a solid outing in this contest, did the rest. After carrying the ball to the 2-yard line, he punched it in on the very next play, giving the Panthers their first lead in the game.

Panthers 10, Buccaneers 7

On the very next play, Baker Mayfield finally managed to complete a pass. And boy was it a big one. Mike Evans ran a beautiful corner-post route, and Mayfield hit him in stride as he broke towards the middle of the field. 

Evans did the rest, as he took the ball all the length of the field and dove towards the pylon. Although the play was initially ruled short of the goal line, a replay review quickly determined what everyone in the stadium already knew... As he approached the endzone, Evans had managed to tip-toe the sideline, and while flying through the air with his body out of bounds, reach the ball inside the pylon, clearly crossing the touchdown plane.

Buccaneers 14, Panthers 10

It was an incredible effort, by an incredible player, who delivered the longest touchdown of his career to his team when they needed it most. 

Not only was the TD reception Mike Evans' 10th of the season, but it was his 11th career touchdown vs. the Carolina Panthers, which is the most he's scored against any opponent in the league. Before the fourth quarter had even begun, Mike Evans had recorded 5 catches for 144 yards and a TD and was just 6 yards shy of reaching the 1,000 receiving mark for the 10th consecutive season. 

To make matters worse for the Panthers, their star edge rusher, Brian Burns, was ejected after throwing a punch at Bucs' rookie RG, Cody Mauch, during a scuffle. 

There's no question that the huge touchdown play by Mike Evans ignited the Buccaneers

After stopping the Panthers' ensuing possession, the Bucs' offense marched the ball down the field with great efficiency. This is when Chris Godwin decided to get in on the action, and took a jet sweep 19 yards to the endzone for just his second touchdown of the season. 

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 10

The second half proved to be far more entertaining than the first. After multiple Buccaneers' touchdowns, it was Carolina's turn to join in on the fun. 

After moving the ball past midfield, facing fourth-and-long, Bryce Young hit D.J. Chark on a 30-yard pass down the sideline. Carlton Davis was in coverage.

On the very next play, Chuba Hubbard punched in for his second touchdown of the game.

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 16

The Panthers chose to go for two, and after what appeared to be a sack by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the Bucs' defender was flagged for a facemask. On the second attempt, Bryce Young scampered into the endzone without resistance for the conversion.

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 18

With 5:02 left in the fourth quarter, and a three-point lead, the Bucs retained possession. 

On the very first play of the drive, Baker Mayfield hit Mike Evans on a comeback route for an 11-yard completion. The reception put Evans over the 1,000 receiving yard mark on the season, which is his 10th consecutive season — every year of his career — breaking the 1,000 yards plateau. 

Mike Evans is a first-ballot hall-of-famer.

Unfortunately, the Bucs only have one Mike Evans. 

And after a check-down pass to Rachaad White lost yards, and Mayfield was unable to connect with Chris Godwin on third down, the Buccaneers' drive ended with less than two minutes taken off the clock.

The Panthers quickly advanced the ball towards midfield. Next thing you knew, they were facing 4th-and-1 from their own 40-yard line. At which point, Bryce Young dropped back under pressure and scrambled around before sending the ball through the air, up the sideline, and directly into the hands of Antoine Winfield Jr. 

Winfield's impressive closing speed was on full display, as he managed to beat the receiver to his spot, and picked the ball off before running out of bounds. 

That was the ball game.

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 18

This game was a tale of two halves. 

After both offenses were stymied in the rain for the majority of the first half, new life was granted to both squads in the second. 

The one who injected life into this football game was Mike Evans. 

On the same night that he cemented his legacy as the only player to ever record 1,000 yards receiving for 10 consecutive years to start his career, Mike Evans managed to provide a wake-up call to his teammates, his quarterback, and the rest of Raymond James Stadium, in a matter of seconds.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.