Buccaneers crush turnover-prone Panthers 43-13 in Baker Mayfield's return

Published October 25, 2026 03:55 PM The Panthers couldn’t get out of the way of the Buccaneers’ freight train on Sunday.The Bucs led 17-0 early in the first quarter, 33-6 at halftime and blew out the Panthers 43-13. It was ugly for the home team, which turned it over four times for 20 Buccaneers points and gave up a 2-point defensive conversion on a blocked PAT.The Bucs are 2-5 and the Panthers 3-3.Baker Mayfield returned after missing three games with a broken right thumb, but the Panthers’ ineptitude and the Bucs’ run game powered Tampa Bay.The Bucs rushed for 258 yards on 49 carries, with three backs over 50 yards rushing. Bucky Irving led the way with 24 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Kenneth Gainwell added 88 yards on 14 carries, and Sean Tucker had seven carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Mayfield was only 7-of-11 for 64 yards and a touchdown, a 14-yard throw to Tez Johnson.Bryce Young threw two interceptions and lost a fumble on a strip-sack Al-Quadin Muhammad that Calijah Kancey returned 32 yards for a touchdown. David Moore muffed a punt that Ko Kieft recovered for the Bucs at the Carolina 18. The Bucs had scoring drives of 14, 32 and 6 in addition to their defensive touchdown. They also had the NFL’s first defensive 2-point conversion of the season when Tykee Smith blocked Ryan Fitzgerald’s PAT attempt and Zyon McCollum returned it to the end zone.McCollum also had one of the picks of Young.