In 5 weeks, Bucs will know if this was a gutty win or just a bad omen The game was thrilling. Also exasperating. It was wildly entertaining. Also infuriating. It was back-and-forth, sloppy and dramatic, but we won't know the true meaning of the Bucs' 26-23 overtime win against the Panthers Sunday in Charlotte until the regular season reaches its conclusion. Either Anthony Nelson just saved the season, or we might have witnessed the beginning of the end for Todd Bowles. Those are wildly different outcomes, but this game felt that meaningful. If the Bucs take this gift of a victory and complete another late-season push for the playoffs and a possible division title, this will be the game that sticks in the memory. It was the day the Bucs overcame a myriad of mistakes, took the lead in the fourth quarter, lost it, tied it at the end of regulation, blew a chance in overtime, allowed the Panthers to get in field-goal range, and then got a miracle forced fumble, courtesy of Nelson. But if the Bucs stumble in the next five weeks - or someone saves the Falcons with the Heimlich manoeuvre - this would be Exhibit A in the case against the head coach. The Bucs had already lost three times since October on a game's final play, but at least those were against decent opponents. This was an embarrassing performance against a soon-to-be 3-9 team with first place in the NFC South hanging in the balance. That speaks of preparation, or the lack thereof. There were three false start penalties. Two turnovers. Haphazard blitzes. Low snaps. Forty-six throws by Carolina quarterback Bryce Young and only one listed pass defense by the Bucs secondary. A series of shanked punts, and a kick-off that didn't even reach the landing zone and gave Carolina the ball at the 40 in the final minutes. Otherwise, I guess you could say it was well played. "We talked about it at halftime, we were shooting ourselves in the foot. We were getting false starts, we were getting penalties, we were backing ourselves up," Bowles told reporters after the game. "Second half, they came out with a mental toughness and they played together and we played as a team and we pulled it out." All true. But it leaves out some critical details. Such as Carolina kicker Eddy Pineiro missing two field-goal attempts. This guy had not missed two field goals the entire season. His career percentage of 89.7 coming into the game was the best in NFL history. When he was wide left on a 38-yarder in the second quarter, it was his first miss of less than 40 yards in more than two years. Also, there was a Bucky Irving fumble that bounced right back into his hands. And Baker Mayfield taking a critical sack in overtime that took the Bucs out of field-goal range. "It was sloppy at first, all over. Offensively, too many penalties, mental errors, things like that," Mayfield said a postgame news conference. "But to find a way to push it into overtime and get the win is big-time for us." It's true this is a young team. And the Bucs have had an unfortunate series of injuries at receiver and defensive back. The defense is thin and short of difference-makers. The offense has been treading water since Chris Godwin was lost for the season in late October. But there's a difference between getting beaten and giving a game away. The Bucs did everything they could to gift wrap this game to a last-place team, and the Panthers insisted on handing it right back. And, yes, good teams have inexplicable losses every week in this league. It happens, and it shouldn't cause anyone to overreact. The problem is the Bucs have already had a few of those. They lost an overtime game to Atlanta that was inexcusable. They lost on the final play at home against a 49ers team that is 5-7. They wasted a last-minute comeback against the Chiefs and lost in overtime. In all, the Bucs were 1-4 in games decided by seven points or less before Sunday. Had they lost to Carolina - had Nelson not rescued them by ripping the ball out of Chuba Hubbard's hands at the Bucs 30 in overtime - it would have opened the floodgates for critics to question Bowles' game-day management. Instead, the Bucs have a second life. They are tied with Atlanta atop the NFC South and have an easier schedule the final five weeks. Technically, the Falcons have a one-game advantage because of the tiebreaker, but the NFL's own playoff picture says Tampa Bay's chances at the postseason (59%) are better than Atlanta's (56%). If the Bucs take care of business and win a fourth consecutive South title, the Panthers game will simply be a humbling close call that could have been much worse. But if things turn out poorly in the coming weeks, there could be a much different reaction in the season's aftermath. And the Panthers game will be remembered as a bad omen. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times, published 1 December 2024