The Bucs clinched their first division title since 2007 with a stellar defensive performance that saw them have their second
straight game without giving up a touchdown. The offense was missing starters everywhere but did enough with unheraled
Cyril Grayson and Ke’Shawn Vaughn having big plays whilst Jordan Whitehead was everywhere on defense all game.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Vaughn 7-70, Jones 20-65, Grayson 1-14, Brady 1-11,
Bell 2-(-1).
PANTHERS: Newton 5-42, Darnold 1-11, Hubbard 6-9,
Bonnafon 1-4, Abdullah 2-1.
PASSING
BUCS: Brady 30-18-32-0-1, Gabbert 1-0-0-0-0.
PANTHERS: Newton 13-7-61-1-0, Darnold 32-15-190-0-0.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Brown 10-101, Grayson 3-81, Jones 2-16, Brate 2-11,
Gronkowski 1-23.
PANTHERS: Anderson 5-58, Moore 5-55, Smith 3-86, Abdullah
3-8, Tremble 2-22, Bonnafon 2-12, Marshall 1-6, Thomas 1-4.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Whitehead 1-7.
PANTHERS: none.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: none.
PANTHERS: Abdullah 3-76.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Barner 5-44.
PANTHERS: Erickson 2-22.
SACKS
BUCS: Gholston 2.5-15.5, Vea 1-10, Nelson 1-8, Minter 1-7,
Barrett 1-3, McLendon 0.5-1.5.
PANTHERS: none.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32 Carolina Panthers 6
Sunday 26 December 2021 at Bank of America Stadium
GAME SCORING
CAR
0-3
7:17-1Q
Hajrullahu FG24
TB
7-3
4:13-1Q
Vaughn 55 run (Succop kick)
TB
10-3
10:54-2Q
Succop FG36
CAR
10-6
7:20-2Q
Hajrullahu FG29
TB
13-6
2:40-2Q
Succop FG43
TB
19-6
1:19-2Q
Brate 4 pass from Brady (pass failed)
TB
22-6
8:34-3Q
Succop FG21
TB
29-6
2:08-3Q
Jones 7 run (Succop kick)
TB
32-6
7:59-4Q
Succop FG48
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
76 Smith
DL
93 Suh
LG
74 Marpet
NT
50 Vea
C
66 Jensen
DL
92 Gholston
RG
65 Cappa
LOLB
9 Tryon-Shoyinka
RT
78 Wirfs
LILB
45 White
T
72 Wells
RILB
51 Minter
TE
87 Gronkowski
ROLB
58 Barrett
WR
81 Brown
CB
24 Davis
WR
15 Grayson
CB
23 Murphy-Bunting
QB
12 Brady
S
33 Whitehead
RB
27 Jones
S
32 Edwards
PLAYED
3 Succop, 5 Sherman, 6 Bell, 10 Miller, 11 Gabbert, 17 Watson,
18 Johnson, 19 Hofrichter, 21 Vaughn, 26 Adams, 28 Robinson,
30 Delaney, 35 Dean, 38 Barner, 43 Cockrell, 48 Stuard, 49
Gill, 52 Britt, 60 Leverett, 70 Hainsey, 80 Howard, 84 Brate, 91
Potoa’e, 96 McLendon, 97 Triner, 98 Nelson
INACTIVES
2 Trask, 8 Pinion, 13 Evans, 29 Desir, 31 Winfield, 90 Pierre-
Paul
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Click on the boxes below to view the big plays
Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s biggest play of his NFL career got the Bucs started in the first quarter
Jordan Whitehead played the game of his life and had an interception to boot
Tom Brady found Cameron Brate on a beautifully-designed goal-line play just before half-time
COMMENTARY CREW Kevin Kugler and Mark Sanchez
NFL RESULTS - WEEK 16
San Francisco 17 Tennessee 20
Cleveland 22 Green Bay 24
Indianapolis 22 Arizona 16
NY Giants 10 Philadelphia 34
LA Rams 30 Minnesota 23
Buffalo 33 New England 21
Tampa Bay 32 Carolina 6
Jacksonville 21 NY Jets 26
Detroit 16 Atlanta 20
LA Chargers 29 Houston 41
Baltimore 21 Cincinnati 41
Chicago 25 Seattle 24
Pittsburgh 10 Kansas City 36
Denver 13 Las Vegas 17
Washington 14 Dallas 56
Miami 20 New Orleans 3
GAME REPORTS
Rick Stroud reports on a first division crown in 14 years
There is an alternate universe where Tom is not Tampa's biggest star
Antonio Brown’s return was huge for the Buccaneer offense
Game notes and anecdotes from the victorious locker room
Scott Smith’s official game report
Click here for the play-by-play and the NFL gamebook