Buccaneers–Panthers rivalry
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The Buccaneers–Panthers rivalry is a rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. The two teams met for the first time in when the Panthers were an
expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
. However, the rivalry did not develop until , when the Buccaneers and Panthers were placed in the newly formed
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
division, resulting in two meetings annually. The matchup immediately became popular, and by many accounts intensified into a heated rivalry starting in , as the Buccaneers and Panthers were contenders for the NFC South title for much of the early-to-mid 2000s. The annual games have been described as "physical" and numerous players have suffered season-ending injuries. Among the most serious were
Chris Simms Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is an American sports analyst and former American football, football player. He was a quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in t ...
, who suffered a ruptured spleen in 2006, and
Kavika Pittman Kavika Charles Pittman (born October 9, 1974) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at McNeese State University. Earl ...
, who suffered a career-ending knee injury. Return specialist Clifton Smith suffered concussions in both meetings in 2009, the first from a high hit by
Dante Wesley Dante Julius Wesley (born April 5, 1979) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Wesley w ...
, who was subsequently ejected and suspended for one game. The Panthers lead the overall series, 25–22. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.


Notable moments


1990s

The Carolina Panthers joined the NFL as an
expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
in . For the first seven years of their existence, they were part of the NFC West division, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were part of the NFC Central during that time. The two teams happened to play as intra-conference opponents in the Panthers' inaugural season. The Buccaneers won 20-13 after a
quarterback sneak A quarterback sneak is a play in gridiron football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward. It is usually only used in very short yardage situations. The advantages of this play a ...
by Casey Weldon in the fourth quarter. This game took place at Clemson University, the Panthers temporary home during their first season. The teams met again the following season (1996), with Carolina prevailing 24–0. It would remain the only shutout in the series' history until 2024, on the way to Carolina's first appearance in the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. It was also the first meeting at the newly constructed Ericsson Stadium. The two teams would never meet at Tampa Stadium before it was demolished.


2000s

In 2002, the Panthers and Buccaneers were placed into the newly formed
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
division. They became division rivals, and would begin an annual two-game, home/away series each season. In 2002, Tampa Bay swept the regular season series en route to their
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
victory. The second meeting, at Tampa, was a highly anticipated defensive struggle - Tampa Bay entered the game ranked #1 in total defense, while Carolina ranked #3. However, Tampa Bay won a largely one-sided contest. The Buccaneers racked up 314 yards of offense, forced four turnovers, and sacked Peete four times. The Buccaneers won by a score of 23–10, improving to 8–2 on the season, a franchise record after ten games. In 2003, the Buccaneers hosted Carolina in Week 2. A defensive-oriented game saw young Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme held to only 9-for-23, 96 yards and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Brad Johnson threw for 339 yards. Special teams breakdowns cost the Buccaneers dearly. After two earlier botched field goal attempts, the Buccaneers trailed 9–3 late in the fourth quarter. On the last play of regulation, Brad Johnson connected to
Keenan McCardell Keenan Wayne McCardell (; born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the wide receivers c ...
for a dramatic game-tying touchdown pass in the back of the endzone time expired. The extra point would have given Tampa Bay the win. Martin Gramatica's extra point attempt, however, was blocked. The game went to overtime tied 9–9. Both teams traded possessions, and with just over 6 minutes left in the overtime period, Tampa Bay punted to Carolina. Steve Smith returned the punt 52 yards to the Tampa Bay 40-yard line. Five plays later, Carolina won 12–9 after a 47-yard field goal. In week 10 of the 2003 season, the surging Panthers hosted the now-sputtering Buccaneers. Carolina broke out to a 20–7 lead through three quarters, but the Buccaneers rallied in the fourth quarter for 17 points. Tampa Bay took a 24–20 lead with 2:45 to go. The Buccaneer defense, however, failed to keep Carolina at bay, and Jake Delhomme swiftly led the Panthers to a game-winning touchdown with 1:11 left. Carolina, nicknamed the "
Cardiac Cats The 2003 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach John Fox. They improved on their 7–9 record from 2002, and made it to the playoffs for the second time in ...
" that season, swept the season series for the first time, en route to their first
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
appearance. Both Carolina and Tampa Bay were playoff contenders in 2005, and battled neck-and-neck all season for the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
division title. The first meeting on November 6 at Raymond James Stadium saw both teams enter at 5–2, and in a tie for first place in the division. The Panthers intercepted
Chris Simms Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is an American sports analyst and former American football, football player. He was a quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in t ...
twice, one returned for a touchdown, and Carolina rolled 34–14. It was Carolina's fifth straight victory against Tampa Bay, the longest winning streak between the two teams in the series' history. On December 11, Tampa Bay and Carolina faced each other again, with the division title effectively on the line. Tampa Bay broke a five-game losing streak to Carolina, winning by a score of 20–10. With 11:47 remaining in the fourth quarter,
Ronde Barber Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber (born April 7, 1975) is an American former football cornerback who spent his entire 16-year professional career playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He is the identical twin ...
intercepted Jake Delhomme, which set up a game-icing touchdown by
Carnell Williams Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former running back in the National Football League. Williams was the interim head coach of the Auburn Tigers, the first African American to hold the posit ...
. Neither team made the playoffs in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, however, the first meeting between the two teams on September 24 is remembered for the injury to
Chris Simms Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is an American sports analyst and former American football, football player. He was a quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in t ...
. Both teams entered at 0–2, and the game turned into a hard-hitting, physical contest in hot, humid conditions. Late in the third quarter, Tampa Bay quarterback
Chris Simms Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is an American sports analyst and former American football, football player. He was a quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in t ...
was hit on a two-yard bootleg play. He had to momentarily leave the game. Initially diagnosed as bruised ribs, Simms returned minutes later to lead a go-ahead field goal drive. Simms received several other vicious hits that likely aggravated his condition. Carolina got the ball back with less than two minutes left. With only six seconds left in regulation, Panthers kicker John Kasay kicked a game-winning field goal, and Carolina won 26–24. After the game, Simms complained of ongoing pain, and was admitted to the hospital. It was discovered that he had suffered a ruptured spleen, was experiencing internal bleeding, and required immediate emergency surgery. Had the injury not been diagnosed in a timely manner, it could have been fatal. Simms was placed on injured reserve, and ultimately never played another down with the Buccaneers. On December 8, 2008, the teams met tied atop division and were fighting for a possible first-round playoff bye. The game had a "playoff atmosphere." The game turned Carolina's way early, and despite a Bucs rally, the Panthers won convincingly. Carolina steamrolled the Buccaneers defense with 299-yard rushing, and essentially clinched the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
division with the victory. The loss started Tampa Bay on a downhill spiral, and the Buccaneers dropped the next three games as well. Tampa Bay fell to 9–7 and missed the playoffs. Shortly thereafter, head coach
Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is a former American professional football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during thei ...
was fired. Carolina improved to 12–4 and won the division, but were knocked out of the playoffs in the division round by Arizona.


2010s

In 2011, Carolina, behind rookie quarterback Cam Newton, swept the series in dominating fashion. In the first meeting, Tampa Bay wore their orange
throwback uniform Throwback uniforms, throwback jerseys, retro kits or heritage guernseys are sports uniforms styled to resemble the uniforms that a team wore in the past. One-time or limited-time retro uniforms are sometimes produced to be worn by teams in games ...
s, but were without
Josh Freeman Joshua Tyler Freeman (born January 13, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Kansas State University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman became th ...
due to injury. The Panthers rolled 38–19, with Newton setting a single-season NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Three weeks later, Newton set the NFL rookie passing yards record, also against Tampa Bay, routing the Buccaneers 48–16. In 2012, Tampa Bay rebounded to sweep the season series. The two teams met in Week 1, with the Buccaneers prevailing 16–10. Tampa Bay held the Panthers and Cam Newton to only 10 yards rushing. In Week 11, the two teams met again in another close game. The Panthers led 21–10 with just over four minutes left in regulation. A field goal by Tampa Bay trimmed the lead to 21–13. The Buccaneers got the ball back with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter.
Josh Freeman Joshua Tyler Freeman (born January 13, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Kansas State University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman became th ...
drove the Buccaneers 80 yards for a touchdown with 20 seconds to go. The two-point conversion tied the game at 21, sending it to overtime. Tampa Bay won the coin toss, and proceeded to score an 80-yard touchdown drive on the first possession, winning 27–21. The Panthers swept the Buccaneers in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2015, Carolina won both meetings en route to their appearance in Super Bowl 50. In week 17, Carolina's 38–10 victory gave them a franchise-best 15–1 regular season record. A few days after the game, Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith was dismissed. Tampa Bay snapped Carolina's six game winning streak in the series in . With Newton sidelined due to a
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
, Derek Anderson started for Carolina. Anderson threw two interceptions and lost one fumble. With the game tied 14–14, Tampa Bay drove to the Panthers 20-yard line in the final minute. After missing two attempts earlier in the game, Roberto Aguayo kicked a 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. In week 17, Tampa Bay won by a score of 17–16. The Buccaneers secured the victory when the Panthers failed on a game-winning two-point conversion attempt with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. During the 2019 season, the two teams met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of the NFL International Series.


2020s

Tampa Bay signed quarterback Tom Brady prior to the 2020 season. Around the same time, Carolina parted ways with Cam Newton, who had been suffering through two injury-plagued seasons. The Buccaneers swept Carolina in 2020, their first season sweep since 2016, en route to a victory in
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
. Tampa Bay swept the Panthers again, winning the NFC South in 2021, the first time sweeping in consecutive seasons. At four games, it was also Tampa Bay's longest win streak in the rivalry. In 2022, Carolina defeated Tampa Bay 21–3 in their first meeting in Charlotte in October. The result was seen as an upset, as the Panthers were only 1–5 entering the game. In Week 17, the two teams faced each other in Tampa, with the NFC South title on the line. Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes to Mike Evans, and won the game 30–24, clinching the division title.Bucs Claim Second Straight NFC South Title
Buccaneers.com, January 2, 2023


Game results

, - , , style=", Buccaneers
20–13 , Memorial Stadium , Buccaneers
1–0 , Panthers join the NFL as an expansion team and are placed in the NFC West. The Buccaneers were in the NFC Central at the time, which resulted in infrequent meetings from 1995 to 2001. , - , , style=", Panthers
24–0 , Ericsson Stadium , Tie
1–1 , Panthers open
Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat football stadium located on in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and Charlotte FC of Major ...
(then known as Ericsson Stadium). , - , , style=", Buccaneers
16–13 , Raymond James Stadium , Buccaneers
2–1 , Buccaneers open Raymond James Stadium. , - , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
23–10 , style=", Buccaneers
12–9 , Buccaneers
4–1 , Both teams placed in the NFC South during the 2002 NFL realignment, resulting in two meetings annually. Buccaneers win
Super Bowl XXXVII Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
. , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
12–9(OT) , style=", Panthers
27–24 , Buccaneers
4–3 , Panthers lose
Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
. , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
37–20 , style=", Panthers
21–14 , Panthers
5–4 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
34–14 , style=", Buccaneers
20–10 , Panthers
6–5 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
26–24 , style=", Panthers
24–10 , Panthers
8–5 , Panthers win in Tampa on a John Kasay field goal with six seconds left. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
31–23 , style=", Buccaneers
20–7 , Panthers
9–6 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Buccaneers
27–3 , style=", Panthers
38–23 , Panthers
10–7 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
28–21 , style=", Panthers
16–6 , Panthers
12–7 , , - , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
31–16 , style=", Buccaneers
20–7 , Panthers
12–9 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
38–19 , style=", Panthers
48–16 , Panthers
14–9 , Panthers' 48–16 win is the largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry (32 points). , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
16–10 , style=", Buccaneers
27–21(OT) , Panthers
14–11 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
31–13 , style=", Panthers
27–6 , Panthers
16–11 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
20–14 , style=", Panthers
19–17 , Panthers
18–11 , Panthers start Derek Anderson in both games. , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
37–23 , style=", Panthers
38–10 , Panthers
20–11 , Panthers lose Super Bowl 50 , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
17–16 , style=", Buccaneers
17–14 , Panthers
20–13 , , - , , style=", , style=", Panthers
17–3 , style=", Panthers
22–19 , Panthers
22–13 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Buccaneers
24–17 , style=", Panthers
42–28 , Panthers
23–14 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
37–26 , style=", Buccaneers
20–14 , Panthers
24–15 , Buccaneers' home game was played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London , - , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
31–17 , style=", Buccaneers
46–23 , Panthers
24–17 , Buccaneers sign QB Tom Brady prior to 2020 season. Buccaneers win
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
. , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
41–17 , style=", Buccaneers
32–6 , Panthers
24–19 , Buccaneers clinch NFC South in their victory in Charlotte for first time since 2007. With the win, Tampa Bay clinch the 2nd seed in the NFC with loss by the Rams against 49ers. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Buccaneers
30–24 , style=", Panthers
21–3 , Panthers
25–20 , Buccaneers clinch second consecutive NFC South in their victory in Tampa, which is Tom Brady's last career victory. , - , , style=", , style=", Buccaneers
21–18 , style=", Buccaneers
9–0 , Panthers
25–22 , Buccaneers clinch third consecutive NFC South in their Week 18 victory in Charlotte. , - , Regular season , style=", Panthers 25–22 , Panthers 12–11 , Panthers 13–11 , Panthers 1–0 in London (officially a Buccaneers home game) , - , -


See also

*
National Football League rivalries As with all sports leagues, there are a number of significant rivalries between teams and notable players in the National Football League (NFL). Rivalries are occasionally created due to a particular event that causes bad blood between teams, pla ...


Notes


References


Works cited


BucPower.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buccaneers-Panthers rivalry NFL rivalries Tampa Bay Buccaneers Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers rivalries Tampa Bay Buccaneers rivalries