TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned to the top of the NFC South on Sunday with a dominating 48-14 win over the Carolina Panthers, paired with a loss by the Atlanta Falcons.
On Monday, News Channel 8’s Dan Lucas was joined by Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles to discuss the big picture, which is finally in the team’s control, and a day that included a random duck, impacting the game by landing on the field before a Bucs blocked punt.
During the third quarter, the Panthers lined up to punt the football. 40 yards downfield, the Bucs punt return was set, except for a mallard standing on the field, potentially in a dangerous place for fowl or players.
The web-footed intruder was ultimately safe thanks to Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s punt blocked which was returned by J.J. Russell for a touchdown.
Bowles was clever in his response to being asked about a “Duck” being a good luck charm with so many of his players coming from rival Washington, the home of the Huskies.
“When Washington beats Oregon, we can let a husky run around the field,” Bowles said.
The play, which put the game out of reach, was the culmination of a masterful defensive performance in the second half.
Bowles talked about the halftime moment, expressing disappointment in two plays in the first half, one of them a Panthers touchdown pass with less than a minute to the break.
The defense needed to match the production on offense, which lit up the scoreboard with 41 points alone. Five touchdown passes by Quarterback Baker Mayfield matched his incompletion total of five.
Rookie Running Back Bucky Irving (a fan of the duck on the field) eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, racking up 65 total yards on back-to-back plays in the second quarter, on a drive that ended with a Mike Evans touchdown catch.
The Bucs can clinch the NFC South title with a win over the New Orleans Saints in the regular season finale this Sunday.
If the Bucs lose that game, they would need the Atlanta Falcons to fall to the Panthers to avoid missing the postseason.