The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their best showing of the season as Baker Mayfield returned to the lineup.
The Buccaneers trounced the NFC South champions, the Carolina Panthers, 43-13. The Buccaneers dominated on the ground and in the trenches, rushing for a season-high 258 yards on 5.4 yards per carry. Tampa Bay's three-headed attack had a field day, led by Bucky Irving (24 carries, 106 yards, two touchdowns) and complemented by Kenneth Gainwell (14 carries, 88 yards) and Sean Tucker (seven carries, 52 yards, one touchdown).
Although it was Mayfield's "revenge game" against his former team, the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was asked to do very little, throwing the ball just 11 times for 64 passing yards. It was only the third time in Buccaneers
history — and the first since 1979 — that they've thrown the ball that few times in a win.
After the game, Mayfield spoke to reporters about whether this was a "statement win" after defeating the division leaders.
"I think it's a statement internally for us, not to anybody else," said Mayfield after the game. "But for us, this is what it's supposed to look like. No, it's not always going to look like that. It's the NFL, but operation-wise and when it comes to complementary football, this is what the potential for this team can have, and so it's a statement within ourselves."
The Buccaneers never trailed and not only dominated in the trenches, but they also held one of the league's most potent offenses; Carolina ranks fourth in the NFL with 29.2 points per game, to a dreadful showing. Star quarterback Bryce Young threw for just 163 passing yards and one touchdown, but threw two interceptions, for a season-low 51.9 passer rating.
Tampa Bay is only 2-5, but the Atlanta Falcons are 3-4 and the Panthers are 3-3. The Buccaneers have one more game against the Panthers, and they'll take on the Falcons at home next week in their first of two matchups against their division rivals.
If the Buccaneers can beat the Falcons, talk of Tampa Bay winning the NFC South again will start to gain steam. With five games remaining against divisional opponents, the Buccaneers could be targeting their fifth division title in the past six seasons.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Baker Mayfield on 'statement' win over Panthers in blowout victory
