CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- "By any means necessary" -- a phrase used in recent weeks by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield -- proved to be a viable strategy in defeating the Carolina Panthers 9-0 on Sunday to earn the Bucs' third consecutive NFC South title.
It was also the second for Bowles and the first in the Buccaneers' post-Tom Brady era. They finished with a 9-8 record, after losing five out of six games midway through the season.
"We have a locker room full of guys comfortable being counted out," said Mayfield, who signed with the Bucs this offseason on a one-year, prove-it deal in hopes of resurrecting his career. "It's when we're most comfortable. All we wanted was a chance to get in. And now we're here, and we've got to handle it the right way."
The first overall draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, Mayfield left the field at Bank of America Stadium to chants of "Baker! Baker! Baker!" a mere 13 months after the Panthers cut him Dec. 5, 2023. What followed was a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams and an offseason of uncertainty over where his career would lead him next.
"Yeah, this room we're standing in right now was kind of where I found out that I wasn't going to be a part of the team anymore," said Mayfield, who was released by the Panthers after seven games.
"There's a lot of things that bring me back here. ... But yeah, to keep it about us -- I can't say enough about this team, the stuff that we've been through this year, to handle it correctly and find a way to win five of six in the end, to get in the playoffs and win the division."
Mayfield fought through not only a rib injury that disrupted the synchronicity of the offense, but also an ankle injury. He led three field goal drives with Chase McLaughlin -- signed this offseason in the post-Brady purge -- hitting 36-, 57- and 39-yard kicks. The defense, led by safety Antoine Winfield Jr., allowed the Panthers to venture into Buccaneers territory three times but Carolina came away with zero points.
A would-be touchdown by Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark was wiped out with a forced fumble by Winfield that was recovered by cornerback Jamel Dean. At the end of the third quarter, Panthers kicker Matthew Wright missed a 52-yard field goal attempt wide left.
"Thank goodness for Winfield's play on the goal line," Bowles said. "Thank goodness for Chase kicking some field goals. We knew it was going to be a tough battle. We knew we had to play four quarters. We made less mistakes, and we got a division title."
Winfield, who also had a sack, tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit, made a touchdown-saving tackle on a Bryce Young 20-yard scramble in the fourth quarter. An illegal formation by the Panthers' offense took a 28-yard touchdown from Raheem Blackshear off the board. Buccaneers outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive lineman Greg Gaines on the next play.
"I seen him load up, and I was just like, 'I need to touch that elbow!'" Tryon-Shoyinka said. "You just can't paint a perfect picture like that -- it's an amazing way to go out."
The Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints finished tied at 9-8, but Tampa Bay held the higher win percentage in common games, which served as the tiebreaker. Had the Bucs lost, the Saints, who defeated the Bucs 23-13 in Week 17, would have won the division with their 48-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Prior to the start of the regular season, ESPN Analytics had given the Bucs just a 13% chance of reaching the playoffs. Their +400 odds of reaching the postseason were the third longest in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
"Nobody turned on each other," Bowles said. "Everybody battened down the hatches. We knew we had work to do and mistakes to correct, and when everybody counted us out -- we didn't."
Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, who returned from a groin injury, said it "feels good to prove the doubters and naysayers wrong. ... But it feels good to know that the guys in the locker room have each other's backs and that we came out there and played for each other. We knew what we could be."