Buccaneers Run for 258 Yards and Get Three Sacks From YaYa Diaby in 43-13 Win Over Panthers
Tampa Bay ran for 258 yards and scored 20 points off turnovers in a 43-13 win at Carolina on Sunday, with YaYa Diaby recording a career-high three sacks and Baker Mayfield returning from a three-game absence.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers 43-13 on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, earning their first NFC South win of 2026 and improving to 2-5. Tampa Bay never trailed, ran for 258 yards, and scored 20 points off turnovers.
Bucky Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Kenny Gainwell added 88 rushing yards, and Sean Tucker scored on a 46-yard run. Tampa Bay ran 49 times for 258 yards, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
A run-first plan for Mayfield’s return
Baker Mayfield returned after missing three games with a dislocated right thumb. He completed seven of 11 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. The team said the plan entering the game was to run against a Carolina run defense that ranked 27th in the league. Tampa Bay’s 11 pass attempts were the third-fewest in a game in franchise history, behind two games with 10 attempts, in 1977 at New Orleans and in 1979 against Green Bay.
Defense and special teams add points
YaYa Diaby recorded a career-high three sacks. Tampa Bay finished with five sacks and two interceptions, and held Carolina to 266 yards. Bryce Young, who entered the game leading the NFL with 306.8 passing yards per game, finished 14 of 27 for 163 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions, and a lost fumble.
Calijah Kancey returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter after Al-Quadin Muhammad stripped Young on a sack. After Carolina scored on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Young to Darren Waller, Tykee Smith blocked the extra point and Zyon McCollum returned it for two points. A muffed punt recovered by Ko Kieft led to a Chase McLaughlin field goal.
Head coach Todd Bowles praised Diaby and Kancey after the game. “Their time’s coming,” Bowles told reporters. “Their time’s coming, and it happens just like it happened today. We talked about it a couple days ago about them getting pressure and not making results. Today, they had results on it, we just got to keep at it, and everybody else sacrificed for that. But YaYa had a heck of a day.”
Tampa Bay’s 30-point margin of victory was the 10th-largest in franchise history, according to the team. The Buccaneers next face the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium in Week 8.
Reporting based on coverage by Bucs Wire and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
