The Tampa Bay Buccaneers raced to a 33-6 halftime lead over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, with eight of those points coming from two unusual defensive scores.
Cornerback Zyon McCollum provided one of them. After Carolina quarterback Bryce Young connected with tight end Darren Waller on a 50-yard touchdown pass that cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 17-6, McCollum blocked the extra point, caught the loose ball in the air and returned it for a two-point defensive conversion. McCollum also intercepted Young later in the first half.
The other score came from 280-pound defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. After Al-Quadin Muhammad stripped the ball from Young, Kancey scooped up the fumble and outran a Carolina offensive lineman 32 yards to the end zone, finishing the play with a flip over the goal line.
Baker Mayfield returned to the Buccaneers’ lineup after missing three games with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand. He threw a touchdown pass to Tez Johnson that helped push Tampa Bay’s halftime total to 33 points, the third-most in franchise history and the most the team has scored in a first half since 2021.
Entering Sunday, the Buccaneers sat in last place in the NFC South at 1-5, while the Panthers had led the division at 3-2.
