CHARLOTTE — Take a look inside some of the key numbers and stats, as well as the snap counts, from the Panthers' 23-20 win against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

• Running back Rico Dowdle totaled 43 scrimmage yards (29 rushing, 14 receiving). He has 1,007 rushing yards this season, becoming the sixth undrafted player since 2000 to record consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
• Dowdle surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on a 3-yard run on the Panthers last drive in the second quarter.

• Bryce Young completed 21-of-32 attempts (65.6 percent) for 191 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 102.5 rating, his sixth game this season with multiple touchdown passes.
• Young's two touchdowns brought his season total to 21 touchdowns, a career-high.
• Young led a seven-play, 43-yard drive in the final five minutes of the game to set up the game-winning 48-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald. It marked Young's 12th career game-winning drive, the most in the NFL since 2023 and the second-most ever by a quarterback under the age of 25. Only Justin Herbert (13) has more.
• Young's six game-winning drives this season are tied with Denver's Bo Nix and Chicago's Caleb Williams for the most in the NFL.
• His 107.0 rating is the third-highest in the NFL since Week 11.

• Tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders had a 6-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, his first of the season and second of his career.
• Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had six catches for 73 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown at the end of the first half. McMillan's current season total of 924 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions both rank second all-time among Carolina rookies, while his 65 receptions rank third.

• Defensive tackle Derrick Brown had five tackles and his career-high fifth sack of the season. He is the only player in the NFL this season with 5.0 sacks and seven passes defensed.
• Linebacker Christian Rozeboom had eight tackles (three solo) and his career-high second sack of the season for a loss for nine yards on Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the second quarter.
• Rozeboom has recorded a sack in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

• Safety Nick Scott led the defense with 10 total tackles, matching his season high. It was the first time in Scott's career that he recorded double digit tackles in consecutive games.
• The Panthers defense held Baker Mayfield to 145 passing yards total. It was his second-lowest output this season. The lowest was a game in which he was hurt and had to exit in the second quarter.
• Mike Jackson finished with three passes defended, tying his career-high in a game (he's done it three other times, including earlier this season against the Jets).

• Safety Lathan Ransom had the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, marking his first-career interception.
• He is one of three rookies in the NFL this season with an interception, a sack and a forced fumble this season.

• Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald converted all three of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 48-yarder with 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. He now has four game-winning kicks this season, tied with Denver's Will Lutz for the most in the NFL.
• Fitzgerald's four game-winning kicks are tied with Dan Bailey (2011) and Chip Lohmiller (1988) for the most game-winning kicks by a rookie kicker since 1970 (Game-winning kicks defined as a field goal made in the fourth quarter or overtime to put a team ahead for the final time.)

• In Week 16 against the Buccaneers, Young was particularly effective when targeting the outside numbers, connecting on 10-of-16 attempts (62.5 percent) for 116 yards and both of his touchdown passes. While he completed 17-of-21 attempts (81.0 percent) against zone coverage for 118 yards, his two touchdown passes came against man coverage.

• Tetairoa McMillan recorded six catches for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers defense. McMillan was particularly effective outside the numbers, where he hauled in three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. The rookie receiver also found success against off coverage, registering three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.
• Jaycee Horn was not targeted on 29 coverage snaps in Week 16, marking the first game of his career with at least 15 coverage snaps and zero targets. Horn primarily matched up with Mike Evans (seven matchups), Chris Godwin (five matchups), and Jalen McMillan (three matchups).

• The Panthers improve to 26-24 in 50 all-time meetings against the Buccaneers. Carolina's 26 victories against Tampa Bay are the second-most among any opponent, trailing only New Orleans (29).
• Carolina has won three division games in a season for the first time since 2022. It is also the first time the team has won five home games in a season since 2022.
• Sunday's victory marked Carolina's seventh one-score victory this season, tied with Chicago and Philadelphia for the second-most in the NFL this season. Only Denver (10) has more.
• The Panthers scored on their opening possession for the tenth time this season, tied with the Bills and Chargers for the most opening-drive scores in the NFL this season.

Snap Counts

Take a look at the snap counts and playtime percentage for the Panthers in Week 16 of the regular season against the Bucs.

• In one of the strange ironies of a long season, the snap distribution in the win over the Bucs was eerily similar to the loss to the Saints last week. Offensively, other than Yosh Nijman replacing the injured Ikem Ekwonu, the numbers are nearly identical. This speaks to them having a plan, them sticking with it, and it working (better this week).
• The running back division of labor continues to track along the 60-40 lines, with Rico Dowdle getting the bulk of the work, but enough for Chuba Hubbard. The Bucs were determined to stop the run, so Dowdle got just nine carries, but he still topped the 1,000-yard rushing barrier for the second straight season.
• The one variance in offensive snaps this week was rookie wideout Jimmy Horn Jr.. He got just four snaps against the Saints, but had 12 against the Bucs. He had one carry for 25 yards and didn't get a pass thrown his way, but they used him in motion to open things up for others.

• The story was the same on defense. Other than linebacker Christian Rozeboom taking over the green dot and calling defensive signals and playing every snap in the absence of the injured Trevin Wallace, there weren't many differences this week, with 11 guys playing 67 percent of the snaps or more and defensive lineman Bobby Brown III playing 48 percent. That's also a positive, since there weren't any injuries that took guys off the field.
• They're locked in with starting outside linebackers Nic Scourton and D.J. Wonnum, and are getting some solid rotational snaps out of Trevis Gipson (14) and Princely Umanmielen (7). Gipson, the midseason pickup, is a competent vet, while Umanmielen develops as a pass-rusher. Knowing they can get a couple of defensive snaps at times with special teamer Thomas Incoom also helps.

• Isaiah Simmons used his third and final practice squad elevation Sunday, and would need to be added to the 53-man roster to play again. But he tied for the team lead with 22 special teams snaps (along with Incoom), which suggests a role. The former top-10 pick is a top athlete, who can do a lot of different things.
• Rookie Ryan Fitzgerald had 11 snaps, and when the kicker is in double digits, that's usually a good thing because you're scoring points and he's kicking off. He hit his fourth game-winning field goal of the season Sunday, continuing to earn the trust they have in him.