CHARLOTTE — The Panthers' win against the Bucs on Sunday featured explosive touchdowns, game management, and timely interceptions. Understandably, a play early in the second quarter that didn't occur in the end zone, of a game that came down to a play with less than a minute left, could get lost in the shuffle.

But as the Panthers walked off the field following a 23-20 win over Tampa Bay, a three-point victory that gave them sole possession of the NFC South, it's hard not to look back at a Jaycee Horn tackle in the second quarter, a play that saved four points in what would end a three-point win.

"Just standing up when we need to stand up, that's big," said Horn of the play after the win. "When you get down there, you want to hold them to three any time you can. It's a four-point play, so I was just able to— glad I was able to get off the field and hold him to three points."

On the first drive of the second quarter (carrying over from the first), the Bucs started deep in their own territory. A big run by Rachaad White, an A'Shawn Robinson penalty that allowed the Bucs to turn down a field goal and try again for a touchdown, and a Chris Godwin reception moved Tampa Bay down to the 2-yard line. On third-and-goal, the Bucs brought in nose tackle Vita Vea (listed at 6-4, 347 pounds) at fullback and put a sixth offensive lineman at scrimmage.

It was clear to everyone the Bucs were going to run the ball, and they did, handing the ball off to Sean Tucker.

Tucker leads Tampa with seven touchdowns. He is reliable to punch it in, and considering the blockers in front of him, it seemed inevitable. A score would put the Bucs up 14-3, a two-possession game that could change the complexity of anything that follows.

Instead, the Panthers front bowed up, forcing Tucker to back off the left lane he was looking for and bounce out to the right.

"When they ran into the other side, I really couldn't make a play, so I just stayed back in case the quarterback keep it or anything," explained Horn of what he saw unfolding. "And I just seen Tucker try to make a play and bounce back to my side, and I just tried to hold contain."

Tucker had a blocker, none other than quarterback Baker Mayfield. Horn wasn't shocked to see the man who headbutts teammates without a helmet as a lead blocker, but he did have to peel off him.

"That's Baker. He's a tough player," Horn said. "He played hard, so I wasn't surprised to see him peel back and try to block me."

Horn got to Tucker and was able to drive him out of bounds for a loss of 3 yards. The Bucs still had a chip-shot field goal from that spot, a 22-yarder that Chase McLaughlin knocked through with ease. But it kept it a one-possession game on a day that came down to a three-point differential.

"Oh man, I think that does a lot for the defense. It does a lot for the team. Just that amount of strain, to be able to do that, that's what we're asking of everybody on this field is to strain like that every play. Because even though, what was it, the second quarter, it's huge," safety Nick Scott shared.

"So, just a great job to those guys up front who got a great amount of pushback, and if you can be on the 3-yard line and make running backs run laterally to the sideline, we got the advantage. And then kudos to Jaycee just for being a strong, hungry corner making that tackle. That's a big-time play by him."

Added Horn, "It's big anytime you keep touchdowns off the board. It's a four-point play. You want to hold them to three, and that's kind of demoralizing to an offense when they get way down there and can't get in the box, and I just was playing football."

Tucker did find the end zone later in the day, a scamper from the 1-yard line after bouncing outside to open grass. But by then the Panthers had added a field goal and a touchdown of their own, so even with the score, it was still a one-possession game.

"You never know how these games are going to end, and every yard, every point matters," said Scott, pointing back to Horn's stop on Tucker. "Finishing is just doing your job and making tackles when you're supposed to and communicating with the guy next to you, and that's what we did, and we take pride in that, man."