The game ended up being a tale of two completely different half for Tampa Bay. They started with a 21-0 halftime lead, with the offense clicking and the defense firing on all cylinders.
But the second half was more of a struggle, with the Panthers coming back within 21-14 early in the fourth quarter. It was just 24-17 late, but a long touchdown run by Leonard Fournette sealed the first victory for Tom Brady as a Bucs.
Brady threw for 217 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Brady tossed a 23-yard TD pass to receiver Mike Evans in the first quarter. Fournette scored on runs of 1 and 46 yards.
Bridgewater finish the game 33 of 42 for 367 yards and two interceptions for the Panthers (0-2), who had four turnovers in addition to nine penalties. Carolina also allowed five sacks, one of them resulting in a fumble that set up Brady’s only TD pass.
Up Next for the Carolina Panthers, they’re going on the Road to face the red hot L.A. Chargers, as for the Bucs, they’re travelling to Denver to face the Broncos on Sunday.