CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 10: Roberto Aguayo #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicks the game-winning field goal as time expires against the Carolina Panthers during the game at Bank of America Stadium on October 10, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Buccaneers won 17-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Roberto Aguayo’s unstable rookie season improved markedly on Monday night.
Aguayo made up for missing two earlier field goals by converting a 38-yard kick as time expired to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 17-14 road victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The rookie, the most accurate kicker in NCAA history, had bounced a 33-yard field goal attempt off the right upright and missed wide left from 46 yards that would have given Tampa Bay the lead with 3:38 remaining in the game. He was only 3 of 7 on the season before the game-winning kick.
”Obviously you get a little angry when you miss them,” Agauyo said. ”You can’t dwell on it or you won be ready for the next one.”
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Jameis Winston was 18 of 30 for 219 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Mike Evans. Winston also led a 66-yard drive to get the Buccaneers (2-3) into field goal range. A costly 15-yard facemask penalty also hurt the Panthers (1-4) along the way.
Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 101 yards on 30 carries in place of the injured Doug Martin.
Carolina turned the ball over four times, three of which came from quarterback Derek Anderson, who replaced the concussed Cam Newton.
”We moved the ball when we wanted to and had a lot of good things happen, but we had bad plays at the wrong times,” Anderson said.
The most costly turnover came late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 14 and the Panthers having a first down at the Tampa Bay 2. Anderson oddly threw into double coverage in the right corner of the end zone and was intercepted by Brent Grimes.
”If I had it back I would have thrown it away,” Anderson said. ”That was a difference maker.”
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen had a career-high 181 yards receiving on nine catches and Cameron Artis-Payne ran for two touchdowns.
The Panthers, who have won three straight NFC South titles, are now three full games behind the Atlanta Falcons.
”We’ve got a laundry list of things that didn’t go our way,” Olsen said. ”The reality is, in this league, you make your own luck. You make your own fate. You can’t sit around and hope the ball bounced your way. Right now, it’s not, but that’s just the nature of this league. It goes in flows. There’s times where it seems like everything you do is right, the ball bounces your way, but that’s not the case right now for us. We’ve got to make our own luck, because nobody’s feeling sorry for us. That’s just the reality right now.”
The Panthers next visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, while the Buccs have a bye week. Tampa Bay will next visit the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 23.
CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 10: Roberto Aguayo #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicks the game-winning field goal as time expires against the Carolina Panthers during the game at Bank of America Stadium on October 10, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Buccaneers won 17-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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