The Panthers entered Sunday’s game 0-7 against quarterbacks who once started for them.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers took the NFC South lead and ended a statistical anomaly.

Carolina’s 23-20 win was special for its playoff implications and defeat of quarterback Baker Mayfield. It’s the first time the Panthers have defeated a quarterback who used to start for them. Carolina was 0-7 in such games headed into Sunday’s matchup.

Mayfield started for the Panthers in 2022. The team struggled to a 1-4 start before an injury forced him to miss some time. By December, Mayfield requested to be cut and was with another team by the season’s end.

Mayfield’s forgettable Carolina tenure ended with a 1-5 starting record, 1300 passing yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions, a 57% completion percentage, and a ton of disappointment.

The Panthers traded the Cleveland Browns for Mayfield ahead of the 2022 season. He was drafted with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and was Cleveland’s most consistent quarterback in over two decades. 

Mayfield landed in Tampa Bay in 2023 and has remained with the team, giving him two chances every season against Carolina.

Until Sunday, Mayfield delivered each time against the Panthers. He won his first four Tampa Bay starts against the Panthers by a combined score of 130-75, throwing seven touchdowns and over 900 yards.

But the Panthers took care of business against Mayfield and the Buccaneers in Sunday’s pivotal matchup. Mayfield was held to under 100 yards passing until the fourth quarter. Carolina kept things close and ultimately prevailed against Tampa Bay, the division winners in five straight seasons. Panthers safety Lathan Ransom’s interception on the final drive sealed the win.

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Mayfield’s four wins against the Panthers since 2023 accounted for four of the seven previous Carolina losses to former quarterbacks. Kerry Collins (2004), Jake Delhomme (2010), and Taylor Heineke (2021) were the other quarterbacks to start and defeat the Panthers following their Carolina tenure.