The Panthers were trying to fool the Buccaneers. Cam Newton began inching toward the line of scrimmage clearing a direct snap to Christian McCaffrey who caught the ball and headed for the left corner of the end zone.
It was fourth-and-1 at the Bucs’ 2-yard-line and a touchdown would have tied the game 20-20. But cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III read the play and pushed McCaffrey out-of-bounds just short of the end zone. The goal-line stand preserved a 20-14 victory for Tampa Bay and epitomized the improvement the Bucs defense has made under Todd Bowles.
The former Jets head coach is back serving as Bruce Arians’ defensive coordinator in Tampa, a major reason why it won’t be the same-old Bucs defense when the Giants visit Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.