Buccaneers make history with rare two-point play vs. Panthers
· Yahoo Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned a Carolina Panthers touchdown into a historic special teams play during Sunday's 43-13 victory, becoming the first team in franchise history to return a blocked extra-point attempt for two points.
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According to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, safety Tykee Smith blocked Carolina's extra point in the second quarter, allowing cornerback Zyon McCollum to recover the ball and return it to the opposite end zone. It was the first blocked PAT returned for two points in Buccaneers history.
The play followed Bryce Young's 50-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller, which cut Tampa Bay's lead to 17-6. Carolina had a chance to cut the deficit to 10 points, but Smith broke through the protection and blocked Ryan Fitzgerald's kick. McCollum recovered the loose ball and returned it for two points, extending the Buccaneers' lead to 19-6.
Under NFL rules, the defense can score two points by returning a blocked kick, interception, or fumble to the opposite end zone during a conversion attempt. The rule allowing defensive two-point conversions was introduced in 2015. Tampa Bay had blocked extra points before, most recently when Will Gholston blocked a kick against Carolina in 2017, but had never converted one into two points.
The play also produced a three-point swing. Instead of Carolina adding a point to its touchdown, Tampa Bay added two to its own total. The Panthers were then penalized for sideline interference during McCollum's return, forcing them to kick off from their own 20-yard line rather than the 35.
Tampa Bay went on to build a 33-6 halftime lead, but the blocked kick remains one of the game's most unusual moments. Smith prevented Carolina from adding to its touchdown, while McCollum turned the failed conversion into the first scoring play of its kind in Buccaneers history.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers make history with rare two-point play vs. Panthers