TAMPA, Fla. — Here's what we know about the Panthers in the next-to-last game of the year.

They entered the game playing their fifth and sixth different starting inside linebackers. They haven't seen Derrick Brown since Week 1. They rolled in Sunday without starting cornerback Jaycee Horn and linebacker and signal-caller Josey Jewell because of injuries.

It went about like you'd imagine.

The Buccaneers raced out to an early lead and held on for a 48-14 win at Raymond James Stadium. That dropped the Panthers to 4-12 heading into next week's finale at Atlanta (where the Falcons will have playoff hopes to secure).

The Panthers eclipsed the franchise record for points allowed in a season, which was the 470 given up in 2019. They've now given up 496 points.

Tampa Bay gained 551 yards, with 337 of them coming in the first half alone, as the Bucs were up 27-14 at the break, scoring on their first five possessions (with the only punt coming in the final 30 seconds).

The effort's the kind of thing you can't question, but the personnel wasn't able to stop a Bucs team still fighting for their playoff lives.

In addition to having the signals called by a guy who signed last Tuesday in Chandler Wooten, the Panthers were starting four undrafted players on defense.

Those are the kinds of problems that can only be fixed in an offseason, with free agency and the draft.

The Panthers were competitive on the other side of the ball, as quarterback Bryce Young had another solid day.

He finished 15-of-28 for 204 yards and two touchdowns, for a 100.9 passer rating.

And as expected, a lot of the plays he made were in the direction of Adam Thielen.

The veteran wideout had four catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and finished with five catches for 110 yards.

The 34-year-old gets described in ways that emphasize his leadership a lot, but he's still out there making plays in a young man's game.

— Here's what kind of day it was.

A duck flew on the field in the third quarter, and plopped down on the 20-yard line, near the Bucs punt returner.

The Duckaneers then blocked a Johnny Hekker punt and returned it for a touchdown.

They shooed the duck to safety before play resumed.

— The Panthers had a chance to cut it to a 10-point margin at halftime, but Eddy Piñeiro missed a 53-yard field goal. It had plenty of distance but was wide left.

— The running game, as you might imagine on the day after placing Chuba Hubbard on injured reserve, was hard to come by. As a team, they ran for a season-low 39 yards.

Raheem Blackshear started and had eight carries for 20 yards. Mike Boone had two carries for 11 yards, and utility man Velus Jones Jr. also got a carry for no yards.

— With Deven Thompkins inactive and Blackshear playing offense, the Panthers got new looks in the return game.

David Moore returned the one punt in the first half, and Boone and Jones were deep on kickoffs.

— Special teamer Lonnie Johnson left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. Defensive end A'Shawn Robinson left briefly to be evaluated for a concussion, but he was cleared and returned. Sam Franklin Jr. was evaluated for a finger injury but returned.