WR Antonio Bryant recorded the second-best receiving performance in team history with a career-high 200 yards receiving tonight on nine catches with two touchdowns. The 200 yards receiving trails only Mark Carrier’s 212-yard performance at New Orleans (12/6/87) in franchise history. Bryant’s previous high for receiving yards occurred at Washington (12/29/02), when he notched 170 yards receiving (on seven receptions) and one touchdown while he was with Dallas. With his two-touchdown performance, Bryant has a team-leading five touchdowns this season. The game marked Bryant’s fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 11th of his career. Bryant has now led the team in both receiving yards and receptions in eight of the team’s 13 games.
Most Receiving Yards in a Single Game in Team History
Player Opponent Date Yards
1. Mark Carrier at New Orleans 12/6/87 212
2. Antonio Bryant at Carolina 12/8/08 200
3. Kevin House at Oakland 10/18/81 178
4. Charles Wilson vs. L.A. Rams 12/11/94 176
5. Joey Galloway vs. Detroit 10/2/05 166
5. Gerald Carter at San Francisco 11/18/84 166
5. Morris Owens at Seattle 10/16/77 166
- WR Antonio Bryant also posted the two longest receptions by a Buccaneer this season tonight, a 52-yard strike from QB Jeff Garcia in the second quarter and a 50-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. The previous receiving long this season was a 47-yard touchdown reception by Bryant in Week 7 vs. Seattle (10/19).
- After sustaining a season-ending injury in Carolina last season (9/30/07), RB Carnell Williams returned to the field where the injury occurred and scored his second touchdown of the season and the 12th of his career in the third quarter. Williams also recorded his first reception of the season in the first quarter with a six-yard reception from QB Jeff Garcia.
- QB Jeff Garcia recorded his third 300-yard passing game of the season and the 19th of his career after completing 24-of-38 pass attempts for 321 yards and two touchdowns. During tonight’s game Garcia eclipsed the 25,000-yard passing mark and now has 25,048 passing yards in his career. As a Buccaneer, Garcia has 4,663 yards, moving him into seventh on the team’s passing list surpassing QB Brian Griese (4,572 from 2004-05, 2008-present).
- For the first time under head coach Jon Gruden since 2002, Tampa Bay lost a game in which it did not commit a turnover. The Buccaneers had been 18-0 under Gruden in games in which it had zero turnovers.
- DE Kevin Carter recorded his fourth sack of the season and the 104.5 of his career on the Panthers first offensive possession. Carter currently ranks second among active defenders in career sacks, behind DE Jason Taylor of the Washington Redskins.
- CB Ronde Barber recorded his third interception of the season and the 36th of his career in the second quarter. Barber is now tied for the team lead in interceptions with CB Aqib Talib and S Jermaine Phillips.
- S Jermaine Phillips recorded his third interception of the season and the 11th of his career in the third quarter, setting up a WR Antonio Bryant touchdown reception. Phillips has now recorded interceptions in back-to-back games after missing the previous three games due to injury.