The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on cloud nine after beating the Carolina Panthers.

The Buccaneers put on their most dominant showing of the season in Baker Mayfield's return game, knocking out the division-leading Carolina Panthers 43-13 on the road. The icing on the cake is that Mayfield didn't have to do much in his revenge game against his former team; he threw just 11 passes for 64 yards.

Tampa Bay ran it down Carolina's throats, amassing a season-high 258 rushing yards on 5.4 yards per carry. The Buccaneers' ground attack featured three running backs who had great days: Bucky Irving for 106 yards and two touchdowns, Kenneth Gainwell for 14 carries and 88 yards, and Sean Tucker for seven carries, 52 yards, and a touchdown.

Mayfield, returning to the starting lineup after missing the past three games, detailed what led to the blowout win.

"I think it's just taking time," Mayfield told reporters of how the Buccaneers exploded for a blowout. "We talked about it earlier in the week. Talked with you guys back in Tampa about the pass game not having the details and clicking on the same page to where we want to be. And then I think it's just taking time for the guys up front and (offensive coordinator) Zac Robinson to get on the same page with what schemes are working, and sometimes that happens. It takes time, but when you're able to lean on it like that, and the confidence just keeps building. So we just got to feed off that and keep going. This was the most important one because it was the next one. So check that off the list, and now we're on to another division opponent."

The Buccaneers are only 2-5, but their playoff hopes have a flicker of light, considering the Panthers are 3-3 and the Atlanta Falcons are 3-4. Tampa Bay happens to have a home game against the Falcons next week, where they could inch ahead in the NFC South race.

It hasn't been pretty for the Buccaneers so far this season, but they're suddenly back in the division and playoff race if they can beat the Falcons next week.