CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Sometimes, you let the guests hang around too long.
Sunday, that almost happened to the Carolina Panthers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium.
But needing a touchdown in the final minute to clinch an NFC playoff berth, the Panthers got a 2-yard, bounce-it-and-score-anyway scoring run from Cam Newton with 35 seconds to play for a 22-19 victory over the Buccaneers.
That came one play after a fourth-down conversion run by Jonathan Stewart that required a measurement but gave the Panthers first and goal at the 2 with 39 seconds to play.
Carolina had taken possession with three minutes to play, trailing by four, after Tampa Bay kicker Patrick Murray's missed field goal from 51 yards.
Newton's touchdown saved the Panthers, who came into Sunday in control of their playoff destiny but let a Bucs team that has clinched last place in the NFC South stay in it.
"We've got to be at our best at this time of the year," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "It's the little things that we didn't do very well."
Sunday was a struggle.
After a field goal Murray tied the game at 6, Damiere Byrd's 103-yard kickoff return looked like a spark. But Graham Gano's extra point was blocked, leaving the lead at 12-6.
The ensuing drive saw Adam Humphries outjump Kurt Coleman for a 36-yard reception to the Carolina 5, then ended in a third Patrick Murray field goal, cutting Carolina's lead to 12-9 at halftime.
Then, on the Panthers' first drive of the second half, Brenton Bersin bobbled what would have been a first-down catch deep in Bucs territory, and Kwon Alexander intercepted. His 28-yard return gave Tampa Bay the ball at Carolina's 49.
Winston's 18-yard touchdown pass to Bobo Wilson gave Tampa Bay its first lead, 16-12.
Carolina cut it to 16-15 with 4:49 to play in the third quarter, on Gano's 30-yard field goal.
Another Tampa Bay field goal, this one from 26 yards, stretched the Tampa Bay lead to 19-15 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
A sack on Carolina's next drive took the Panthers out of field-goal range, and Michael Palardy's punt pinned Tampa Bay at its 5.
After offsetting penalties gave the Bucs another shot on third and long, a 30-yard completion to Mike Evans, Tampa's sixth play of 25 or more yards, went for a first down at Tampa's 35 with 7:16 to play.
That allowed the Bucs to run four more minutes off the clock before Murray's 51-yard field goal attempt went wide right.
Carolina got the ball at their 41 with three minutes to play, trailing by 4 with an NFC playoff berth on the line.
And Newton came through.
The Panthers travel to Atlanta for a New Year's Eve game against Atlanta. A Carolina victory and a New Orleans loss to Tampa Bay in Week 17 would give the Panthers the NFC South title.
