The Tampa Bay Bucs’ 2016-17 season ended with a 17-16 win over the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.

Ending the New Year’s Day special was a failed Carolina two-point conversion with 17 seconds left. With postseason implications nonexistent for both teams, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera opted to go for two rather than a game-tying extra point attempt after quarterback Cam Newton hit receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a 5-yard touchdown. Newton targeted Greg Olsen in the front of the end zone for the win, but the tight end slipped and Bucs safety Bradley McDougald was there to make sure he couldn’t recover.

Technically, the Bucs entered Sunday with mathematical postseason potential. Other than handling their business against Carolina, they needed six other scenarios to play out. Two of those – Indianapolis over Jacksonville and Tennessee over Houston – did happen. But Dallas’ loss to Philadelphia officially ended Tampa Bay’s season.

Sunday’s victory allowed the Bucs to finish with their first winning season (9-7) since going 10-6 in 2010. It also avoided a demoralizing three-game skid to end the season a year after closing out with four straight defeats.

Neither team looked particular sharp throughout their season finales, but the Bucs got the final points it would need in record-breaking fashion. Quarterback Jameis Winston broke a 10-10 tie with 3:13 remaining when he hit receiver Mike Evans for a 10-yard score in the front-left corner of the end zone. The touchdown allowed Winston to set a new franchise record for scoring passes in a year (28). The strike also allowed Evans to tie his team record for 12 touchdown receptions in a single season.

The completion prior to the 10-yard score to Evans, a 17-yard hookup with receiver Adam Humphries, allowed Winston to surpass former Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman’s 2012 single-season record of 4,065 passing yards. Winston finished his sophomore campaign with 4,090 yards through the air and also became the first quarterback in NFL history to top 4,000 yards in his first two seasons. Winston needed 267 yards to break Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s NFL record of 8,196 yards during his first two seasons. Winston remains number two in that category at 8,132, which is 212 yards ahead of Newton in third place.

Considering Sunday’s low-scoring affair, though, most Bucs highlights came on the defensive side of the ball.

Safety Keith Tandy wrapped up his late-season surge with a two interceptions and a game-high 12 tackles. Linebacker Lavonte David pushed his season sack total to five by twice getting Newton to the ground. Defensive end Robert Ayers recorded the other of Tampa Bay’s three sacks, letting the Bucs finish with 38 on the year. That matches their total from last season.

Also starring in secondary Sunday was cornerback Brent Grimes. The first-year Buc broke up a season-high four passes, including a third-quarter pick-6. On the second play of the second half, Grimes stepped in front of a Newton pass intended for receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and returned it 31 yards to give the Bucs a 10-7 lead. Grimes ends the 2016 season with a team-high in passes defensed (24) and tied Tandy with interceptions (4).

Carolina owned a time-of-possession advantage of almost five minutes and outgained Tampa Bay 335-300. The Bucs’ 3-2 edge in the turnover battle proved critical, even though they failed to take advantage of their opportunities.

Tandy’s first interception late in the first half was followed up by a missed 46-yard field goal by kicker Roberto Aguayo and the safety’s second pick resulted in a blocked Aguayo attempt from 48 yards out. Aguayo capped the Bucs’ game-opening drive with a 33-yard conversion but ended the day 1 of 3 and ended his rough rookie season 22 of 31 overall (71.0 percent).

Both Bucs turnovers were charged to Winston (20 of 35 for 202 yards, touchdown, interception). The first came when his quick pass to Adam Humphries bounced off the receiver’s arm and into the hands of Panthers cornerback James Bradberry. Tampa Bay’s next drive ended when Winston fumbled after being hit from behind by defensive end Wes Horton.

Humphries set a career-high by catching 10 of his 13 targets Sunday. His 94 receiving yards were a game-high and came six yards shy of tying his career-best of 100 that he set Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Evans’ day ended with five catches on 11 targets for 65 yards and the touchdown.

Running back Jacquizz Rodgers got his second straight start and averaged 4.4 yards per carry while rushing for 75 yards on 17 attempts.

With incumbent starter Doug Martin missing multiple games this season because of injury and then seeing his season come to an end by a performance-enhancing drug suspension this past week, Rodgers ended up finishing as the team’s leading rusher. Rodgers gained 560 yards and two touchdowns on 129 carries.