How Nfc South Shapes Up After Buccaneers Week 18 Win Vs Panthers

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 19, 2026, 6:32 AM

how nfc south shapes up after buccaneers week 18 win vs panthers

The race for the NFC South title is officially going to come down to one game: Saints at Falcons. That's right, the division title will be decided by two teams that can't even win the division. That became a reality on Saturday after the Buccaneers secured a 16-14 win over the Panthers in an NFC South showdown that didn't end up deciding anything. If Carolina won the game, the Panthers would have clinched the division title, but because the Bucs won, the Saints-Falcons game on Sunday will now decide who wins the division. How is that even possible? That's a great question.

Let's answer it. The Falcons pulled off a shocker Monday night when they beat the Rams, 27-24. The win improved Atlanta's record to 7-9 -- and that's where things get interesting. Let's take a quick look at the NFC South standings so we can break down why Atlanta's win made such a huge difference in the division title race. The track was wet at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday evening, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers apparently had a "mudder" in their racing stable while the visiting Carolina Panthers did not. The Buccaneers' 140 to 19 edge in rushing yards in a game played largely in a driving rainstorm was the difference in a 16-14 decision for the home team that kept Tampa Bay's playoff...

The win allowed the Buccaneers to forge a tie with the Panthers at the top of the NFC South with identical 8-9 records, and if a tiebreaker is eventually applied between those two teams... However, if the Atlanta Falcons win on Sunday it would become a three-way tie atop the division and the first tiebreaker in that scenario would go in Carolina's direction. Thus, the Buccaneers need a win by the New Orleans Saints in Atlanta on Sunday to clinch a record fifth consecutive NFC South crown. "That's all we can do," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "We can't wait 'til tomorrow if we don't win today. It was a gutsy performance, the guys fought hard, it was a hard-fought game on both sides.

We came out with one and we gave ourselves a chance – that's all we can ask for." Tampa Bay scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the third week in a row but this time was able to make it stand up with the addition of three Chase McLaughlin field... The Buccaneers had a nine-point lead and the football at Carolina's 20-yard line with five minutes left in regulation but a blocked field goal and a stunning 40-yard completion by Bryce Young to Tetairoa... After that, the Buccaneers needed to kill the final 2:27 and the Panthers' three timeouts to seal the win. A rollout 20-yard pass from Baker Mayfield to TE Cade Otton on third-and-four from the Bucs' 35 at the two-minute warning was the key to depriving Carolina of one more reasonable scoring chance. "In that situation, if it's wide-open throw it," said Mayfield.

"If not, try to run for it or take a short sack to keep the clock rolling. Cade did a good job getting over there quick for me to get it to him and he took care of the rest." The Carolina Panthers suffered a crushing defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18, as Dave Canales' squad just didn't do enough on either side of the ball to pick up the road... Carolina's offense was basically non-existent on Saturday, while the defense couldn't stop Tampa Bay's rushing attack. The Panthers will finish the regular season at 8-9, their eighth straight losing season. Though Carolina has a losing record and fell to Tampa Bay in Week 18, they are still alive in the NFC South.

3. Atlanta Falcons (7-9, will play Saints in Week 18) 4. New Orleans Saints (6-10, will play Falcons in Week 18) The Saints face the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture.

Game result: The Falcons held off the Saints late to win 19-17. Atlanta finished the season in a tie for first with the Panthers and Bucs. Due to that result, Carolina won the division based on their overall head-to-head record against Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just defeated the Carolina Panthers 16-14 in a battle at the top of the NFC South standings. But any celebrations will need to wait until Sunday. Tampa Bay’s win improved their record to 8-9, while dropping the Panthers to 8-9.

But a division winner will not be crowned until tomorrow, following the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. Because the outcome of that came could lead to the Panthers winning the division, or the Buccaneers winning the division. Is a five-peat in store for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or will the Carolina Panthers have something to say when it's all said and done? On Saturday, it was Baker Mayfield's Bucs (8-9) who emerged victorious over Bryce Young and the rising Panthers (8-9) inside Raymond James Stadium. However, the win didn't secure Tampa's next NFC South title, though it did improve its odds entering Sunday. Mayfield and Co.

will now have to hope and pray the Atlanta Falcons (7-9) either lose or tie the New Orleans Saints (6-10) in the season finale for them to get in. If Atlanta wins, then Young's squad will take home its first NFC South crown since 2015. Check below for all the highlights from Bucs vs. Panthers on Saturday night! Greg Jennings and Willie Colon join Danny Parkins to hand out the Week 17 awards, highlighting the most dominant, shocking and surprising performances of the week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their season alive with a 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers Saturday.

Now the NFC South title will be determined in Sunday's game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, who have long been eliminated from playoff contention. Carolina had a chance to clinch the division with a win over Tampa Bay, but now the Panthers must depend on the Falcons to beat the Saints to preserve the division lead using tiebreakers. If the Saints win, Tampa Bay will take the division by virtue of the tiebreaker. The Buccaneers are hoping for their fifth straight division title, while the Panthers are hoping for their first division title since coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 record... Every other team in the NFC South has won the division at least once since Carolina's last division title. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the season’s biggest letdowns.

Unlike teams battling through stacked divisions, the Bucs have stumbled in a more forgiving landscape and now find themselves fighting for a playoff spot in the final week. What’s making their situation even worse is that Tampa Bay opened 6-2 and briefly looked like an NFC threat, with Baker Mayfield drawing early MVP buzz. Despite their win in Week 18, the Buccaneers will finish the season with a losing record and stare at the possibility of missing the postseason altogether. Before Week 18, the Buccaneers were in the midst of an almighty collapse that began with a loss to the New England Patriots, which led to them losing seven of their last eight games. During that span, injuries have played a role in their bad luck, but their overall production has been far from impressive. Having given up 20 or more points in each loss, they have suffered some truly horrifying defeats, including ones against the Miami Dolphins, the New Orleans Saints, and the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, they find themselves with their backs against the wall. They were able to secure the win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18, but the Buccaneers have not yet sealed a playoff spot. Thanks to the state of the NFC South, there is a scenario in which they can still miss out on a postseason berth. With Tampa Bay's win, all eyes will now be on Sunday's matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Carolina may have just seen its chances of winning this game go out the window with that reception by Cade Otton. Everyone in the world expected Tampa Bay to continue to run the football, but instead opted to roll Baker Mayfield out on a bootleg where he found Otton for a 20-yard gain.

That takes us to the two-minute warning and the Panthers have just one timeout remaining. Something important that the broadcast just noted: the rain has returned in a big way. With the Bucs likely leaning on the rushing attack to kill clock, ball security could become an issue due to the wet weather. We have a game at Raymond James Stadium! After the big gain from McMillan to get the Panthers in the red zone, Bryce Young threw a second-and-goal throw up to Jalen Coker, who muscles down the touchdown. Suddenly, it's a 16-14 game with 2:27 to go.

Each club has all of its timeouts. Carolina has momentum! Tet McMillan got behind the defense and broke off a 40-yard gain that has the Panthers in the red zone.

How Nfc South Shapes Up After Buccaneers Week 18 Win Vs Panthers

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