Nfc South Standings How Buccaneers Win Over Panthers Impacts Msn

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 19, 2026, 8:10 AM

nfc south standings how buccaneers win over panthers impacts msn

The Carolina Panthers had a chance to clinch the NFC South with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. Dave Canales' squad couldn't quite achieve that goal. The Panthers lost 16-14 in a rainy, defensive slog, during which they generated just 19 rushing yards on 14 carries against a strong Buccaneers run defense. The defeat puts the Panthers into a first-place tie with the Buccaneers in the NFC South standings. Tampa Bay currently holds the advantage needed to make the 2025 NFL postseason, but Carolina still has a path to the postseason despite having no games remaining. The Panthers just need to get help from one of their divisional rivals to earn their first postseason berth since 2017.

Here's what to know about the NFC South standings and how the division title for 2025 will be decided. The Buccaneers overtook the Panthers in the NFC South standings by virtue of their 16-14 Week 18 win. Below is a look at the full divisional standings: 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday in a must-win game, but the Buccaneers needed more help on Sunday to win the division. With the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints finishing their seasons in a matchup, Tampa Bay needed the Saints to prevail. However, it was the Falcons who won the game, which means that the Panthers finish the season as NFC South champions at 8-9. The reasoning behind the Panthers' making the playoffs involves the differences in tiebreaks. Atlanta's win means the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers are all tied at 8-9, allowing Carolina to win a three-team tiebreak.

However, had the Falcons lost, the Buccaneers would have won a two-team tiebreak. Here's a breakdown of how the Panthers still won the division despite losing on Saturday. LIVE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 18 When the Carolina Panthers watched Saturday night's Bears-Packers game, it could have been a reminder of a mistake. DJ Moore, a key part of a massive trade that the Panthers made to move to draft Bryce Young No. 1 overall, scored a game-winning touchdown for the Chicago Bears on a great catch in overtime.

A big reason the Bears are 11-4 is the bounty they got in that trade. The Panthers haven't come close to that type of breakthrough with Young. But this season has marked some progress. The Panthers lead the NFC South with two games to play after a huge win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Regardless of what happens next, this season has to already be considered a success for the Panthers. Panthers rookie safety Lathan Ransom, who took a very costly penalty late in the Panthers' loss to the Saints last week, had an interception with 42 seconds to go to seal the 23-20 win.

The Buccaneers fell to 7-8 as their late-season swoon continues. Baker Mayfield in particular continued to struggle. He had just 145 yards passing and there was no Buccaneers receiver even close to where he was throwing on Ransom's game-clinching interception. It was a big game in the NFC South race, though it's not like either team was on a streak coming in. Last week the Buccaneers blew a 14-point lead and lost to the Falcons at home, and then the Panthers blew a 10-point lead and lost to the Saints. That was a big help to the Buccaneers, who then needed to just win two of their final three games to clinch the division title.

But for a team like the Panthers, which has had six straight seasons with double-digit losses, any sniff of being in the playoff hunt is a big step forward. The NFC South has been a tough division to watch throughout the 2025 NFL season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a commanding lead early in the season, but after their recent struggles, the division is wide open. Now, after Week 15, which team has a better shot of making the playoffs: the Bucs or Panthers? One week after taking down the Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints pulled off another divisional upset by defeating the Panthers at the buzzer in Week 15. That means the Panthers and Bucs both lost in Week 15, as Tampa Bay was defeated on Thursday night by the Atlanta Falcons.

Let’s break down the current NFC South standings: 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-7 2. Carolina Panthers, 7-7 3. Atlanta Falcons, 5-9 (eliminated) 4. New Orleans Saints, 4-10 (eliminated)

If the Panthers had defeated the Saints on Sunday, the Bucs’ odds of making the playoffs would’ve dropped to 27.4%. However, with the Saints pulling off another upset, Tampa Bay’s odds now sit at 66.4% to win the division and make the playoffs, according to PFSN’s Playoff Predictor. Even after the Panthers upset the Rams last week to stay within a half-game of the Bucs in the NFC South race, the scenario for Todd Bowles and Co. to clinch their fifth straight division title was really simple. Wins over the 2-10 Saints and 4-8 Falcons to start December would make the Bucs’ matchup with the Panthers on Dec. 21 a “hat and t-shirt game,” meaning Tampa Bay could wrap things up with two games to spare if it could beat Carolina in the first of two meetings between the two teams.

All things considered, that felt pretty manageable for this team, even if it has struggled since its bye week. The key word there is felt, as in past tense. Because in the first of the three straight must-win games against divisional opponents, the Bucs fell flat on their faces, losing 24-20 to the Saints in their home stadium. With that loss by the Bucs, the Panthers gained a half-game in the NFC South race during their bye week, drawing the two teams even at 7-6 with four weeks left in the season. So, the aforementioned clinching scenario disappeared as quickly as it possibly could have. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, OC Josh Grizzard and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Despite that, the most straightforward clinching scenario for Tampa Bay is still to win its next three games. Beating Atlanta in Week 15 and Carolina in Week 16 would set up a win-and-in scenario when the team heads down to Miami in Week 17. That’s the case because even if the Panthers beat the Saints next week and the Seahawks in Week 17, the Bucs would still have the better record against their common opponents, which is the... The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers met for a pivotal NFC South matchup in Week 16, and the Panthers picked up the win at home. Carolina has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year. Dave Canales' squad is now 8-7, and has won two of their last three games, including a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 and Sunday's win over the Buccaneers.

Not only did the Panthers tally a victory over their division rivals, but they also took over the NFC South. 3. Atlanta Falcons (5-9, will play Arizona Cardinals in Week 16) Carolina has taken control of first place in the NFC South, and officially controls their destiny in the division. The Panthers and Bucs will meet again in Week 18.

Nfc South Standings How Buccaneers Win Over Panthers Impacts Msn

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