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Nfc South Standings How Buccaneers Win Over Panthers Impacts Playoff

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfc south standings how buccaneers win over panthers impacts playoff

The NFC South title will come down to the final two weeks of the 2025 regular season. After Week 16, however, there's a new leader, with the Panthers (8-7) beating the Buccaneers (8-7) 23-20 at home on Sunday to take the division lead by a game. Baker Mayfield threw an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for Bryce Young and the Panthers. The teams will play again to close the season in Week 18 in Tampa Bay. Here's how the NFC South standings look after Week 16 and the path for the Panthers and Buccaneers to win the division and make the playoffs: The Panthers created a game of separation between them and the Buccaneers.

They have the head-to-head tiebreaker from the victory. They also hold the division-record tiebreaker (3-2 vs. 2-3). The Panthers are up one game and the head-to-head tiebreaker. 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 NFC South picture became a bit clearer after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers edged the Carolina Panthers 16–14 at home, a result that gives Tampa Bay another path to the playoffs and a chance... With the win, the Buccaneers improved to 8–9, but their playoff fate now hinges on the New Orleans Saints defeating the Atlanta Falcons. If New Orleans takes care of business, Tampa Bay would claim the NFC South title and secure a playoff spot. Atlanta, meanwhile, must beat the Saints to keep Carolina’s hopes alive.

The Panthers also sit at 8–9 but would lose a tiebreaker to the Buccaneers due to their head-to-head record, which would be enough to push them into the playoffs and avoid elimination following their... The Buccaneers currently sit atop the NFC South standings at 8–9, but as previously explained, the Panthers, despite having the same record, have not been eliminated yet. Their path depends on the 7–9 Falcons taking care of business against a struggling 6–10 Saints team. Are the Panthers eliminated from NFL playoffs with loss to Buccaneers? What Buccaneers loss means for NFC South playoff picture, Panthers' odds and standings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed like they had this one. But then the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins staged an incredible rally to beat the Bucs on Thursday Night Football in Week 15. It changes everything in the NFC South standings for both the Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers. Just a handful of days after a bad loss to the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay did it again. The Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers entered the night tied atop the NFC South at 7-6. The wild card spots won't be coming out of this division, so it's division title or bust.

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. On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers had everything on the line even though they were not playing, having lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a close game on Saturday afternoon. Still, the Panthers needed the Atlanta Falcons to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, which would give the Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers a three-way tie atop the NFC South, allowing the Panthers to... Thankfully for Carolina, that's exactly what happened, as the Falcons defeated the Saints by a score of 19-17, recovering an onside kick in the waning seconds to secure the victory after having controlled things... The win allows the Panthers to backdoor their way into the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, where they will get a home game next weekend due to their status as... To say that this year was not a conventional postseason year for the Panthers would be an understatement, as the team struggled through more setbacks with quarterback Bryce Young and also lost in blowout...

However, the Panthers did pick up some impressive wins this season, including against the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers, meaning that they won't be a pushover for whoever they get matched...

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