Panthers Clinch Nfc South Thanks To Falcons Win Over Saints

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 19, 2026, 6:34 AM

panthers clinch nfc south thanks to falcons win over saints

Backing into the playoffs is still getting into the playoffs. The Carolina Panthers have officially clinched the NFC South thanks to the Atlanta Falcons' 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. It is surely not the way the Panthers would have written it up. Carolina had an opportunity to clinch the division on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but instead fell, 16-14, to require a reprieve from another division rival. Nonetheless, reaching the postseason is certainly something to celebrate for the upstart Panthers. In head coach Dave Canales' second season at the helm, this will be the team's first playoff berth since 2017 and first division title since 2015 when Carolina advanced to Super Bowl 50.

Though sitting at an underwhelming 8-9, the Panthers do have two wins over teams in NFC playoff field -- the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. They'll also benefit from hosting a wild-card game as a division winner. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Carolina Panthers are playoff-bound for the first time in seven years and will host an NFC wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams. Dee Alford's red-zone interception stopped a potential go-ahead drive by New Orleans, and the Atlanta Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 on Sunday to give the NFC South title to the Panthers. By closing the season with four consecutive wins, the Falcons (8-9) finished in a three-way tie with Carolina and Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South.

The Panthers won the tiebreaker with the best record within the division. Watching on TV, second-year Panthers coach Dave Canales was locked in. "We were just excited, following it every single play. (We) couldn't take our eyes off the game." Canales said. "Just the turn of events, I wouldn't expect anything less from this matchup. Playing the Saints and knowing the type of football they've been playing down the stretch, and the Falcons are really putting things together."

The Panthers are division champions and going to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, thanks to the Falcons. The Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday to close their own season with four straight wins. The Panthers had a chance to clinch the NFC South on Saturday, but a loss to the Buccaneers kept the latter alive and set up a bizarre scenario to decide the fate of the... It came down to a matchup between two teams already eliminated from postseason contention. Both the Bucs and Panthers entered Sunday with an 8-9 record, though Tampa Bay was in a slightly better situation, since they owned a common-games tiebreaker over the Panthers. The battle for the NFC South title has officially come to an end.

The Panthers secured the final NFC playoff spot on Sunday thanks to the Falcons beating the Saints. This Carolina's first division title in10 years. The Panthers lost to the Buccaneers on Saturday night 16–14, which put all the pressure on Sunday’s Saints–Falcons game. If New Orleans would’ve won, then Tampa Bay would’ve earned the playoff spot. This complicated path to the playoffs definitely had the teams and the fans on the edge of their seats. Baker Mayfield, for instance, was a nervous wreck watching the game at home knowing his team’s playoff hopes were in the hands of a rival.

🥁🥁🥁@AtriumHealth | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/mm6SF46EHP It was a close NFC South matchup on Sunday as Atlanta won 19–17 to help Carolina make the postseason. With an 8–9 record for the 2025 season, Carolina is the only playoff team with a losing record. The Panthers hold onto the No. 4 NFC seed, setting them up to host the 49ers as of now. If the Rams beat the Cardinals in the late Sunday slate, then the Panthers will host Los Angeles instead next weekend in the wild-card round.

Drake London #5 of the Atlanta Falcons attempts to make a catch during the fourth quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) ATLANTA - Dee Alford’s red-zone interception halted a late New Orleans scoring threat Sunday, securing a 19-17 victory for the Atlanta Falcons and simultaneously handing the NFC South title to the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons finished the season with four consecutive wins to end at 8-9. The result created a three-way tie atop the division between Atlanta, Carolina, and Tampa Bay, but the Panthers claimed the tiebreaker based on their divisional record. It marks Carolina’s first division title in a decade and their first playoff berth since 2017.

Trailing 16-10 with just over three minutes remaining, the Saints drove to the Atlanta 20-yard line. Alford intercepted a Tyler Shough pass intended for Dante Pettis and returned it 59 yards. The turnover led to a 38-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal that extended the lead to nine points. New Orleans (6-11) saw its four-game winning streak end as Atlanta completed a season sweep of its rival. The outcome also eliminated Tampa Bay, which had kept its hopes alive with a win over Carolina on Saturday but required a Saints victory or tie to clinch the division. ATLANTA (AP) — Carolina Panthers win NFC South title and earn playoff spot with Atlanta Falcons' 19-17 win over New Orleans Saints.

CHARLOTTE — For a day at least, the Panthers love the Falcons. Atlanta beat New Orleans 19-17 Sunday at the Georgia Dome, creating a three-way tie atop the NFC South at 8-9. Thanks to an edge in the three-way tiebreaker, the Panthers won the NFC South title on Sunday. The Panthers swept the Falcons this year, and that was the difference. The Falcons did it with a stingy defense, and four field goals by former Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez (which means all is forgiven for the whole Buffalo pregame thing in 2021). And having a Saints touchdown wiped out by an offensive pass interference was doubtless satisfying for a lot of Panthers fans watching on television.

It's the first division championship for the Panthers since 2015, which, like 2003, was a year that began against the Jaguars and ended in the Super Bowl. Just saying. The Falcons won their final game of the regular season and the Panthers did not, but the Panthers will be going to the playoffs as the NFC South champions. Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass to Drake London in the first quarter and Zane Gonzalez made four field goals to propel the Falcons to a 19-17 home win over the Saints. That pushed them to 8-9 on the season and put them in a three-way tie with the Panthers and the Buccaneers at the top of the division. The Panthers lost to the Bucs on Saturday, but prevailed in the three-way tiebreaker thanks to having the best record in games against the other two 8-9 teams.

Atlanta never trailed after London’s touchdown, but the Saints made it interesting in the final minutes. Rookie Tyler Shough made his last argument for the offensive rookie of the year award by hitting Ronnie Bell for a 16-yard touchdown with 1:11 left to play. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Falcons, however, and that was enough to send the Panthers on to the postseason. Cousins was 18-of-32 for 180 yards and he also threw an interception during the win. His return to the lineup after Michael Penix’s injury ended with four straight wins and their were enough positives in the veteran’s play to think that he will have suitors in the offseason if...

Panthers Clinch Nfc South Thanks To Falcons Win Over Saints

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