University of Kwazulu-Natal

Rapid Reactions Ii Falcons Win Panthers Win Nfc South Title

Bonisiwe Shabane
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rapid reactions ii falcons win panthers win nfc south title

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. Yeah, yeah . . . the NFC South has, once again, become somewhat of a laughing stock in the NFL landscape.

But now, it's the Carolina Panthers' laughing stock. On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, which secured this year's NFC South title for the Panthers. This marks Carolina's first division championship in a decade, with their last crowning coming back in the 2015 campaign. Now, yes, many folks will consider this triumph as, well, rather weak. Not only did the Panthers finish in first place at 8-9, and in a three-way tie with Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they needed another team (and a rival at that) to... Oh, and two of Carolina's last three NFC South titles have come off a losing record—as they won the division in 2014 at 7-8-1.

But, hey, a win's a win—and the Panthers earned themselves some extra football. And until then, let's take a look at some of the best reactions to Carolina's clinching . . . ATLANTA — A fourth straight win by the Atlanta Falcons and a season sweep of their biggest rival were not enough to save the jobs of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. Hours after Dee Alford's red-zone interception stopped a potential go-ahead drive by New Orleans on Sunday and the Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 to give the NFC South title to Carolina, Atlanta fired Morris...

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. The Falcons completed a season sweep of the Saints (6-11), who had their four-game winning streak end. Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore said he was “really proud of this group, the way they stuck together and battled each and every way, all the way down to the very end of this... The Carolina Panthers clinched the NFC South division title for the first time since 2015 after the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, resulting in a three-way tie at 8-9. The Panthers secured their championship through a tiebreaker advantage, primarily due to winning both matchups against the Falcons this season.

This victory sets the stage for the Panthers' first home playoff game in a decade, as they prepare to face the NFC West runner-up in the upcoming wildcard round. The Panthers are set to face the Rams or 49ers in the wildcard round of the playoffs next weekend, with the date and time to be announced shortly. With its division title secured, the Panthers have revived playoff hopes, signaling a pivotal moment in their season. The excitement builds as they anticipate their wildcard match, marking a significant return to competitive football. The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI © 2026 BVM Sports.

Best Version Media, LLC. The Panthers got the help they needed from the Falcons to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015. Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images The Carolina Panthers couldn’t close the deal themselves the last two weeks, but they are postseason-bound anyway after the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17 on Sunday. The Falcons’ win created a three-way tie atop the NFC South among the Panthers, Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Carolina earning the tiebreaker edge for its first playoff appearance since 2017 and first... The Panthers (8-9) will now host either the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers on wild-card weekend, while the season ends for a Buccaneers team that lost seven of its final nine games.

It may not have been the way Carolina drew it up after entering Saturday’s Week 18 showdown in Tampa with a chance to win and celebrate a division title on its own terms. The Panthers also could’ve clinched with a Week 17 upset of the Seattle Seahawks, the NFC’s top seed entering the playoffs. But they lost at home to the Seahawks and then sputtered through a wet and sloppy 16-14 loss Saturday to the Buccaneers (8-9), forcing both teams to wait about 23 hours to learn their... Had the Saints — winners of four straight behind emerging rookie quarterback Tyler Shough — beaten the Falcons on Sunday, the Buccaneers would’ve been the NFC South champions for the fifth straight year. At that point, it would’ve only been a two-way tie between Carolina and Tampa Bay and the Bucs would’ve won on the third tiebreaker — record in common games. (The teams were even on the first two tiebreakers, splitting the head-to-head matchups and both owning 3-3 division records.)

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