The Buccaneers took care of business Saturday as they defeated the Panthers 16-14 in their regular-season finale. The outcome moved both sides to 8-9 in a tie atop the NFC South standings, which means the result from Sunday’s Falcons-Saints game will decide the division’s winner and the NFC’s final spot in the playoffs.
Should the Saints emerge victorious, the Bucs will win the NFC South. If the Falcons win, Carolina claims the division title. Both the Falcons and Saints are already eliminated from postseason contention, but an Atlanta win could bring a three-way tie atop the division at 8-9. In that scenario, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record among the three teams, which would put the Panthers on top. If the Saints win, that leaves solely the Bucs and Panthers tied atop the division, where Tampa Bay owns the tiebreaker.
It’s a convoluted scenario which could have been resolved Saturday with a Panthers win, but the division result heads into Sunday. Tampa Bay’s win checked off the first box for the Bucs, turning players and fans into Saints fans tomorrow. Even head coach Todd Bowles admitted the victory created a complicated situation as things can still go either way for his squad.
“What’s disappointing today [for the Panthers] could be jubilation tomorrow,” he said postgame via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. “If tomorrow doesn’t happen [for us], that will be disappointing. We put ourselves in this situation, we’re all grown men about it. We can’t look back and dwell on it, we just got to move forward. They showed fight tonight, they showed grit tonight, so we’ll see what happens.”
Video: Todd Bowles says the Bucs must wait to see if they win the division so it could be disappointment but could also be jubilation. pic.twitter.com/8anruzwGw1
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 4, 2026
The Saints and Falcons kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with plenty at stake, just not for the teams on the field. Tampa Bay is hoping for its sixth straight postseason appearance, while Carolina looks to make its first trip to the playoffs since 2017.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Report: Philip Rivers Could Garner Interest in Upcoming NFL Head Coaching Cycle
- George Kittle Had Classy Response to Seahawks Celebrating in 49ers Locker Room
- Broncos vs. Chargers: Three Bold Predictions for AFC West Bout With No. 1 Seed on Line
- Seahawks, 49ers GMs Both Had On-Camera Moments They'd Like to Forget Thanks to ESPN
- Baker Mayfield Will Reluctantly Put Saints Hate Aside With NFC South Title at Stake
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Todd Bowles Explains Awkward Celebratory Situation for Buccaneers After Panthers Win.
