
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.