The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a thrilling Thursday Night battle against the Atlanta Falcons, and the upset outcome dramatically improved the Panthers odds of making the playoffs. After a 0-2 start to the season, Carolina has come on strong over the past few months and currently sits atop the NFC South with a 7-6 record. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is 7-7 after dropping six of its past eight games.
Seeing as the NFC West and NFC North are loaded with talented teams, the only realistic way for either team to make the playoffs is by winning the division. According to NFL.com, the Panthers currently have a 47% chance of making the playoffs, while the Buccaneers have a 53% chance. This is essentially a coin flip, but Carolina can increase their odds of making the playoffs in the following ways.
Panthers Playoff Odds Increase After Buccaneers Loss
Carolina currently sits atop the NFC South with a 7-6 record, but it’ll need to beat the Saints on Sunday to maintain that lead. While New Orleans isn’t the most talented team in football, they’ve shown some life since second-round pick Tyler Shough took over under center. Shough may or may not turn into a legitimate franchise quarterback, but he’s getting better on a weekly basis and has looked like the real deal over the past few weeks.
The Panthers know first-hand how dangerous the Saints can be, having lost to them earlier in the season. However, if the Panthers can take care of business, their path to the playoffs becomes considerably easier. There’s a decent chance the Buccaneers and Panthers end the season with identical records, which means tiebreakers could decide who wins the division. The second tiebreaker is best win-loss record within the division, and beating the Saints would give Carolina the advantage over Tampa Bay.
Head to Head
Winning the Saints game will go a long way towards increasing the Panthers playoff odds, but the most important contests are in Weeks 16 and 18. The schedule makers did a phenomenal job, as the Panthers and Buccaneers face off twice in the final three weeks of the season. If the Panthers win both of those contests, they will win the division regardless of what happens in Weeks 15 and 17. On the other hand, the Buccaneers can also clinch the division by winning those two games.
While every game matters at this stage of the season, the “least important” game of the bunch is Carolina’s Week 17 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. While Seattle is in the conference, they’re not in the division and won’t factor into any tiebreaking scenarios. Assuming both teams finish 9-8, the Panthers will win the division if they beat the Saints and lose to the Seahawks. However, if both teams finish 9-8 and the Panthers lose to the Saints but beat the Seahawks, the Buccaneers will win the division.
Main Photo: Scott Kinser – Imagn Images
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