NFC South Title Will Come Down to Buccaneers-Panthers Matchup in Week 18

Both Tampa Bay and Carolina lost on Sunday, setting up a battle for the playoff spot in the final week.

The Buccaneers and Panthers will play in Week 18 for the NFC South bid. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The NFC South title is still up for grabs as both the Buccaneers and the Panthers lost their respective games on Sunday. Tampa Bay lost 20–17 to the Dolphins, while Carolina lost 27–10 to the Seahawks.

Now the division title and the playoff spot that comes with it will be determined when the Buccaneers and Panthers will face each other in Week 18.

The Panthers are 8–8 and currently hold the top NFC South spot and a tiebreaker over the Buccaneers. But, a win by 7–9 Tampa Bay would even out the tiebreaker to advance the Bucs to the playoffs.

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Tampa Bay is currently on a four-game losing streak, so they would need a positive boost heading into Week 18 to switch the narrative to finish out the season. One of those losses was in Week 16 to the Panthers, 23–20. We’ll see if Carolina can repeat that victory next weekend.

This isn’t the only game with a playoff spot on the line in Week 18. The Steelers and Ravens will also battle for the AFC North title next weekend.

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