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Panthers Clinch NFC South Title, Playoff Spot Thanks to Falcons Beating Saints

Carolina lost to Tampa Bay on Saturday, but will still compete in the playoffs.

Madison Williams

The Panthers clinched the final NFC playoff spot.
The Panthers clinched the final NFC playoff spot. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The battle for the NFC South title has officially come to an end. The Panthers secured the final NFC playoff spot on Sunday thanks to the Falcons beating the Saints. This Carolina's first division title in10 years.

The Panthers lost to the Buccaneers on Saturday night 16–14, which put all the pressure on Sunday’s Saints–Falcons game. If New Orleans would’ve won, then Tampa Bay would’ve earned the playoff spot. This complicated path to the playoffs definitely had the teams and the fans on the edge of their seats. Baker Mayfield, for instance, was a nervous wreck watching the game at home knowing his team’s playoff hopes were in the hands of a rival.

It was a close NFC South matchup on Sunday as Atlanta won 19–17 to help Carolina make the postseason.

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With an 8–9 record for the 2025 season, Carolina is the only playoff team with a losing record. The Panthers hold onto the No. 4 NFC seed, setting them up to host the 49ers as of now. If the Rams beat the Cardinals in the late Sunday slate, then the Panthers will host Los Angeles instead next weekend in the wild-card round.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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