Panthers playoff hopes increase after Falcons stun Rams

The Carolina Panthers are celebrating after the Atlanta Falcons pulled off a 27-24 win against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 on Monday Night Football.

It's not every day you'll see Panthers fans cheering when the Falcons win, but this is a very unique case. With the Falcons win, the Panthers have another path towards the playoffs even if they lose in Week 18 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 18, the Panthers will win the NFC South regardless of the outcome of their game against the Buccaneers.

"If the 6-9 Falcons win their final two games of the season (against the Rams on Monday Night Football and in Week 18 against the Saints, both at home), they could force a three-way tie atop the division, with everyone staring at 8-9 records," Darin Gantt of the team's website wrote.

"If that happens, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head among the three teams. In that instance, the Panthers would win based on sweeping the Falcons to give them a 3-1 mark in those games, while the Falcons and Bucs split their games, leaving the Bucs at 2-2 in that scenario."

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers can win NFC South with Falcons' Week 18 win

It's another odd part of the NFL, but that's how it goes sometimes. Of course the Panthers would rather win it themselves and go on to clinch the division on Saturday. But even if they lose, they will still have a glimmer of hope going into Sunday.

This shouldn't take a weight off of the Panthers' shoulders as they should only focus on controlling their own destiny, but there will probably be a few extra smiles in the building when the team meets for its first practice of the week to get ready for the Bucs.

Kickoff between the Panthers and Buccaneers is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium. Fans can watch the game on ABC or ESPN. The game will also be streamed on the ESPN app.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -Empty heading

Panthers studs & duds from ugly loss to Seahawks in home finale

Major takeaways from Carolina’s frustrating loss to the Seahawks

Bryce Young numbers since benching suggest he’s secured a spot

What Robert Hunt said about returning to Panthers after 4 months