Why Buccaneers vs. Panthers is the NFL's most consequential game in Week 16

The NFC South showdown has very high stakes for both teams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield greet Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are playing the biggest game of the season in Week 16 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town.

The two teams are 7-7 at the top of the NFC South standings and the winner of the game will be in the driver's seat to clinch a spot in the playoffs. NFL.com writer Ali Bhanpuri listed the game as the most consequential for the league going into Week 16.

"Although both teams have 39 points of playoff leverage at stake on Sunday, Carolina needs this one significantly more than Tampa. Why? Because if the Bucs prevail, they immediately enter win-and-in mode, meaning the Panthers’ fate would no longer be fully up to them. If Carolina wins, that would do a lot to set up a chance to clinch the South by beating the Bucs again in Week 18," Bhanpuri wrote.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young throws the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buccaneers vs. Panthers could have major effects

The two teams are neck and neck in the NFC South and both lost in Week 15 to division rivals despite being favorites. Each team has a lot to prove and it will all come down to the next three weeks.

The fact that both teams are facing each other twice in the final three weeks while tied atop the standings is great for the league as it will bring out the best football from them. It's almost as if the playoffs are starting right now for the Panthers.

Carolina hasn't seen the playoffs since 2017, where Christian McCaffrey was a rookie and Cam Newton was still the franchise quarterback, so the Panthers have waited a while to be involved in playoff football. Even though they haven't officially qualified, they might as well treat this like a playoff game because it's as close to "win or go home" as it can get without being officially qualifying or being eliminated from the postseason.

The Buccaneers and Panthers are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday inside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Fans can watch the game on FOX or stream it on the FOX One app.

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