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Carolina Panthers fans don’t usually root for their division rivals, but Sunday was an exception.
The final NFC playoff spot came down to a matchup between two division rivals that had long been eliminated from the postseason because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive Saturday with a 16-14 victory over the Panthers. Carolina would have clinched the division with a victory, but after their loss, neither team was back in control of their own destiny.
Instead, their playoff fates came down to Sunday’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons: Tampa Bay needed the Saints to win or tie, while the Panthers were Falcons fans for the day.
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Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
It will probably be a while until Panthers fans get back to rooting for the Falcons, but they sure owe Atlanta a lot after the Falcons beat the Saints to give Carolina the NFC South title while eliminating the Bucs.
The Falcons got on the board first, just two plays after blocking a Saints punt and recovering it at the New Orleans 5-yard line. An offensive penalty set them back 10 yards, but Kirk Cousins found Drake London for a 15-yard score. After the Saints missed a field goal on their next drive, Atlanta found the uprights and took a 10-0 lead.
The Saints responded with a 10-play drive that ended with Tyler Shough running for a score, cutting the lead to three points before the end of the first half. Atlanta kicked a field goal on its first drive of the second half to go up by six points, and the Saints were forced to settle for three after a touchdown was called back due to a penalty. The Falcons kicked another to go up six with 10:43 left.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine/Image Images)
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With just over three minutes left, the Saints reached the red zone, but Shough threw a costly interception that was returned to the New Orleans 27-yard line. Atlanta scored another field goal, but this one made it a two-possession game.
The Saints scored a touchdown with 1:11 left and lined up for the onside kick, but Atlanta recovered, giving Carolina the division.
It is the Panthers’ first playoff appearance since 2017. It is the fourth time an NFL team has won the division with a sub-.500 record, a feat the Panthers also accomplished in 2014, when they finished 7-8-1.
As for the Bucs, it’s the first time since the 2019 season, just before Tom Brady came to town, that they won’t be playing playoff football. Brady’s first year, when they won a Super Bowl, broke a 12-year playoff drought and began a streak of five consecutive playoff seasons, which has since ended.
Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen before playing against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Panthers are now locked into the No. 4 seed and will host a playoff game this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams.
