Sunday, January 4, 2026 9:06PM
TAMPA, Fla. (WTVD) — The Carolina Panthers are playoff-bound.
After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-12 on Saturday, the Panthers needed to wait a day to learn their fate.
There were some anxious moments for Panthers fans as the Atlanta Falcons hung on in an otherwise meaningless game to beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17 and give Carolina the tiebreaker needed to win the NFC South for the first time since quarterback Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance 10 years ago.
A Saints win — or a tie — would have put the Buccaneers (8-9) in the playoffs.
The Buccaneers held a two-team tiebreaker over the Panthers. But Carolina held the three-team tiebreaker over Tampa Bay if Atlanta finished 8-9.
This story will be updated.
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