Buccaneers playoff picture: How Tampa Bay missed out on playoff spot after Week 18 victory originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ playoff streak officially came to an end on Sunday. After a brutal four-game skid that put their 2025 season in jeopardy, the Buccaneers entered their Week 18 rematch with the Carolina Panthers needing a win and some outside help to keep their postseason hopes alive and clinch a fifth consecutive NFC South title.
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With a gritty, low-scoring victory at Raymond James Stadium — a hard-fought revenge for their loss to the Panthers two weeks earlier — the Buccaneers completed the first part of their must-win mission, improving to 8-9 and creating a tense, tie atop the division with the Panthers. However, the rest of their playoff fate was decided on Sunday afternoon when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, creating a three-way tie at 8-9 involving the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Falcons.
In that complex three-way tiebreaker scenario, the Carolina Panthers unexpectedly secured the division crown due to their superior head-to-head record against the Falcons, eliminating the Buccaneers from the playoffs. Despite beating the Panthers in Week 18 and ending the regular season with an 8-9 record, the Buccaneers’ hopes of a sixth straight NFC playoff trip and a home Wild Card game were dashed by the Falcons’ victory.
The Bucs now miss the postseason for the first time since 2019, while the Panthers host a playoff game as the NFC South champion.
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LIVE:Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 18
NFL playoff bracket 2026
Here’s a look at the current potential initial matchups for this year’s playoffs:
MORE: How Panthers clinched NFC South over Buccaneers
Buccaneers playoff picture
The Buccaneers finish the season 8-9 and have officially been eliminated from postseason contention.
Seed
Team
Record
1
Seattle Seahawks*
14-3
2
Chicago Bears*
11-6
3
Philadelphia Eagles*
11-6
4
Carolina Panthers*
8-9
5
Los Angeles Rams*
12-5
6
San Francisco 49ers*
12-5
7
Green Bay Packers*
9-7-1
8
Minnesota Vikings – eliminated
9-8
9
Detroit Lions – eliminated
9-8
10
Dallas Cowboys – eliminated
7-9-1
11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (eliminated)
8-9
12
Atlanta Falcons – eliminated
8-9
13
New Orleans Saints – eliminated
6-11
14
Washington Commanders – eliminated
5-12
15
New York Giants – eliminated
4-13
16
Arizona Cardinals – eliminated
3-14
*=clinched playoff spot
NFC South standings
The Buccaneers were tied for first place with the Panthers at 8-9, but with the Falcons’ win over the Saints in Week 18, Carolina held onto the division.
Rank
Team
Record
1
Carolina Panthers*
8-9
2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8-9
3
Atlanta Falcons – eliminated
8-9
4
New Orleans Saints – eliminated
6-11
*=clinched NFC South
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Buccaneers clinching scenarios
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took care of business on Saturday by defeating the Carolina Panthers, which left both clubs tied at 8-9 atop the NFC South. However, the fate of the division was ultimately sealed by the Atlanta Falcons’ 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.
The Falcons’ win created the crucial three-way tie at 8-9 involving the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Falcons. Despite Tampa Bay having the edge in a potential two-way tie with Carolina, the three-way scenario activated the head-to-head tiebreaker among the three tied teams. In this highly specific situation, the Carolina Panthers’ superior record against the other two teams (finishing 3-1, thanks to a season sweep of the Falcons) gave them the tiebreaker advantage and the NFC South title.
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The Buccaneers’ victory over the Panthers, which included a gritty effort and a fourth-quarter field goal block, was all for naught. Tampa Bay needed the Saints to defeat the Falcons to secure the division and a fifth consecutive NFC playoff trip. Instead, the Falcons’ win resulted in an unexpected turn of events, sending the Panthers (8-9) to the playoffs as the division champion and officially eliminating the Buccaneers (8-9).