As if they hadn’t already been a thorn in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ sides, the Atlanta Falcons have a unique opportunity to end the Bucs’ four-year reign atop the NFC South.
Come again?
You’re probably thinking that the Falcons (6-9) had already been eliminated from playoff contention. This is true. You’re probably thinking that the Falcons had already salvaged a season split of their annual series with the Bucs after engineering a 29-28 upset in Tampa earlier this month. This is true.
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You’re probably thinking the winner of the Week 18 contest between the Buccaneers (7-9) and Carolina Panthers (8-8) will win the division and advance as the NFC South’s only entry into the playoff field − Tampa Bay holding the pertinent common-games tiebreaker edge over Carolina.
Maybe.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 6: Washington Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the “Monday Night Football” game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders wore their all-black alternate uniforms for the game.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 6: Washington Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the “Monday Night Football” game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders wore their all-black alternate uniforms for the game.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 6: Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons played the game while sporting throwback uniforms that harken back to the team’s inaugural season of 1966.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 6: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen operates at the line of scrimmage before a play against the Atlanta Falcons during a “Monday Night Football” game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bills wore throwback uniforms reminiscent of the team’s look from 1962-1973 during the game.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 6: Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young looks for a receiver against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers wore this uniform combination for the first time in the 30-27 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray makes a throw during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals wore their all-black uniforms, but were defeated 22-21.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield awaits the snap against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Both teams wore throwback uniforms in the Buccaneers’ 38-35 win. The Buccaneers and Seahawks entered the NFL together as expansion teams in 1976.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) is congratulated by teammate AJ Barner (88) after catching a touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Lumen Field. The Seahawks wore throwback uniforms harkening back to the team’s original look from 1976-2001.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) runs against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers wore monochrome powder blue uniform pants and jerseys for the first time.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) is tackled by the Dallas Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs (7) and Juanyeh Thomas (2) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. The Cowboys wore their “Arctic White” uniforms for the 37-22 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 5: New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields stands in the pocket against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets wore their all-black uniforms in the 37-22 loss.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 4: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands the ball off to running back J.K. Dobbins during the “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos wore their “Midnight Navy” uniforms for the 28-3 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) makes a catch during his team’s “Monday Night Football” game against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens wore their all-black uniforms for the game dubbed, “Darkness Falls.” Despite the fancy marketing moniker, the Ravens were defeated, 38-30.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. The Saints wore their all-white uniform and helmet combo for the first time in the 44-13 loss.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers wore throwback jerseys – an homage to the team’s 1950s look, as well as its 1994 Super Bowl-winning season – in the 16-15 win against the Cardinals.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. New England brought out its iconic “Pat Patriot” throwback in the 21-14 defeat.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) runs with the ball as New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner attempts to make the tackle during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers wore their famous “Creamsicle” throwback uniforms in the 29-27 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns debuted their “Alpha Dawg” alternate uniform for the 13-10 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) celebrates after making an interception in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. The Jaguars wore their “Prowler Throwbacks” – an homage to the team’s late-1990s heyday – for the 17-10 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 3: Carolina Panthers tight end JaTavion Saunders runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers wore their special black helmets in the 30-0 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 2: Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Sporting “The Vikings Classic” throwback uniform inspired by the team’s look during the 1960s and ’70s, Minnesota was defeated, 22-6.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 2: The Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons (1) reacts during a “Thursday Night Football” game against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. The Packers wore their “Winter Warning” uniforms for the 27-18 win.
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Can’t-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at Caesars Superdome. The Saints wore their reimagined “Gameday Gold” uniforms for their season opener, marking the first time the team wore gold jerseys since the 2002 season. The Cardinals defeated the Saints, 20-13.
That’s because the Falcons, who host the Los Angeles Rams on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17, could still interject themselves into the mix, unlikely a scenario as it is.
First, give the Falcons credit given how easy it would have been to pack it in given a once-promising season went off the rails as they lost nine of their first 13 games, inconsistency and injuries to key players − like quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Drake London − playing major roles in undermining the Dirty Birds. Atlanta hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2017. Yet they’ve won their past two games, starting with that unexpected victory at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 11. And what that also means is that the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers could all wind up with 8-9 records.
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How does NFL break a three-way tie?
The league’s sometimes complex procedures for sorting out ties among teams with the same record apply differently to a division than to, say, three teams from different divisions chasing a wild-card berth. In this scenario, the determining tiebreaker would be:
â–¶ Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
If the Panthers were to lose to the Bucs in Week 18, they’d finish with a 3-1 collective record against Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers would finish 2-2 in those games, while the Falcons would be 1-3 − ergo, Carolina’s 8-9 record would confer it the NFC South scenario under those circumstances.
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How does NFL break a two-way tie?
Again, the rules apply differently to teams in the same division versus those that might have the same record from different ones. But if the Falcons don’t get to 8-9, but Carolina and Tampa Bay do, then the determining tiebreakers would be:
Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs). The Panthers and Bucs split in this scenario.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division. The Panthers and Bucs would both be 3-3 in this scenario.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games. The Panthers have a 5-7 record among common opponents, while the Bucs are 6-6 − meaning Tampa Bay would win the division if only tied with Carolina.
What do Rams have at stake in Week 17?
At this point? Not very much. The San Francisco 49ers’ win Sunday night ended any hopes the Rams had of winning the NFC West or the conference’s No. 1 seed. They’re assured of a wild card, the only remaining question whether they’ll be the No. 5 overall seed or the sixth. How does that inform how they approach the Atlanta game? TBD. However it’s worth noting that the fifth-seeded team will play either at Tampa or in Charlotte for the wild-card opener. That would seem favorable, though the Panthers beat the Rams in Week 13.
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(There is also the not-so-minor matter of the Rams holding the Falcons’ first-round pick in 2026 − so beating Atlanta would theoretically give LA an earlier selection next spring.)
Regardless, suffice it to say that Buccaneers fans will be rooting for LA on Monday and, if need be, the New Orleans Saints in Week 18.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: The New England Patriots’ Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) tackle Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game, 20-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) fumbles the ball on a tackle by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. It was a rough Giants debut for Wilson (17 of 37 passing for 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game, 21-6.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Fireworks go off before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the season with a 24-20 victory over their longtime NFC East rivals.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buccaneers’ NFC South title hopes could be thwarted by Falcons