Panthers make playoffs after Falcons win over Saints; Buccaneers eliminated

Carolina Panthers fans don’t often basal for their part rivals, but Sunday was an exception.

The last spot successful the NFC playoffs came down to a matchup betwixt 2 part rivals who had agelong been eliminated from postseason contention due to the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes live connected Saturday with a 16-14 triumph implicit the Panthers. Carolina would person clinched the part with a win, but pursuing their loss, neither squad controlled its ain destiny anymore.

Instead, some of their playoff fates came down to Sunday’s matchup betwixt the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons – Tampa Bay needed the Saints to triumph oregon tie, portion the Panthers were Falcons fans for the day.

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Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons reacts aft scoring a touchdown during the archetypal 4th of the crippled against the New Orleans Saints astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium connected Jan. 4, 2026 successful Atlanta, Georgia.  (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It volition apt beryllium a portion until Panthers fans basal for the Falcons again, but they definite beryllium Atlanta a ton aft the Falcons bushed the Saints to springiness Carolina the NFC South rubric and simultaneously sound retired the Bucs.

The Falcons got connected the committee first, conscionable 2 plays aft blocking a Saints punt and recovering it astatine New Orleans’ 5-yard line. An violative holding punishment pushed them backmost 10 yards, but Kirk Cousins recovered Drake London for a 15-yard score. After the Saints missed a tract extremity connected their adjacent drive, Atlanta recovered the uprights to spell up 10-0.

The Saints answered with a 10-play thrust that ended with Tyler Shough rushing for a score, cutting the pb to 3 points earlier the extremity of the archetypal half. Atlanta kicked a tract extremity connected its archetypal thrust of the 2nd fractional to spell up six, and the Saints were forced to settee for 3 aft a touchdown was taken backmost due to the fact that of a penalty. The Falcons kicked different to spell up six with 10:43 to go.

Atlanta Falcons backmost Kirk Cousins (18) passes against the New Orleans Saints during the archetypal fractional astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)

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With conscionable implicit 3 minutes to go, the Saints got to the reddish zone, but Shough threw a costly interception that was returned to the New Orleans 27-yard line. Atlanta kicked yet different tract goal, but this 1 made it a two-possession game.

The Saints scored a touchdown with 1:11 to spell and lined up for the onside kick, but Atlanta recovered, giving Carolina the division.

It is the Panthers’ archetypal playoff quality since 2017. It is the 4th clip an NFL squad has won the part with a grounds beneath .500, a feat besides accomplished by the Panthers successful 2014, erstwhile they went 7-8-1.

As for the Bucs, it's the archetypal clip since the 2019 season—right earlier Tom Brady came to town—in which they volition not play playoff football. Brady's archetypal year, erstwhile they won a Super Bowl, snapped a 12-year playoff drought and started a streak of 5 consecutive playoff seasons, which is present over.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen earlier playing the Seattle Seahawks astatine Bank of America Stadium connected Dec. 28, 2025 successful Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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The Panthers are present locked into the No. 4 effect and volition big a playoff crippled this play against either the San Francisco 49ers oregon Los Angeles Rams.

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