The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers play Saturday in an NFC South Division title decider.
Well, almost. The Atlanta Falcons might actually determine the division crown via tiebreaker on Sunday.
Here's the scoop:
- If the Panthers win against the Bucs, they win the division and are in the playoffs.
- If the Bucs win against the Panthers, the division title comes down to the Falcons.
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The reason Atlanta matters is that if the Panthers and Buccaneers win, they're both 8-9. And if the Falcons win Sunday against the Saints, they'd be 8-9, too.
Atlanta making the top of the division a three-way tie would enact a head-to-head mini series set of tiebreakers. The Panthers win that tiebreaker, and would thus win the division.
If the Falcons lose, though, Carolina would drop the two-team tiebreaker to the Buccaneers, which is just record versus common opponents, in which Tampa Bay has the edge.
The Falcons won't have an easy path to a win Sunday. The Saints are red hot with rookie QB Tyler Shough.
Carolina would remove any suspense by winning on Saturday to finish the season 9-8 and clear of all competitors.
But wouldn't it be fun for neutral fans to see the Buccaneers win Saturday and then have the division title come down to a Falcons-Saints game on Sunday between two eliminated teams? Sure sounds like some chaos.
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