Panthers make playoffs after Falcons win over Saints; Buccaneers eliminated

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

The final spot in the NFC playoffs came down to a matchup between two division rivals who had long been eliminated from postseason contention because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive on Saturday with a 16-14 victory over the Panthers. Carolina would have clinched the division with a win, but following their loss, neither team controlled its own destiny anymore.

Instead, both of their playoff fates came down to Sunday’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons – Tampa Bay needed the Saints to win or tie, while the Panthers were Falcons fans for the day.

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Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It will likely be a while until Panthers fans root for the Falcons again, but they sure owe Atlanta a ton after the Falcons beat the Saints to give Carolina the NFC South title and simultaneously knock out the Bucs.

The Falcons got on the board first, just two plays after blocking a Saints punt and recovering it at New Orleans’ 5-yard line. An offensive holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards, but Kirk Cousins found Drake London for a 15-yard score. After the Saints missed a field goal on their next drive, Atlanta found the uprights to go up 10-0.

The Saints answered with a 10-play drive that ended with Tyler Shough rushing for a score, cutting the lead to three points