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Carolina Panthers fans don’t often root for their division rivals, but Sunday was an exception.
The final NFC playoff spot came down to a matchup between two division rivals that had long been eliminated from the playoffs because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive Saturday with a 16-14 victory over the Panthers. Carolina would have won the division with a victory, but after their defeat, neither team was in control of their own destiny.
Instead, both of their postseason fates came down to Sunday’s game 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 January 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
It will likely be a while before Panthers fans support the Falcons again, but they certainly owe a lot to Atlanta after the Falcons beat the Saints to give Carolina the NFC South title and simultaneously eliminate the Bucs.
The Falcons got on the board first, just two plays after blocking a Saints punt and recovering it at the 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 responded with a 10-play drive that ended with Tyler Shough rushing for a score, cutting the lead to three points before the end of the first half. Atlanta kicked a field goal on its first drive of the second half to go up six points, and the Saints were forced to settle for three after a touchdown was taken away due to a penalty. The Falcons kicked another one to go up six with 10:43 left.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
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With just over three minutes left, the Saints reached the red zone, but Shough threw a costly interception that was returned to the New Orleans 27-yard line. Atlanta kicked another field goal, but this one made it a two-possession game.
The Saints scored a touchdown with 1:11 left and lined up for the onside kick, but Atlanta recovered, giving Carolina the division.
This is the Panthers’ first appearance in the playoffs since 2017. It is the fourth time an NFL team has won the division with a sub-.500 record, a feat also accomplished by the Panthers in 2014, when they had a 7-8-1 record.
As for the Bucs, this is the first time since the 2019 season — right before Tom Brady came to town — in which they won’t be playing playoff football. Brady’s first year, when they won the Super Bowl, ended a 12-year playoff drought and began a streak of five consecutive playoff seasons, which is now over.
Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen before playing against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Panthers are now locked into the No. 4 seed and will host a playoff game this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams.
