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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their play live pinch a 16-14 triumph complete nan Carolina Panthers Saturday. Now nan NFC South title will beryllium wished successful Sunday's crippled betwixt nan Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, who person agelong been eliminated from playoff contention.
Carolina had a chance to clinch nan section pinch a triumph complete Tampa Bay, but now nan Panthers must dangle connected nan Falcons to hit nan Saints to sphere nan section lead utilizing tiebreakers.
If nan Saints win, Tampa Bay will return nan section by kindness of nan tiebreaker.
The Buccaneers are hoping for their 5th consecutive section title, while nan Panthers are hoping for their first section title since coach Ron Rivera and backmost Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 grounds and a Super Bowl quality since 2015. Every different squad successful nan NFC South has won nan section astatine slightest erstwhile since Carolina's past section title.
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Lavonte David (54) of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates aft a fumble betterment against nan Carolina Panthers astatine Raymond James Stadium Jan. 3, 2026, successful Tampa, Fla. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Carolina's dream of clinching that title connected Saturday ended arsenic Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown walk to Cade Otton and Chase McLaughlin kicked 3 section goals to gain nan two-point win, leaving nan Panthers pinch almost nary clip to triumph nan crippled connected nan game's last series.
After McLaughlin’s 38-yard section extremity effort was blocked pinch conscionable complete 5 minutes remaining, Carolina sewage wrong 16-14 connected Bryce Young’s 8-yard TD walk to Jalen Coker pinch 2:27 left.
Mayfield tossed a short walk to Otton for a 20-yard gain connected 3rd and 4 to widen Tampa Bay’s thrust and tally disconnected much time. The Panthers sewage nan shot backmost astatine their 3-yard statement pinch 18 seconds and nary timeouts. The crippled ended successful a hopeless bid of laterals that resulted successful a fumble.
NFL WEEK 17 SCORES: AFC NORTH, NFC SOUTH UP FOR GRABS AS PLAYOFF PICTURE ALMOST COMPLETE
Bucky Irving (7) of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs pinch nan shot against nan Carolina Panthers astatine Raymond James Stadium Jan. 3, 2026, successful Tampa, Fla. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Mayfield connected pinch Otton connected an 18-yard TD walk for a 7-0 lead arsenic nan Bucs scored a touchdown connected their opening thrust for nan 3rd consecutive game. It was Otton’s first TD of nan season.
Down 10-0, nan Panthers turned Christian Rozeboom’s interception into a speedy score. Rozeboom returned nan prime 20 yards to Tampa Bay’s 19. Young past connected pinch Tommy Tremble connected an 8-yard TD walk to trim it to 10-7.
Jacob Parrish picked disconnected Young precocious successful nan 2nd half, and nan Buccaneers sewage a 36-yard section extremity from McLaughlin to return a 13-7 halftime lead.
McLaughlin kicked a 48-yard section extremity early successful nan 4th to widen Tampa Bay’s lead.
Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yarder connected nan opening thrust of nan 3rd quarter.
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Christian Izien (29) of nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates against nan Carolina Panthers astatine Raymond James Stadium Jan. 3, 2026, successful Tampa, Fla. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Mayfield completed his first six passes earlier misfiring connected a cross-field, 13-yard flip to Payne Durham, who was wide unfastened successful nan extremity zone. The Bucs settled for McLaughlin’s 29-yard section extremity and a 10-0 lead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is simply a sports newsman for Fox News Digital covering captious governmental and taste issues successful sports, pinch an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited successful national authorities actions related to nan enforcement of Title IX, and successful bequest media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
