NFL Week 12 overreactions: Chiefs stay alive, Cowboys shock Eagles
USA TODAY Sports’ Prince Grimes ‘overreacts’ to some of the best games from Sunday’s Week 12 slate.
If the Carolina Panthers win in Week 12, they will hold sole possession of first place in the NFC South with six weeks to go.
The NFC South divisional race is one of the tightest in the league with a third of the season remaining. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ recent struggles – four losses in their last five games – have let the Panthers gain ground in the standings.
High win totals from teams near the top of the NFC West and NFC North mean that a wild-card spot will be hard to come by for whichever teams do not win their division. For the Panthers and Buccaneers, an NFC South win is likely their only shot at a playoff appearance.
Here’s how things are looking for Carolina ahead of its “Monday Night Football” meeting with the San Francisco 49ers:
Panthers playoff odds
Ahead of “Monday Night Football,” the Panthers are on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in. Carolina is ninth in the conference with its 6-5 record and tied for first in the division. However, the Buccaneers own the tiebreaker with a 2-0 divisional record besting Carolina’s 2-1 mark in divisional games.
NFL.com’s Playoff Picture tool gives the Panthers a 20% chance to make the playoffs this year. Should they win their Week 12 matchup, that number jumps to 32%. If they lose, their chances drop to 15%.
Carolina has the second-best chance of every team currently outside the NFC playoff bubble, behind the 7-4 Detroit Lions but ahead of the 5-5-1 Dallas Cowboys and 4-7 Atlanta Falcons.
Panthers remaining schedule
According to Tankathon.com, the Panthers have the fifth-hardest strength of schedule for the rest of the season based on current records of their opponents. Carolina’s easiest opponent remaining is the 2-9 New Orleans Saints, but the Panthers still need to play the Buccaneers twice.
NFC South standings
The Panthers enter “Monday Night Football” tied for first place in the NFC South:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5)Carolina Panthers (6-5)Atlanta Falcons (4-7)New Orleans Saints (2-9)NFC playoff pictureLos Angeles Rams (9-2; NFC West leaders)Philadelphia Eagles (8-3; NFC East leaders)Chicago Bears (8-3; NFC North leaders)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5; NFC South leaders)Seattle Seahawks (8-3; wild card No. 1)Green Bay Packers (7-3-1; wild card No. 2)San Francisco 49ers (7-4; wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Detroit Lions (7-4); Carolina Panthers (6-5); Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1); Minnesota Vikings (4-7); Atlanta Falcons (4-7); Arizona Cardinals (3-8); Washington Commanders (3-8); New Orleans Saints (2-9)
Eliminated: New York Giants (2-10)