The Carolina Panthers will have an opportunity to clinch the NFC South’s spot in the NFL playoffs on Sunday for the first time since 2015, but only if they beat the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the Miami Dolphins.

The games will be played at the same time. Will Carolina quarterback Bryce Young be scoreboard watching while trying to move the football on the toughest defense in the NFC to score against?

“This is my first time in this situation, so I’m not sure,” Young said on Tuesday. “But I know for me, for us, again, we have a ton of respect for the Seahawks, for our opponent. We don’t have that luxury. Can’t look over our shoulders. We can’t worry about what-if. We have our hands full making sure that we’re the best we can be throughout the week and, obviously, on Sunday being as locked in as possible. So I know all of our attention is going to be on the task at hand.”

The Panthers haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017. After beating Tampa Bay 23-20 on Sunday, Carolina holds a one-game lead on the Buccaneers in the division standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season. If Tampa Bay doesn’t lose to Miami, the outcome of their game on Sunday won’t matter for the Panthers in the division race. Carolina will have to beat the Bucs again on Jan. 4 to get the playoff spot.

Tampa Bay has lost six of its past seven games to fall back to 7-8. Since a three-game winning streak in October, the Panthers have alternated wins and losses to get to 8-7.

Carolina trailed or the score was tied in the fourth quarter in each of those eight games. The four victories are among the 12 that have featured game-winning, fourth-quarter drives led by Young since Carolina added him from Alabama as the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Young is the youngest player to have 12 such drives in NFL history.

“It’s something that I’ve always just tried to embrace, I’ve always been excited for,” Young said. “I’ve said it before: That’s the reason you play sports. That’s always been a fun scenario. …

“Throughout my life, I’ve been able to have different opportunities, and now I’ve been able to have those opportunities in the NFL. And I’m just blessed to have those chances. I’m grateful for those circumstances, and in the moment have a lot of gratitude. And then, obviously, it’s just about focus and execution.”

Although Carolina is a division leader, the Panthers had one player on the NFC Pro Bowl roster announced on Thursday – cornerback Jaycee Horn. Three NFC teams already eliminated from postseason contention had more Pro Bowlers than Carolina.

“The good thing is all the people that are on the team, Jaycee, and then the guys who are alternates and the guys that should have been, whatever it is, the good news, they’re all focused on winning,” Young said. “That’s all that we care about. All that stuff is external. All the guys just want to come in and win. All the guys just want to go come in and go one and O this year. So for us in the building, we want to celebrate the guys that did get recognition, and then after that, you know, we’re all just focused on being the best we can as a team.”

The Alabama Game of the Week is the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commander contest on Thursday. The teams’ active rosters include 16 players from Alabama high schools and colleges.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

The Week 17 schedule (with all times Central and point spreads from BetMGM):

Thursday

Dallas Cowboys (-7) at Washington Commanders, noon (Netflix)Detroit Lions (-7.5) at Minnesota Vikings, 3:30 p.m. (Netflix)Denver Broncos (-13) at Kansas City Chiefs, 7:15 p.m. (Prime Video)

Saturday

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers (-2), 3:30 p.m. (NFL Network)Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers (-3), 7 p.m. (Peacock)

Sunday

Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Carolina Panthers, noon (WIAT, WTVY, WHNT, WKRG, WAKA)Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (-7), noonPittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Cleveland Browns, noonJacksonville Jaguars (-6.5) at Indianapolis Colts, noon (WBRC, WZDX, WALA, WCOV, WDFX)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5.5) at Miami Dolphins, noonNew England Patriots (-13.5) at New York Jets, noonNew Orleans Saints (-2.5) at Tennessee Titans, noonNew York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5), 3:05 p.m.Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-1.5), 3:25 p.m. (WBRC, WZDX, WALA, WCOV, WDFX)Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3), 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday

Los Angeles Rams (-8) at Atlanta Falcons, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)