Panthers look to facing Bucs for NFC South title
USAT’s Joe Rivera and Chris Bumbaca dive into Tampa Bay’s ugly skid and Carolina’s momentum.
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The Carolina Panthers earned a key victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. If they can do it again in Week 18, they will head to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2017.
It would also allow the Panthers to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015, when they went 15-1 under the guidance of Ron Rivera. Carolina made it to Super Bowl 50 that season, which it lost 24-10 to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Getting to the playoffs would be a nice, feather-in-the-cap moment for second-year coach Dave Canales. He has engineered a rapid turnaround in Carolina, helping quarterback Bryce Young make strides across their two seasons together while rebuilding the team’s defense into a solid force.
Who will the Panthers face in the playoffs if they can stave off competition from the Buccaneers in the NFC South and win the division? Below is a breakdown of the team’s playoff scenarios and potential wild-card opponents.
Who will Panthers play in playoffs?
The Panthers can only make it into the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 4 seed. That guarantees the team will play the top wild-card team – which will be the second-place finisher in the NFC West – should they make it into the postseason.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ potential wild-card opponents in 2025:
Panthers playoff scenarios
The Panthers will win the NFC South and be the conference’s No. 4 seed if any of the following scenarios occur in Week 18:
Panthers win or tie vs. BuccaneersPanthers lose vs. Buccaneers AND Falcons win vs. Saints
If that happens, the Panthers will face the 49ers, Seahawks or Rams in the wild-card round. Below is a look at how each matchup could occur:
San Francisco 49ers49ers lose vs. Seahawks AND Rams lose or tie vs. Cardinals OR49ers tie vs. SeahawksSeattle SeahawksLos Angeles Rams49ers lose vs. Seahawks AND Rams win vs. CardinalsNFL playoff schedule
The NFL playoffs will kick off on Jan. 10 with the league’s first two wild-card matchups before concluding on Feb. 8 with Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Wild card weekend
All times Eastern
Saturday, Jan. 10
AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 11
AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 17
AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18
AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.NFL conference championship round
Sunday, Jan. 25
AFC championship game: 3 p.m.NFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.Super Bowl 60Date: Feb. 8, 2026Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)Time: 6:30 p.m.TV: NBCNFL playoff picture Week 18AFCDenver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
NFCSeattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)San Francisco 49ers (12-4, wild card No. 1)*Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.