How Falcons’ win vs. Rams impacts Panthers’ playoff push entering Week 18
The Atlanta Falcons continue to hand out holiday gifts to the Carolina Panthers just in time for the postseason.
On Monday, the Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 27-24, at Mercedes Benz-Stadium in Atlanta. That win was significant for the Panthers, as the Falcons’ final two weeks of the season are tied to the NFC South race, albeit in a less-than-traditional sense.
The Falcons (7-9) are eliminated from postseason contention. However, if they close out their season at 8-9 — with a Week 18 win against the New Orleans Saints (6-10) — and the Panthers (8-8) lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) on the road on Saturday, Carolina will still win the NFC South crown because of a three-way tie at the top of the division.
The Panthers defeated the Falcons twice this season, so they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta. The Buccaneers and Panthers would split their season series (1-1) with a Tampa Bay win on Saturday, as the Buccaneers and Falcons did earlier this season. But since the Panthers would have the best overall head-to-head record among the three teams (3-1 vs. 2-2 and 1-3), Carolina would be placed at the top of the division.
So, the Panthers could be bailed out on Sunday if they lose Saturday. Obviously, the Panthers would prefer to handle their own business and sweep the Buccaneers to claim the top spot naturally. But just in case they have trouble closing against the Buccaneers, they still could moonwalk into a division title if the Falcons finish strong against the Saints.
The Falcons’ victory on Monday also means that if the Panthers lose on Saturday, the division crown won’t be decided until after Sunday’s matchup between the Saints and the Falcons. If the Falcons were to then win their season finale, Carolina would be able to sneak into the postseason.
However, a Saints win, plus the hypothetical Buccaneers win, would lead to a fifth consecutive division championship for Tampa Bay.
The Panthers will face off against the Buccaneers on the road at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will air nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC.
The Falcons will host the Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 11:14 PM.
