Who said you can't win on a bye week?
The Carolina Panthers weren't active today, but they have emerged as one of the biggest winners of Week 14 in the NFL. Their division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, took a shocking loss to the New Orleans Saints. The loss drops Tampa Bay to 7-6, putting them level with the Panthers with just four games left in the season.
In a shocking turn of events, the Panthers have a very real chance to win the NFC South.
Buccaneers leave the door wide open for Panthers to win the NFC South
Remember when Bryce Young was getting hit with the "bust" label, and Dave Canales was on the hot seat? That was just a couple of months ago. Now, the Panthers have the inside track to winning the NFC South and making their first playoff appearance since 2017. It's a miracle of a season, and it's quickly becoming a reality.
The Buccaneers seemed to be running away with the division title once again. After winning the NFC South in each of the last four seasons, Baker Mayfield and his team were expected to carry on their dominance. Even as the Panthers resurrected their season in 2025, few analysts took their chances of dethroning Tampa Bay seriously.
Well, it's time to start paying attention. The Buccaneers just lost their chance at controlling the division by losing a tight game to the Saints by a score of 24-20. Mayfield had a rocky performance, completing less than half of his passes. Meanwhile, the Bucs let Saints rookie QB Tyler Shough have a breakout game with two rushing touchdowns.
The Panthers still face off with the Buccaneers twice in the next month, meaning they control their playoff destiny. If they can shock the NFL world by winning their next four games, they'll make a postseason appearance. All signs point toward those two divisional matchups determining the outcome of the season.
While the shift in the standings is crucial, the Buccaneers' display of weakness is just as important. Tampa Bay showed the Panthers that they can be beaten in key moments. The Saints were able to bottle up the Buccaneers' offense and manipulate their defense in a way that the Panthers could look to replicate in the coming weeks. This Tampa team isn't the invincible overlord that the rest of the NFC South has begrudgingly come to know in recent years. They're vulnerable, and the Panthers are lurking.