The Carolina Panthers have summed up perfectly the state of the NFC South this season. They have been inconsistent all season long, securing big wins against the Dallas Cowboys (30-27 in Week 6), the Green Bay Packers (16-13 in Week 9), and the Los Angeles Rams (31-28 in Week 13) one day, but failing to move past the 4-10 New Orleans Saints not once but twice.
They lost to the Saints 21-17 on Sunday, falling to 7-7 and failing to drift away from another inconsistent team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7). These two squads will clash on Sunday for the first time this season.
With three games remaining, the Week 16 duel will be extremely important for these teams, but the Panthers face a terrible destiny if they don’t beat Baker Mayfield and Co.
Panthers will be nearly out of the NFL playoff with a Week 16 loss
Pro Football Focus (PFF) shared on Friday that the Panthers will have 50% playoff probabilities with a win against the Buccaneers.
While that number isn’t that high, the situation will drastically change if they lose. Carolina would have 5% chances of advancing to the postseason with a loss.
The Buccaneers face a more positive scenario. If they win, their chances go up to 95%. If they lose, they will have the same chances as the Panthers (50%). Carolina will face a tough opponent in Week 17, the Seattle Seahawks (12-3), before closing out the season with the second matchup against the Buccaneers.