Clarification On The Panthers’ Rough Road To The Postseason
December 18th, 2025
Joe keeps hearing nonsense on radio and on social media about how the Bucs must sweep the Panthers to reach the playoffs.
Fake news.
Thanks to the Panthers’ loss to the slimy Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, completing a season sweep of Carolina, the Bucs have a far easier road to the playoffs.
Joe will share the explanation from the Panthers’ official website. And yes, Joe loved their sarcastic tone.
Because we’d rather light a candle than curse your darkness, we might as well start with the longest shot and work our way to the more conceivable.
If the Panthers lose to the Bucs on Sunday, the only path to the playoffs includes beating the Seahawks in Week 17 and then the Bucs in Week 18, coupled with a Bucs loss to the Dolphins. That would leave the Panthers a game ahead in overall record, making the math easy.
That’s the only combination of results that includes a Panthers loss in Week 16 that gets them to the postseason, primarily because the Panthers trail in tiebreakers at that point. After overall record, the tiebreakers are, in order:
- Head-to-head
- Division record (both 2-2 at the moment)
- Common opponents (in this case, what they did against the AFC East and NFC West, and the Panthers’ loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 looms large here since the Bucs beat the Cards. As it stands, the Panthers are 3-4 and the Bucs 4-3 in this one)
- Conference record (Panthers 5-4 and Bucs 5-5 at the moment)
There are more tiebreakers, but the message is clear: the Panthers likely will need a miracle if they don’t beat the Bucs on Sunday. And yes, the Bucs have a great shot to make the playoffs even with an 8-9 record.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:09 am
Serious question…. If we make the playoffs (if) who would we rather play…. Rams or Seahawks??? Curious what people think 🤔…
December 18th, 2025 at 7:21 am
@Angelo. It doesn’t matter who we play in the playoffs (if) we even make it. Todd will still be bringing his awesome shutdown defense.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:25 am
The Rams are our Kryptonite.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:40 am
Here is the simpler version. I f Bucs beat the Panthers once and Panthers lose to Seattle , Bucs are in.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:41 am
The Panthers rough road to the postseason ends with Wirfs, Goedecke, Barton, Otten, Mayfield, Evans, Godwin, Egbuka, JMac, White, Irving, and Tucker. And 2 guards with big butts.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:53 am
Just win this weekend! Forget all the tie breakers and what ifs. Just win this week, and there’s a real good chance we make the playoffs. The question is, what are the odds of advancing to the divisional round if we can’t get on a winning streak here at the end of the season. We need to go in on a 3-game run to build confidence and give us a realistic expectation of winning the wildcard round.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:02 am
Thank you so much, Joe.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:13 am
It would be so nice to have it clinched before the final game and give Baker and the starters a week off.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:25 am
😂😂😂😂
What about the Bucs rough road ALL SEASON
Freaking lemming Buc fans wishing and hoping for making it into the playoffs!
This team and season has been in the sheeter since the first game!
Those 3 first wins were deceptive
OBP needs a 8.4 Richter scale reality check!
JL is on thin ice again!
He has never built a Championship program
Lotto scratch off Bruce Arians and Tom
Brady
Rental Super Bowl Trophy
Years ago!
December 18th, 2025 at 8:46 am
The Panthers end the season playing against Baker, Darnold, Baker. If God has a sense of humor there is only one way this ends for them.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:01 am
Canales and The Carolina Shrimp will collapse along with Bowles. Who will collapse last?
December 18th, 2025 at 9:05 am
How about this, If Seattle beats the Rams this week they may clinch. If so they may rest their starters against the Panthers, giving the Panthers a good advantage to win against Seattle.The way I see it. The Panthers just need 2 wins like the Bucs. Yes if they both win 2 out of three the Bucs win. However, the the Bucs beating Miami is no sure thing as we have seen, especially against back up QB’s. Reguardless , sure I would like to see the Bucs take off with all their weapons back. However, yes they will need to score a ton of points because the defense is getting worse not better. Aslso keep in mind the o line play with 2 backup guards is not giving Baker much time or opening many holes for the run game. However, yes , a miracle is possible I guess.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:06 am
8-9 teams should be embarrassed.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Good luck beating Seattle as the Seahawks will
have had extra rest having played on Thursday.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:42 am
Both Teams suck, the NFC South is the retard division of the NFL, How embarrassing to get in with a 9-8 record while your wildcard opponent as a 12-5 record, the Bucs glory days are over and back to regional 1 pm games next yr
December 18th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Todd, You are correct except that if we beat the Panthers only once and the Seahawks beat the Panthers, we still need the Falcons to lose one of their three remaining games. If that happens then beating the Dolphins doesn’t matter.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:49 am
The Falcons have the Cardinals, Rams and Saints on their remaining schedule
December 18th, 2025 at 9:55 am
It’s easy. Total in any combo of 2 for bucs or 3 for panthers. A win for bucs or a loss by panthers is counted.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:08 am
The Glazer have to move from Bowles, unless by some miracle they make it to at least the NFC Championship. There is no progression. They fired Dungy when this happened in 2001
December 18th, 2025 at 10:15 am
SB~LV , I agree 100%. After Brady left and the other rentals left, we were left with an offensive and defensive line rebuild. We did have Tristan Wirfs and Vita as cornerstone players but not much else. Evans and Godwin are now three years older and both have missed a significant amount of games over the last couple years. Lavonte in his twilight years and only injury prone Dean and Winfield remain in the secondary. Think about the relative success we have had over the last couple years and I think JL has done a heck of a job. I truly believe this year could have been another step forward except the injury bug has bit hard. Where Licht has failed was in the building of depth. Whether we end up with a new coach or not, there is plenty to continue to build on especially with the salary cap in a better place. People that want to absolutely blow it all up are crazy.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Razzormarone
You ain’t lying.
1979
1999
2021
December 18th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Todd…..they had a week off at the bye. How did that work out?
The Bucs need to win out and not let anyone tell them a game will be easy.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:26 am
Can we back into the playoffs with a 7-10 record if Bucs and kitties only win one more each. That would be greeaat!
December 18th, 2025 at 10:26 am
I have a dream: The Rams win the Super Bowl. Stafford retires. The Glazers trade 2 1st round picks, a few players, and cash to the Rams for Sean McVay. I know, I know, it was just a dream.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:37 am
• Little Confidence
December 18th, 2025 at 11:12 am
If we make the playoffs with an 8-9 record and lose horribly in round one, Bowles better be sent packing.
An NFC title game likely gets him another year.
But how many seasons are the Glazers willing to waste on him?
This defense will never get better under Bowles no matter the roster.
35-34
December 18th, 2025 at 11:22 am
rather face the hawks but DA BEAR look dangerous lol..
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME is the only way bowles survives
GO BUCS!!!!
December 18th, 2025 at 11:45 am
Time to go on a Flacco playoff run,,, or the first eagles SB win,, the QB got hot at the right time,, Baker has that in him ,, a smoking hot 5 or 6 games