Buccaneers playoff picture: How Tampa Bay can clinch NFC South title in Week 18

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Buccaneers playoff picture: How Tampa Bay can clinch NFC South title in Week 18 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a staple of the NFL playoffs since 2020. That's when Tom Brady led to them to an NFC wild-card berth and an eventual victory in Super Bowl 55 over the Chiefs.

The Bucs need a win and some help to make it six straight trips to the NFC tournament and five consecutive NFC South titles. Like in Brady's final season in 2022, the Bucs (7-9) will attempt to again be a home playoff team at 8-9.

Here's breaking down how Tampa Bay needs a win at home over Carolina (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) and help to keep the postseason streaks alive:

MORE WEEK 18 NFL:

NFL playoff bracket 2026

Here's a look at the current potential initial matchups for this year's playoffs:

Buccaneers playoff picture

The Buccaneers are the No. 11 team in the NFC overall standings, but the No. 8 Vikings (8-8, No. 9 Lions (8-8) and No. 10 Cowboys (7-8-1) are all eliminated with the Bears and Eagles locking down the respective NFC North and NFC East titles.

Because Tampa Bay can finish at best 9-8, it cannot earn a wild card with No. 7 Green Bay guaranteed to finish at least 9-7-1. The NFC South is the Bucs' sole playoff path.

Seed	Team	Record
1	Seattle Seahawks*	13-3
2	Chicago Bears*	11-5
3	Philadelphia Eagles*	11-5
4	Carolina Panthers	8-8
5	San Francisco 49ers*	12-4
6	Los Angeles Rams*	11-5
7	Green Bay Packers*	9-6-1
8	Minnesota Vikings - eliminated	8-8
9	Detroit Lions - eliminated	8-8
10	Dallas Cowboys - eliminated	7-8-1
11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7-9
12	Atlanta Falcons - eliminated	7-9
13	New Orleans Saints - eliminated	6-10
14	Washington Commanders - eliminated	4-12
15	Arizona Cardinals - eliminated	3-13
16	New York Giants - eliminated	3-13

*=clinched playoff spot

NFC South standings

The Buccaneers remain in second place a game behind the Panthers, but now they're tied with the third-place Falcons in terms of wins and losses. The Buccaneers have the common-games tiebreaker keeping them ahead of the Falcons, who are eliminated from NFC South title contention.

Rank	Team	Record
1	Carolina Panthers	8-8
2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7-9
3	Atlanta Falcons - eliminated	7-9
4	New Orleans Saints - eliminated	6-10

Buccaneers clinching scenarios

The Buccaneers need to first beat the Panthers on Saturday afternoon to even the records at 8-9. But the Falcons have thrown a wrench into making Tampa Bay vs. Carolina the de facto NFC South championship game.

The Falcons cannot win the division themselves, but if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers, the outcome of their home game vs. the Saints will determine whether the Buccaneers or Panthers win the division.

Should the Buccaneers and Falcons win, then it's a three-way tie atop the division at 8-9. That tiebreaker advantage goes to the Panthers because they would have gone 3-1 against the other two teams, with the Bucs at 2-2 and the Falcons at 1-3.

Should the Buccaneers and Falcons lose, however, then it's only the Buccaneers and Panthers tied at 8-9, with the Falcons fading a game behind at 7-10, falling into last place behind the also 7-10 Saints. In the case of a two-way tie, the Buccaneers would edge the Panthers for the division title thanks to the common-games tiebreaker.

The Buccaneers need to take care of their business and in a twist, then need to root hard for the Saints on Sunday.

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