NFL Saturday showdown preview: Key figures for Panthers-Bucs and Seahawks-49ers

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The NFL gives us two division title showdowns on Saturday. Kind of.

The Carolina Panthers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game to start the day got complicated when the Atlanta Falcons won in Week 17. If the Panthers win, they’re NFC South champs. But if the Buccaneers win, they also need a New Orleans Saints win over the Falcons on Sunday to win the division, due to the Panthers winning a three-team tiebreaker if Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta all finish at 8-9.

The NFC West showdown is cleaner. If the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers, they are the NFC West champs and No. 1 seed in the NFC. With a loss the 49ers would be the No. 5 or 6 seed, based on the Rams’ outcome on Sunday. If the 49ers win, they’re division champs and the No. 1 seed, and Seattle would be the No. 5 seed.

We know the stakes. Here are the key figures from each team playing on Saturday who will help shape the playoff picture:

Panthers at Buccaneers

Panthers QB Bryce Young

Young has had a few great games this season. Mostly, he hasn’t built much momentum off last season’s hot start. He has thrown for more than 206 yards in a game just twice all season. Last week he had 54 passing yards in a loss to the Seahawks. A quarterback with just 2,745 yards in 15 games isn’t usually in line for a massive extension. But winning covers up a lot, and if the Panthers win a division title with a win (or a Falcons win on Sunday), ownership should feel happy. Young could help his reputation by having a great game on a big stage and leading Carolina to a division title.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

Unless Mayfield’s injuries are worse than being disclosed — he hasn’t been on the injury report before the past two games — it’s hard to figure out what has happened to him in the second half of the season. Before Tampa Bay’s bye Mayfield had a 98.1 passer rating and his team was 6-2. Since the bye he has an 82 passer rating and the Bucs are 1-7. Eight of his 10 interceptions has come in the second half of the season. If the Buccaneers are going to win to stay alive, Mayfield has to play better.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving

Irving had a fantastic rookie season. This season has been a lot tougher. Irving missed seven games due to foot and shoulder injuries. He has not regained his rookie year form since his return. He had just 19 yards on nine carries last week. He hasn’t passed 71 yards rushing in a game all season and is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry since his injury return. Does he have a big game in him this season?

Panthers CB Mike Jackson

Jackson has had a very good season. In a meeting against the Buccaneers two weeks ago, Jackson allowed just one catch for a yard on four targets to Mike Evans, according to PFF’s coverage stats. He was targeted eight times and allowed just 12 yards. If he can limit Evans and Tampa Bay’s other talented receivers, it would go a long way toward picking up a win.

Seahawks at 49ers

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Every time Darnold has a bad game, there will be many told-you-so reactions. It’ll be hard for Darnold to shake the reputation he picked up last season when he had two bad games to finish the season with the Vikings. The 49ers don’t have a good defense. They can’t rush the passer. This is a great opportunity for Darnold to shine in a huge game, and start to change a narrative.

49ers tight end George Kittle

Kittle missed last week with an ankle injury. San Francisco didn’t miss him as it put up 42 points, but Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and if he’s close to healthy he can be a massive asset against a tough Seahawks defense. Kittle is expected to play on Saturday. If he is active, watching how he’s able to move around early in the game will be a big focal point.

Seahawks DL Leonard Williams

Williams has had an outstanding season from the interior of the Seahawks with seven sacks and 62 tackles. He has been good against the run and pass, which is valuable against the 49ers’ balanced offense. The 49ers are better at tackle than on the interior of their line — Trent Williams’ hamstring injury is a key factor in the game though — and Williams needs to make some plays up front to slow down San Francisco’s red-hot offense.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey got so many touches early in the season, it seemed like there was no chance he’d survive the entire season. He hasn’t missed a game and last week he had 181 total yards. Here’s Saturday’s gameplan for the 49ers: feed McCaffrey. Everyone knows it. He has 399 touches this season. Nobody has been able to stop him yet, but the Seahawks will try.

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