Panthers try for first division title since 2015, while Bucs go for fifth in a row

Saturday's NFC South championship (sort of) between the Panthers and Buccaneers will result (on Saturday or on Sunday) in either the end of a 10-year drought or the continuation of a half-decade run.

If the Panthers win (or if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday), Carolina will win the division for the first time since 2015, their most recent Super Bowl appearance. If the Bucs win (and if the Saints win the next day), Tampa Bay will extend their current run as NFC South champs to five.

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Carolina last made the playoffs in 2017, with an 8-8 record. That's also the most recent season in which they won eight games.

If Tampa wins, the division champion (pending Sunday's game) will have a losing record, and nevertheless host a wild-card game against the NFC's No. 5 seed.

The Bucs are favored by three, despite sinking to 1-6 since starting 6-2. If they do, it all comes down to what happens on Sunday between the Saints and Falcons.

If Atlanta wins, the division goes to Carolina. If the New Orleans wins, Tampa Bay will have its fifth title in a row.

And then the division champ will be a touchdown-or-so underdog at home the following weekend, against the Seahawks, 49ers, or Rams.