The Buccaneers are still in first place in the NFC South, but their lead in the divisional race was further whittled away on Christmas Eve.
Both the Panthers and Saints were able to win their Saturday afternoon games in Week 16. Carolina shellacked Detroit in a 37-23 victory that saw them run for a whopping 240 yards in the first half. D'Onta Foreman rebounded from a 10-carry, 9-yard outing with 165 yards and a touchdown and helped the Panthers end the Lions' three-game winning streak.
The Saints had a bit more trouble dispatching the Browns. New Orleans' offense struggled early, and the Saints failed to score on each of their first four possessions.
However, after committing to using Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill in the running game, the Saints were able to score 17 unanswered points. They would go on to beat the Browns 17-10 after sacking Deshaun Watson on a fourth down in the red zone with less than a minute left in the game.
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The victories by the Panthers and Saints will put pressure on the Buccaneers as Tampa Bay prepares to play its final three games of the season.
Below is a breakdown of the NFC South standings and which teams are in the divisional race as two-plus weeks remain in the season.
NFC South standings
The Buccaneers are still in first place in the NFC South, but only barely. They have a half-game lead over both the Panthers and the Saints in the race for the division title.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Buccaneers | 6-8 |
| 2 | Panthers | 6-9 |
| 3 | Saints | 6-9 |
| 4 | Falcons | 5-10 |
Tampa Bay can extend that lead to a game if it beats the Cardinals on Christmas. However, if the Buccaneers lose against Arizona, the Panthers would jump to first place in the division, as they would win a three-team tiebreaker over the Buccaneers and Saints.
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That said, the Buccaneers and Panthers are effectively in control of their own destinies. Why? Because the two teams are playing in Week 17, and the winner of that game will be in first place in the division — regardless of the Bucs' result against the Cardinals.
That would give the winner of that game a win-and-in scenario in Week 18, as the Saints can't emerge from any tiebreakers in the standings over the Buccaneers and Panthers.
So, for a brief run-down, here is a look at what each of the NFC South's top three teams need to take control of the division.
- Buccaneers: Can clinch the division by beating the Cardinals and Panthers.
- Panthers: Can win the division by beating the Buccaneers in Week 17 and Saints in Week 18.
- Saints: Need to win out, get help to win the division, as the Bucs and Panthers own tiebreakers over them.
After Saturday's game, FiveThirtyEight gives the Buccaneers a 66 percent chance of winning the division while the Panthers have a 29 percent chance of doing so. Meanwhile, the Saints have just a 5 percent chance of emerging from the division race.
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So, it's still the Buccaneers' division to lose, but Carolina can potentially flip that script in Week 17.
