The Carolina Panthers have received some bulletin-board material before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers are facing what is essentially a must-win situation when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, but the Buccaneers might be a bit too relaxed.
What do I mean by that?
Well, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has revealed a little nugget about Tampa Bay that should have the Panthers steaming ... or at least even more motivated to come away with a win.
"The Bucs still believe they are better than the Panthers," Fowler wrote. "Beating them twice (Weeks 16 and 18) will ensure a fifth consecutive division title."
To be quite frank, most people still probably believe that the Buccaneers are better than the Panthers, and deservedly so. After all, Tampa Bay has won four straight NFC South division titles and entered 2025 as the odds-on favorite to win a fifth.
Meanwhile, Carolina is an inexperienced ballclub that has not made a playoff appearance since 2017.
Not only that, but the Panthers had a chance to take a one-game lead over the Bucs last weekend, but fell to the New Orleans Saints for the second time this season.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images.Getting swept by one of the worst teams in football is not a trait playoff teams usually possess.
Regardless, it's not like the Buccaneers have been lighting it up, either, as they are just 7-7 and are coming off of a very tough loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Carolina will face Tampa Bay twice down the stretch and almost has to sweep the Bucs in order to get into the playoffs.
Why? Because the Panthers will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 while the Buccaneers will have a matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
If Carolina splits with Tampa Bay, it will have to hope to beat the Seahawks while also banking on Tampa Bay losing to Miami, which isn't incredibly likely.
The Bucs currently hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers, which is why Carolina sweeping them is the easiest way for it to win the NFC South.
The Panthers have not won a division crown since 2015, when they made it all the way to the Super Bowl.
This Carolina squad certainly isn't a Super Bowl contender, but a trip to the postseason would be a massive step in the right direction.