Led by Baker Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a crucial 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 18, keeping their division title and playoff hopes alive.
The postseason berth depended on the Atlanta Falcons not beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, which made all the Tampa Bay fans nervous, especially the starting quarterback.
Baker Mayfield Was Not Able to Hide His Nervousness Watching Falcons-Saints
A social media post by his wife, Emily Wilkinson, showed Mayfield looking nervous as he watched the game, which determined Tampa Bay’s fate, with a tense first half testing fans’ nerves.
At the time the post went viral on social media, the Falcons led 7-0 after the first quarter and 10-7 at halftime, needing to hold off a Saints comeback. The photo was posted to Instagram during what could be Kirk Cousins’ and tight end Kyle Pitts’ final game with Atlanta.
Emily Mayfield on her Instagram😭 pic.twitter.com/kwVpnCMQbp
— Matthew Hewitt (@BucsTrackerNFL) January 4, 2026
The Falcons managed to win the game, which ended the Buccaneers’ season. The Panthers have officially clinched the NFC South and will play either the Los Angeles Rams or the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket 2026: Updated Standings, Seedings, and Picture Ahead of Wild Card Round
Regardless of the result, this game was already memorable for the Falcons’ defense, which broke the season sack record (55), needing just two more (by LaCale London and James Pearce Jr.) to reach 56. The previous mark stood since 1997.
The Buccaneers’ victory against the Panthers was considered unlikely by many, given their seven losses in their last eight games. However, a severe storm and individual errors affected Carolina’s performance, and the team also complained about the referees’ decisions.
Buccaneers Were Involved in Fierce Battle for NFC South Title
With an 8-9 record, the Buccaneers, who rank No. 14 in the PFSN Offense Impact metric with a B+ grade, would have only made the playoffs if they had won the NFC South title.
Since Atlanta defeated the Saints, Carolina has won the division title, due to its superiority in the three-way tiebreaker among the top three teams in the NFC South, each finishing with an 8-9 record.
If the Saints had won, the Buccaneers would have claimed the division over the Panthers, as Tampa Bay holds the two-way tiebreaker due to common opponents.
Before this season, the Buccaneers had won four consecutive NFC South titles. However, the Panthers’ title represents the franchise’s first division win since 2015 (the year they reached the Super Bowl and were defeated by the Denver Broncos) and their first postseason appearance since 2017.
