Panthers, Bucs losses opens door for three-way tie atop NFC South

Does anyone want to win the NFC South?

The Buccaneers lost to the Dolphins on Sunday, and the Panthers lost to the Seahawks. Next week, the 7-9 Bucs host the 8-8 Panthers, with the division title on the line.

If the Bucs beat the Panthers, both teams would be 8-9. The Buccaneers would win the tiebreaker, based on common games.

But there's a caveat. A big one. The Falcons. They're 6-9. If they win the last two (Rams, Saints) and if the Bucs beat the Panthers, there would be a three-way tie atop the division.

In a three-way tiebreaker, the Panthers would win the division by virtue of the best record in the three-way round robin. By virtue of a sweep of the Falcons, the Panthers would be 3-1, and the Bucs would be 2-2.

So the Panthers can lose to the Bucs and win the division, if the Falcons win out. Which will make the Panthers into massive Rams fans on Monday night.