By FRED GOODALL Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Carolina hopes its season isn’t over.
The Panthers’ bid to secure their first postseason berth in a decade fell short Saturday; however, a 16-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t eliminate them from contention.
Now, NFC South rival Atlanta (7-9) will determine whether the Panthers (8-9) or Bucs (8-9) land the final playoff berth in the NFC.
If the Falcons defeat New Orleans on Sunday, Carolina will win the division and host a first-round game next weekend.
If the Saints prevail, Tampa Bay will win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season and make its sixth straight playoff appearance.
“It’s in the hands of another game, and that’s not what we were hoping for, but there’s still hope,” second-year coach Dave Canales said. “They’re still alive, and the locker room certainly is sick about a missed opportunity, but I can’t take anything away from the Bucs and the way they played today.”
Carolina, which last made the playoffs in 2017, wasted a chance to clinch the NFC South for a second straight week. The Panthers’ offense sputtered in a 17-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks the previous week but overcame a slow start, three turnovers and a couple of costly pass-interference penalties to make it interesting in the closing minutes against the Bucs.
“Missed opportunities, absolutely. These are the championship moments that we live for, that we prepare for, that we talk about. And to not be able to get that done, to not be able to play out best football in these moments … we’re all disappointed,” Canales said.
“We have to find a way to be able to play in these types of games,” the coach added. “I told the group we don’t ever have to feel this way again. We can build from this. We have to take the next steps and make sure we show up with the championship mindset.”
Canales said the Panthers will not watch the Falcons-Saints game as a team on Sunday. Quarterback Bryce Young suggested he might not watch it at all.
“I don’t know. … Might just see how it ends up,” said Young, whose 8-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker finished a 72-yard drive to enable Carolina to pull within 16-14 with 2:27 remaining. “It’s on us for that being our reality. We had an opportunity to take it, and now we have to leave it in someone else’s hands. We take ownership in that.”
Regardless of what happens Sunday, a team with a losing record will represent the NFC South in the playoffs.
Canales isn’t apologizing.
“It’s a grimy, gritty division,” he said. “Between our team, between the Falcons and the Bucs, we have our share of wins against top opponents in this league. We all play a similar style of football, and the pride of it is on just physicality and playing really tough. That’s where the division is headed. I’m proud to be part of it.”