The NFC South has been a division of ups and downs all year. Now, in Week 18 of the 2023-24 NFL season, everything will come to a head.
Believe it or not, the top three members of the NFC South all still have a chance of winning the division. For some, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that chance is very high — it involves beating the 2-14 Carolina Panthers with no other strings attached. For others, like the Atlanta Falcons, the NFC South crown would require a number of different things to happen in order to see them on top. All in all, there are seven different scenarios that can occur in Week 18, with each crowning an NFC South champion and sending one of those three teams to the playoffs.
If all goes right for the Bucs, they shouldn’t have to worry about any of this — win and you’re in. But things start to get a little wonky if they lose or tie the Carolina Panthers on the road in Charlotte: