The Carolina Panthers had a rare NFL Playoffs moment on Sunday. It’s rare for a team to miss out on an outright division title yet still winning the division the next day. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, handing Carolina the NFC South.
Atlanta’s victory came roughly 24 hours after the Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, due to tiebreaker regulations, Carolina wins the division with an overall record of 8-9.
In his second season as head coach, Dave Canales has experience leading a division title run. He did, however, unleash a five-word truth bomb now that he knows his team’s postseason fate.
“Everybody’s record is obsolete now,” Canales remarked, according to Panthers Charlotte Observer reporter Mike Kaye.
Who will Panthers, Dave Canales face in NFL Playoffs?
Carolina will most certainly be a massive underdog in the postseason. The Panthers are the only NFC team to enter the seven-team field with a record below.500.
Panther fans will still be in full force at Bank of America Stadium, though. Their team is hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2015 season, when Carolina won the NFC championship.
So, who will Canales, Bryce Young, and company now face?
This is still uncertain. However, it is highly likely that the NFC South champions will face an NFC West opponent.
The San Francisco 49ers are one possibility, especially after their 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Seattle now holds both the NFC West and the top seed as a result of San Francisco’s loss. A 49ers-Panthers clash becomes a rematch of the 2013 divisional round game won by San Francisco.
To get the fifth seed, the 49ers need the Los Angeles Rams to lose or tie at Arizona. L.A. struggled against the Cardinals, despite leading 16-13 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. At 3:51, however, the Cards took a 20-16 lead.