Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers beat the Panthers 16-14, stay alive in chase for NFC South title

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find themselves in the uncomfortable position of rooting for the New Orleans Saints. The Carolina Panthers are pulling for the Atlanta Falcons.

The winner of the NFC South will have a losing record and be crowned at home watching on television.

Mayfield threw a touchdown pass to Cade Otton, Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and the Buccaneers avoided elimination with a sloppy 16-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on a rain-soaked Saturday.

The Buccaneers (8-9) need New Orleans (6-10) to beat or tie Atlanta (7-9) on Sunday to clinch a fifth straight NFC South title.

If the Falcons win, the Panthers (8-9) will secure their first division championship since coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance 10 years ago.

The Buccaneers hold a two-team tiebreaker over the Panthers. But Carolina holds the three-team tiebreaker over Tampa Bay if Atlanta also finishes 8-9.

“I never thought I'd see a day where I’m rooting for the Saints,” Bucs veteran linebacker Lavonte David said.

Before the Bucs faced New Orleans in October, Mayfield accused the Saints of dirty play and said: “I do not like them.”

Now, Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes hinge on the Saints beating the Falcons on the road on Sunday.

“A tie still gets us in,” Mayfield said with a smirk.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles plans to watch the game at home. Mayfield said some players might have a watch party.

“I think we’ll all be on the edge of our seats,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “Hoping for the Falcons to come through, but at the same time, at least we have that hope to look at. We have to look at ourselves and we have to make sure that in these championship moments that we play our best.”

The Buccaneers were 0-8 in games where Mayfield threw an interception before overcoming his ninth pick in the last eight games.

“It was a gutsy performance,” Bowles said. “We gave ourselves a chance. It's all we can ask for.”

After McLaughlin’s 38-yard field-goal try was blocked with just over five minutes remaining, Carolina got within 16-14 on Bryce Young’s 8-yard TD pass to Jalen Coker with 2:27 left.

Mayfield tossed a short pass to Otton for a 20-yard gain on third-and-4 to extend Tampa Bay’s drive and run off more time. The Panthers got the ball back at their 3 with 18 seconds and no timeouts left. The game ended on a desperate series of laterals that resulted in a fumble.

Mayfield connected with Otton on an 18-yard TD pass for a 7-0 lead as the Bucs scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the third straight game. It was Otton’s first TD of the season.

Down 10-0, the Panthers turned Christian Rozeboom’s interception into a quick score. Rozeboom returned the pick 20 yards to Tampa Bay’s 19. Young then connected with Tommy Tremble on an 8-yard TD pass to cut it to 10-7.

Jacob Parrish picked off Young late in the second half and the Buccaneers got a 36-yard field goal from McLaughlin to take a 13-7 halftime lead.

McLaughlin kicked a 48-yard field goal early in the fourth to extend Tampa Bay’s lead.

Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yarder short on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Mayfield completed his first six passes before misfiring on a cross-field, 13-yard toss to Payne Durham, who was wide open in the end zone. The Bucs settled for McLaughlin’s 29-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Gene Deckerhoff, the voice of the Buccaneers for 37 years on radio, is retiring after the season. Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans and David could have played their last game with the Buccaneers and possibly in the NFL if they choose to retire.

David was a second-round pick in 2012, made one Pro Bowl, was a first-team All-Pro once and second team All-Pro twice.

Evans, the No. 7 overall pick in 2014, had a 1,000-yard season every year of his career until this one, when he broke his clavicle in October and missed several games.

Panthers: DT Bobby Brown III (head) left the game to be evaluated for a concussion.

Buccaneers: LB Anthony Walker (ankle) was injured on the opening kickoff. ... CB Jamel Dean (shoulder) and OLB Anthony Nelson (knee) didn't play. ... DT Calijah Kancey (pectoral) was active for the first time since Week 2.

Panthers: Host a wild-card game or start the offseason.

Buccaneers: Host a wild-card game or start the offseason.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Jalen McMillan (11) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs around the tackle attempt from Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws under pressure during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers place kicker Chase McLaughlin (4) makes a field goal during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs around the tackle attempt from Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison (21) during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Sirianni understood the risks associated with his decision to rest Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and most of the Eagles' key starters with the No. 2 seed in the NFC at stake.

His backup plan backfired in the moment, and the Super Bowl champions will start their postseason defense of the title as the 3 seed.

With Hurts and Barkley on the bench and the Eagles' second-stringers failing to meet the moment, the Washington Commanders got fourth-quarter passing and rushing touchdowns from Josh Johnson and beat Philadelphia 24-17 on Sunday.

“I knew this was an outcome, that these things could happen,” said Sirianni, who has coached the Eagles to two of the last three Super Bowls. “One thing I could guarantee was giving them rest. I couldn't guarantee them anything else. Being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us.”

The NFC East champion Eagles (11-6) will open the playoffs at home next weekend against San Francisco.

The final outcome of Sirianni's call won't be determined until the Eagles' postseason run is over. Perhaps a physical and mental break — essentially a bye week for the core starters — was what the Eagles needed to gear up for a Super Bowl run.

“I know there will be debate on that,” Sirianni said.

Good call.

The Eagles needed help to earn the No. 2 seed. They had to beat the Commanders and Detroit needed to win at Chicago. Sure enough, the Lions beat the Bears 19-16 to add another gut punch to the Eagles' loss.

With Jayden Daniels shut down and Marcus Mariota dealing with a leg injury, the Commanders (5-12) started Johnson, their 39-year-old third-stringer. Johnson rallied the Commanders from a 17-10 hole with a 2-yard touchdown pass to John Bates and then scored on a 1-yard run with 2:32 left.

With Hurts, Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert sitting out, Philadelphia couldn't rally late.

Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement in midseason to chase another Super Bowl, defended Sirianni's decision.

“It's valuable because you get an extra week to get your body together, especially if you've been dealing with some stuff,” Graham said. “Now it don't matter. We've got to try and go win every game. First one at home, take care of business and on to the next.”

The Eagles had to watch and root — for the Lions, too — like everyone else.

Eagles fans cheered when each Detroit score against Chicago was shown on the videoboard. Sirianni said during the week he also would be scoreboard-watching, though he kept the cheering to his team’s own plays, such as Tanner McKee’s 15-yard TD pass to Grant Calcaterra for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Commanders, also playing backups in a forgettable season a year after they faced the Eagles in the NFC championship game, refused to roll over and twisted the stomachs of Eagles fans into knots — and got them ready to light up talk radio this week.

“I didn't really think too much about the negatives of it,” Sirianni said.

McKee had been impressive in limited action as Hurts’ backup over the last two seasons but did little to improve his stock in the finale.

He was 21 of 40 for 241 yards with an interception and was sacked on the final drive to end the Eagles' shot at the 2 seed and the possibility of two home playoff games that would come with it.

Jake Moody sent Washington into halftime with a 10-7 lead on a 56-yard field goal.

The Eagles pounced on a fumble in the third quarter and Tank Bigbsy, the sure-handed backup to Barkley, scored for a 14-10 lead. Jake Elliott kicked a 39-yarder for a 17-10 lead.

The Eagles' chances were upended when Kelee Ringo — yes, a backup — was flagged for pass interference to set up Johnson's go-ahead rushing TD.

“I know to the rest of the world, this might not mean nothing,” Johnson said.

In Philly, the game sure meant something — and the hand-wringing will only continue.

Smith was one of the Eagles regulars who earned snaps, and he topped 1,000 yards receiving for the third time in his career.

Smith entered the game 44 yards shy and exceeded 1,000 yards before the end of the first quarter. He had three catches for 52 yards — including a 27-yarder on his final reception that gave him a team-high 1,008 yards.

Smith was immediately pulled from the game.

“We were safe with him as far as what kind of routes we were running and what he was doing,” Sirianni said.

Brown didn't need to play because he already had 1,003 yards.

Eagles: Calcaterra left with an ankle/knee injury. Offensive lineman Brandon Toth was evaluated for a concussion.

The Commanders are set to have a top-10 pick in the NFL draft.

The Eagles could play two road games — including a divisional-round game at Chicago — if they want to return to the Super Bowl. The Eagles were 3 1/2-point favorites to beat the 49ers, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles place kicker Jake Elliott (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a field goal during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson (14) is brought down by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (87) celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (87) scores a touchdown in front of Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) looks to pass while under pressure from Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)