The NFL’s two best rookie receivers will take the field today, with first place in the NFC South up for grabs.
Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan have been the two best rookie receivers in the league all season, and through 16 games, their stats are almost identical.
Egbuka has 62 catches for 930 yards and six touchdowns.
McMillan has 66 catches for 929 yards and seven touchdowns.
Early in the season, Egbuka was the favorite to win the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year award. As the season has gone on, Egbuka’s numbers and his team’s fortunes have declined, while McMillan and the Panthers have improved, and now McMillan is the betting favorite to win rookie of the year.
Only one of them will make the playoffs. If McMillan’s Panthers win or tie today, they win the NFC South. The Panthers would also win the NFC South if the Falcons win tomorrow. For Egbuka and the Buccaneers to win the NFC South, they need to win today and the Falcons need to lose tomorrow.
Egbuka and McMillan can both make a good closing argument today that they deserve to be the offensive rookie of the year. Egbuka’s team, however, will be rooting for another offensive rookie of the year candidate, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, having a big game tomorrow and upsetting the Falcons. A Saints win could earn Shough the rookie of the year award, and Egbuka would likely take that deal.
The Panthers can make the playoffs in 2025, either by beating the Buccaneers on Saturday or by watching the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday. If that happens, Carolina will be making a very specific type of history.
Via Doug Clawson of CBS Sports, the 8-8 Panthers would be the first team since the 1970 merge to make the playoffs despite having zero wins as the favorite.
The 3-13 Jets also have no wins as the favorite. Obviously, they won’t be making the playoffs. (Again.)
The Panthers aren’t favored in Week 18 at Tampa Bay. If the Panthers win the NFC South, they';; undoubtedly be a significant underdog in the wild-card round, against the Seahawks, 49ers, or Rams.
Carolina victories in 2025 include upset over a pair of NFC playoff teams — at the Packers and at home against the Rams. If the Panthers qualify for the postseason, they’ll have no expectations. They’ll hear talking heads say throughout the week that they’re one of the worst teams to ever make it to the playoffs.
It’s give the Panthers a natural chip on the shoulder, with no pressure whatsoever to win. The No. 5 seed (whoever it is) may look past the Panthers, especially with (if the Bears and Eagles win their wild-card games at home) a rematch coming against the NFC West rival that earns the No. 1 seed (49ers or Seahawks).
Carolina has already beaten L.A., despite being 10.5-point underdogs. While there’s a pretty good chance they won’t catch the Rams napping again, the Seahawks or 49ers could be vulnerable to a Charlotte surprise.
Saturday’s NFC South championship (sort of) between the Panthers and Buccaneers will result (on Saturday or on Sunday) in either the end of a 10-year drought or the continuation of a half-decade run.
If the Panthers win (or if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday), Carolina will win the division for the first time since 2015, their most recent Super Bowl appearance. If the Bucs win (and if the Saints win the next day), Tampa Bay will extend their current run as NFC South champs to five.
Carolina last made the playoffs in 2017, with an 8-8 record. That’s also the most recent season in which they won eight games.
If Tampa wins, the division champion (pending Sunday’s game) will have a losing record, and nevertheless host a wild-card game against the NFC’s No. 5 seed.
The Bucs are favored by three, despite sinking to 1-6 since starting 6-2. If they do, it all comes down to what happens on Sunday between the Saints and Falcons.
If Atlanta wins, the division goes to Carolina. If the New Orleans wins, Tampa Bay will have its fifth title in a row.
And then the division champ will be a touchdown-or-so underdog at home the following weekend, against the Seahawks, 49ers, or Rams.
The Falcons have three key offensive players questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Saints, which could decide the outcome of the NFC South.
Atlanta has listed receiver Drake London (knee), tight end Kyle Pitts (knee), and receiver Darnell Mooney (knee) as questionable for the contest.
However, via Tori McElhaney of the team’s website, head coach Raheem Morris expressed optimism on Friday that all three will be available for the season-ending contest.
London, Pitts, and Mooney were all limited for Friday’s practice.
Additionally, safety DeMarcco Hellams (hamstring) and defensive lineman Sam Roberts (knee/ankle) are questionable. Cornerback Clark Phillips (triceps/illness) and defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus (hamstring) have been ruled out.
The Panthers won’t be getting guard Robert Hunt back for Saturday’s game against the Buccaneers.
Hunt has been out since Week 2 with a biceps injury, but he has been practicing with the team for the last couple of weeks. He was listed as questionable on their final injury report of the week and the Panthers announced on Friday that he will not be activated for the matchup with Tampa.
Wide receiver David Moore (elbow) will also remain on injured reserve. Both players could be activated ahead of a first-round playoff game should the Panthers win the NFC South this weekend.
The Panthers elevated cornerback David Long and linebacker Jacoby Windmon from the practice squad on a temporary basis.
