Win-and-in. Lose and potentially still in.

The NFC South would have it no other way. The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter Week 18 with a simple task ahead of them: win.

While that was crystal clear before the Atlanta Falcons' upset win over the Los Angeles Rams on "Monday Night Football" in Week 17, it's anything but clear now. Thanks to a three-way tiebreaker that was previously unimaginable, the Panthers no longer need a win in Week 18 to get to the playoffs as the NFC South champion.

They could easily take care of business on Saturday, Jan. 3 and punch their ticket into the bracket, but all hope isn't lost with a loss.

Carolina hasn't made the playoffs since the 2017 season, when Cam Newton was still under center. After a long run of mediocrity and irrelevance, Bryce Young is hoping to lead the Panthers back to the big stage in the NFL playoffs.

Here's a breakdown of the Panthers' playoff picture and how they could make their long-awaited return to the postseason.

Panthers playoff chances

The Panthers have a 72% chance to make the playoffs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Despite having a one-game lead over the Buccaneers, there is still a clear path for each team to get into the bracket. The Panthers' playoff odds are notable, given they are underdogs against the Buccaneers in Week 18.

That is because they have a path to the postseason, whether they win or lose, while the Buccaneers have to win and then will require help from the Saints - who would have to beat the Falcons for Tampa's season to continue.

Panthers playoff scenarios

The Panthers can only get into the playoffs by winning the NFC South. Here's a look at what it will take for Carolina to win its division in 2025:

  • Panthers win or tie vs. Buccaneers
  • Panthers loss vs. Buccaneers AND Falcons win vs. Saints

Carolina had the inside track at capturing the NFC South after defeating Tampa in Week 16. The Panthers could've clinched the division with a win over the Seahawks after the Buccaneers' loss to the Dolphins, but they lost to Seattle, 27-10.

The Panthers will either finish with the NFC's No. 4 seed or outside the playoff picture entirely. If they get in, they could host a playoff game in the opening round against the highest-seeded wild-card team, which would be the Seahawks, 49ers or Rams.

NFC South standings

The Panthers own the top spot in the NFC South heading into the regular season's final week:

  1. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
  3. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
  4. New Orleans Saints (6-10)

Carolina currently has the one game lead over Tampa with one game to go, but would lose the tiebreaker with a loss in Week 18, provided Atlanta also loses. Since the two teams would have split the season series, the head-to-head tiebreaker is nullified.

Instead, Tampa would get in based on the common games tiebreaker, which it has the advantage in.

However, if the Buccaneers and Falcons both win, it would also allow the Panthers to sneak into the bracket despite all three teams being tied at 8-9.

The NFL has a different process for determining three-way tiebreakers, which would give the Panthers the edge. Carolina would have a 3-1 record against Atlanta and Tampa Bay, while the other two would each finish 2-2.

Thanks to that, the Panthers would get into the playoffs as the NFC South champion.

Panthers remaining schedule

  • Week 18: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

Buccaneers remaining schedule

  • Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Falcons remaining schedule

Here's a look at Atlanta's remaining schedule, which only comes into play if the Buccaneers win:

  • Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints (6-10)

NFL playoff picture

Here's how the AFC and NFC stack up entering Week 18:

AFC

  1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
  2. New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
  4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
  5. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*
  6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
  7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

  1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*
  2. Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*
  3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*
  4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)
  5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, wild card No. 1)*
  6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
  7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

* Denotes team that has clinched a playoff berth.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panthers playoff chances: Scenarios, NFC South odds for Carolina