The NFL has changed the start time of a few of the Week 18 games, including the Bucs’ season finale at home against the Panthers. The Tampa Bay vs. Carolina game was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET and will now be 4:25 p.m. ET. The reason is because the Bucs are alive for the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC along with the Rams. Los Angeles is also set to play San Francisco at 4:25 p.m. ET. The NFL didn’t want the outcome of the Bucs’ game at 1:00 p.m. ET to have an impact on the Rams game either way.
If the Rams win they hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC over the Bucs. That’s even if Tampa Bay beats Carolina because both teams are 12-4. L.A. holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rams beat the Bucs, 34-24, in Los Angeles in Week 3.
Tampa Bay needs to win and have L.A. lose to claim the No. 2 seed. Even if the Bucs lose to the Panthers they hang on to the No. 3 playoff seed over Dallas due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Bucs beat the Cowboys, 31-29, in Week 1 in Tampa Bay.
Dallas is a game behind Tampa Bay at 11-5. So even a Cowboys win and a Bucs loss in Week 18 isn’t enough for Dallas to overtake Tampa Bay for the No. 3 seed because of the tiebreaker.
The NFL also moved the Saints at Falcons game to 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, in addition to the Cowboys vs. Eagles (9-7) game to 8:20 p.m. ET on Saturday. Both Dallas and Philadelphia have clinched a playoff berth. If the 49ers (9-7) beat the Rams in Week 18 the San Francisco will make the playoffs as the eighth seed. If the Saints (8-8) beat the Falcons and the 49ers lose, then New Orleans claims the final spot in the NFC.
The NFL has also moved the start time of the Chiefs (11-5) vs. Broncos (7-9) game to 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the Chargers (9-7) vs. Raiders (9-7) game to 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday. The winner of the Los Angeles vs. Las Vegas game will clinch a playoff spot in the AFC.