Buccaneers vs. Panthers 2016 picks and predictions: Carolina a unanimous favorite to win 15th game

Despite losing their perfect season last week, the Carolina Panthers still have everything to play for when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina needs to win to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Arizona Cardinals can steal that spot with a win and Panthers loss.

The Atlanta Falcons ended Carolina’s quest for 16-0 with a 20-13 win that really wasn’t as close as the scoreboard indicated. It was a humbling loss for the Panthers, especially after they destroyed Atlanta 38-0 just two weeks prior. How Ron Rivera gets his team to bounce back from adversity will be a true test to see how far the Panthers can go in the playoffs. They will clinch home field advantage with a win on Sunday.

The Bucs were once in the playoff picture at 6-6, but they’ve since lost three games in a row and clearly aren’t ready to make a serious run at contention. With nothing else to play for, one fun subplot will be Doug Martin chasing the rushing title. He’s currently 68 yards behind league leader Adrian Peterson. Martin is enjoying a career renaissance in his fourth year and will certainly be looking for a big payday when he hits free agency this spring. With a young and promising team on the rise, the Bucs could try to re-sign Martin on a hometown discount.

As for this NFC South matchup, almost no one expects the Bucs to win. Every writer at CBS Sports and SB Nation is picking the Panthers in this game.