Panthers give Buccaneers a huge gift by upsetting Packers in Week 9
You know the old saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well on Sunday that frienemy was the Carolina Panthers, who gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a huge assist in their quest to get back to the top of the NFC standings.
The Bucs were off on their bye week but didn't need to play a snap in order to move back into a position of strength in the playoff picture. All of it was thanks to Carolina marching up to Green Bay and knocking off the Packers with a walk-off field goal.
It was baffling, objectively hilarious, and another reason for the Bucs to feel good after their bye.
Buccaneers move up in NFC standings thanks to Panthers' upset win over Packers
Coming into Sunday the Bucs were the No. 3 seed in the NFC, with the Packers having taken over the top spot. That came thanks to a gnarly Monday Night Football loss back in Week 7 that saw Tama Bay tumble all the way from that No. 1 seed to the bottom of the division winner tier of the standings.
However, a win over the Saints last moved the Bucs up a spot and they once again move up thanks to the Packers loss.
It's more than just the fact that the Packers lost which should make the Bucs feel good -- it's
Of course, while this is great news for the Bucs in terms of getting back within striking distance of controling the No. 1 seed, it's worth acknowledging that the Panthers seems legit. Carolina is now 5-4 with some impressive wins on its resume, including an offensive explosion against the Falcons defense and a win over the Cowboys that seems to have helped fuel the run they're on.
Tampa Bay still has a full two-game lead in the NFC South, but games against Carolina are always challenging, and this year the Panthers are better than we've seen them since Dave Canales took over as head coach.
We can worry about what these two teams look like -- and what the stakes are -- when they meet in late-December. For now, the Panthers helped clear a path for the Bucs to get back to the top of the NFC standings and offered up a much-appreciated assist in Week 9.
Evgeni Malkin fined $5K after striking Winnipeg Jets player with hockey stick during game
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is facing a fine issued by the NHL for slashing a Winnipeg Jets defenseman during Saturday night's game.
The NHL said Malkin was fined $5,000 for slashing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley during a game in Winnipeg on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The incident occurred at 15:37 of the first period.
Malkin was assessed a minor penalty for slashing. All money will go toward the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The Penguins forward was fined last season for slashing a player during a game against the Boston Bruins in November 2024.
The $5,000 fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NHL stated.
