The Buccaneers had a chance to improve their standing in the NFC South in Week 14. They could have taken a two-game lead in the division with a win and moved above .500 for the first time since Week 5.It wasn't expected to be an easy task. The Bucs were facing the NFC West-leading 49ers on the road, after all. However, San Francisco was starting rookie quarterback Brock Purdy for the first time, so many Miami Dolphins Jersey believed that Tampa Bay would have a chance to squeak out a win in a defensive battle.MORE: Instead, the Buccaneers fell completely flat. Purdy looked like the second coming of Tom Brady as the 49ers dominated Tampa Bay in a 35-7 shellacking."We got our a s kicked on Liam Eichenberg Jersey offense," Bucs coach Todd Bowles said during his postgame news conference. "We got our a s kicked on defense."The lo s was as embarra sing for the Buccaneers as it was costly. Tampa Bay squandered not only an opportunity to expand its divisional lead, but its lo s also allowed another team to move into the playoff race: the Panthers.MORE:Carolina pulled off a 30-24 upset win over the Seahawks on the road. The Panthers ran for 223 yards and won the turnover battle 2-0.The Panthers are now a game behind the Buccaneers in the NFC South standings and could pose a threat as the season comes to a close.INJURY UPDATES: | | The NFC South is one of the NFL's most tightly packed divisions as the postseason draws closer. Just two \wins separate the first- and last-place teams, the Buccaneers and the Saints.Two teams are a game behind the Bucs. This matters greatly considering that it is expected that no teams in the division will be able to challenge for a wild-card spot.How the standings look after Week 14:PosTeamW-L1Buccaneers6-72Panthers5-83Falcons5-84Saints4-9The Buccaneers Jaylen Waddle Jersey still control their destiny. That said, they don't exactly have an easy remaining schedule. They'll play the red-hot Bengals winners of five straight in Week 15 and then face the Cardinals, Panthers and Falcons,in that order, to close the season.MORE: With a Byron Jones Jersey two-game lead, the Buccaneers could have worried le s about a potential lo s to the Bengals or a head-to-head matchup with the Panthers or Falcons in a potential division-deciding game. But with just a one-game lead, their margin for error is razor-thin.The Panthers climbed the standings thanks to their win over the Seahawks. They have the same record as the Falcons but own the divisional tiebreaker; Carolina's 3-1 division record is superior to Atlanta's 1-3 mark.IYER: Carolina also owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over Tampa Bay at this point. That makes the Panthers more likely Sam Eguavoen Jersey to challenge the Buccaneers than the Falcons.And it helps that the Panthers close the season with a slightly easier schedule than the Falcons:WeekPanthers' opponentFalcons' opponent15vs. Steelers (5-8)at Saints (4-9)16vs. Lions (6-7)at Ravens (9-4)17at Buccaneers (6-7)vs. Cardinals (4-8)18at Saints (4-9)vs. Buccaneers (6-7)Opp. W-L, winning pct21-31 (.404)23-28 (.451)Still, either team could push the Buccaneers for first place. That means the pre sure is on in Tampa as Brady looks to avoid mi sing theplayoffs for the first time since 2008, when he tore his ACL in Week 1.