The Los Angeles Rams really made things interesting in their playoff game against the Carolina Panthers, a game they held as a 10-point favorite. Matthew Stafford hit the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter to close the game, but the Rams led 34-31. This game set the tone for the 2025-26 playoffs. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter, the most in NFL history. It was the first such game since Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes went head-to-head in the 2018 AFC Championship Game. The win wasn’t pretty, but the Rams got it done. Let’s take a look at our 10 key points.
1. The Rams are off to a near-perfect start
If the Rams were to lose this game to the Panthers, it would be almost a rematch of the first meeting. The Panthers must be perfect on high-leverage plays, control the clock and create turnovers. Once the game started, the Rams didn’t let that happen. They controlled the game from the start and didn’t underestimate the Panthers they lost to in Week 13.
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The Rams effectively forced three turnovers on fourth down in the first half, intercepting Bryce Young and having a fumble recovery by special teams. They held off the Panthers for 141 yards in the first game. The Rams got off to a perfect start in the red zone and played complementary football. It was exactly the start the Rams needed in a hostile playoff environment.
2. McVay lost control and almost paid the price
Late in the first half, the Rams were in complete control of the game. Leading 17-7, they had a chance to score and double the score at halftime. That’s when Sean McVay completely lost control of the game on the sidelines.
It doesn’t even have to be a fourth-down decision. Bad results do not equal bad decisions. The Rams have struggled this season, ranking third and 20th in the NFL. They started this game 1-for-7 on third down. At the same time, they are the fifth-ranked team in fourth place. Again, the drama and execution can be criticized. From a decision-making perspective, this is correct. In a ball-possession game, a field goal can make a two-point game a two-point game. A touchdown made it a three-point game.
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At the same time, this is also a turning point. There’s a time and place, and leading by 10 points in a road playoff game may not be the time or place. The Panthers will likely go down and score after the field goal. They gained 81 yards in five plays. However, that game provided a glimmer of hope for a lifeless team.
With this sequence, it feels like McVay is chasing points. The Rams failed to complete three consecutive passes in the second half. With Matthew Stafford struggling, McVay caught 11 passes and ran for three scores, although Kyren Williams and Blake Collum both averaged more than 4 yards per carry. Without Kevin Dotson, McVay simply doesn’t have the confidence to run the ball between the tackles. Offensively, the Rams continued to attack the Panthers with offense and outside passing, which is their strength. McVay lost control of the game and it almost cost the Rams dearly.
3. Defense wins high-leverage play
That’s not to say that in this game, they gave up 31 points on an offense led by Bryce Young, and the defense performed well overall. However, they perform well in high-leverage situations. At the start of the game, the Panthers offense ranked fourth in the NFL in three-and-outs. On their first drive, the Rams effectively forced a three-and-out and got a stop on fourth down midfield. The Rams defense held the Panthers to five first downs on 12 possessions.
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After the Panthers went 3-for-3 on fourth downs in Week 13, the Rams defense stopped the Panthers on all three fourth downs. The defense mostly performed well in high-leverage games. Again, that’s not to say they performed well overall. They have allowed 30 points or more in four of their past seven games. However, they also deserve praise for their role in the victory.
4. Pukanacua appears in the playoffs
It’s safe to say that Pukanacua is a big-time gamer. Nacua has appeared in four postseason games and now has over 100 yards in half of them. His 30 playoff catches tied him with Larry Fitzgerald and ranked third among players in their first four postseason games. His receiving yards ranked fourth in a player’s first four postseason games. Nacua helped the Rams score the first two touchdowns of the game. He became the only Rams player to score a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the postseason.
Nacua did have a big drop off, which could have been a touchdown at the end of the first half. However, late in the fourth quarter, he might have made the highlight play of the game. Stafford nearly threw his second interception on the Rams’ drive. Stafford’s throw is questionable as his target appears to be Nick Scott. Nacua did his best Travis Hunter impression and broke up a pass that saved the Rams’ eventual touchdown. The Panthers had no answer for Nakua for much of the game.
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5. Rams pass rush flashes on big spots
The Rams’ pass rush has received a lot of criticism this season, but Saturday afternoon saw a version of last year’s playoff run. Young was sacked twice in this game, and the Rams held pressure on 45.5 percent of their possessions. How much pressure the Rams put on Young was a real testament to how poor the secondary was on the outside with the Panthers quarterback under pressure for much of the game.
When Young was intercepted, the pass rush forced him to step up and throw off the platform, resulting in a turnover. The Rams defensive line all touched Young on fourth down before the final drive. Specifically, Byron Young was an influence on these plays. Brayden Fisk makes his presence felt. On the final drive, Young had a pass rush on all four possessions, resulting in incomplete passes. Young made some nice plays under pressure, including his touchdown run and the late go-ahead touchdown. However, a lot of the positive plays from the Rams defense came from the pressure they put on Young.
6. Clutch Colby Parkinson
Besides Pukanacua, is there a playmaker on the Rams who has been more clutch in clutch situations this season than Colby Parkinson? Parkinson’s disease is not perfect and can be unstable. Meanwhile, he threw an incredible touchdown against the Lions to give the Rams the lead in that game. Against the Panthers on Saturday, Parkinson had a 27.3 percent chance of scoring a game-winning touchdown.
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Parkinson made his best impression against the Chiefs against the Lions. This is Parkinson’s best impression of Ricky Proehl’s game-winning touchdown run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1999 playoffs. Parkinson only caught two passes, but his touchdown catch with 38 seconds left will go down in Rams history.
7. Here’s why the Rams trust Matthew Stafford
Entering the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford was 4-of-19 for 47 yards and an interception. He went 2-for-10 for 24 yards in the third quarter alone. To say Stafford didn’t play well would be an understatement. However, with your season on the line, would you rather have any other quarterback leading your team down four points in the fourth quarter?
Stafford went 12-of-15 for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Stafford went 6-of-7 for 71 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 2:39 left in the game. Stafford hasn’t hit a game-winning shot since Week 4. With his back against the wall and a broken finger, Stafford saved the Rams’ season. He now has six playoff wins, tied with Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese and Fran Tarkenton. Four of those wins came on game-winning shots, tying him with Dan Marino, Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger for fifth all-time. Again, there’s no quarterback you can trust more in this situation, and Stafford excelled.
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8. Playoff experience pays off
This game made the Rams’ playoff experience pay off. The Panthers were playing well and were arguably the better team in the middle of this game. However, good teams and experienced teams will find ways to win games they should lose, especially in the playoffs. The Rams have been in this situation the past two years and haven’t performed well. In 2023, they lost to the Lions by one point. Last year, the Rams needed a touchdown with 2:23 left but fell behind 13 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Panthers threw the kitchen sink at the Rams and there were many times this game could have gone a different direction. The Rams led by three before a blocked punt put the Panthers immediately within scoring range. The Rams struggled in short yardage but got a fourth-and-1 on an inside run. This game is shaping up to be the worst loss of the McVay era. However, this is a team that reacts to adversity and needs to have been through the situation before it can do that.
9. Can the Rams continue to overcome their issues?
If this game proved anything, it’s that problems remain problems. The Rams don’t have a cornerback they can rely on consistently on the outside. Kobe Durant made an interception but was burned multiple times. Quentin Lake allowed some big plays in the midfield. For a team that lacks size at the position, Akelo Witherspoon will likely be lost in the playoffs. If they lose in the playoffs, it will likely be the downfall of this team.
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While the special teams team had its moments in this game, they once again faced a nerve-wracking fourth quarter, nearly ending the game on a blocked punt. Sean McVay was seen having a stern talk with Ben Kotwica after his punt was blocked. However, special teams has been an issue since McVay fired John Fassel. This is something that is overlooked. The Rams were lucky to overcome both of those things on Saturday, but can they do the same against the Seahawks, Bears, Philadelphia Eagles?
10. Survival and Progress
It wasn’t the Rams’ best game, to say the least. At this stage of the season, it’s not about winning, it’s about whether you can win. The Rams found a way and will advance to the divisional round to face the Seahawks or Bears. Every game the Rams have lost this season has been by a touchdown or less. This game feels like we’re rewatching every loss the Rams have had this season. The Rams controlled the game for much of the game until they lost control and made a costly special teams mistake. They were on the verge of losing to a team they shouldn’t have lost to.
For the first time since September, it felt like the Rams had to find a way to win against the odds, and they did. After the Panthers scored a late touchdown to take the lead, the Rams only had a 28.1% chance of winning. They probably should have lost this game. It was far from their best and they didn’t play a complete game. However, they eventually survived and advanced to the next round.
