10 takeaways from Rams wild win vs. Panthers

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The Los Angeles Rams certainly made things interesting in a playoff game against the Carolina Panthers in which they were 10-point favorites. It took a game-winning drive from Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter to get it done, but the Rams came out on top 34-31. This game set the tone for the 2025-26 postseason. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter which was tied for 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 get to our 10 takeaways.

1. Rams had near-perfect start

If the Rams were going to lose this game to the Panthers, it was going to have to be a near-repeat of the first meeting. The Panthers were going to have to be perfect on the high-leverage plays, control the clock, and create turnovers. To start the game, the Rams didn’t let that happen. They controlled the game from the jump and didn’t underestimate a Panthers team they lost to back in Week 13.

In the first half, the Rams effectively forced three turnovers with a stop on fourth down, intercepted Bryce Young, and a special teams fumble recovery. They shut down the Panthers’ run game that rushed for 141 yards in the first meeting. The Rams started perfect in the red zone, playing complementary football. It was exactly the start that the Rams needed in a hostile playoff environment on the road.

2. McVay lost control and it was almost costly

Late in the first half, the Rams were in complete control of the game. They were leading 17-7 with a chance to score and double-up on points on the other side of the halftime break. It was at that point that Sean McVay completely lost control of the game on the sideline.

This isn’t even necessarily about the fourth down decision. A bad result does not equal a bad decision. The Rams have been a bad team on third down this season, ranking 20th in the NFL. They started 1-for-7 on third down in this game. Meanwhile, they are the fifth-best team on fourth down. Again, the play and the execution can be criticized. From a decision-making standpoint, it was correct. In a game of possessions, a field goal keeps a two-score game at a two-score game. A touchdown there makes it a three-score game.

At the same time, it was the turning point. There’s a time and place, and up by 10 points in a road playoff game, might not have been the time or the place. It’s very possible that the Panthers would have gone down and scored following a field goal. They went 81 yards in five plays. However, that play gave a team that didn’t have life a glimmer of hope.

Following that sequence, it felt as if McVay was chasing points. The Rams came out in the second half with three straight passes that fell incomplete. With Matthew Stafford struggling, McVay called 11 passes to three runs, despite Kyren Williams and Blake Corum both averaging over four yards per carry. Without Kevin Dotson, McVay simply didn’t have confidence to run the ball between the tackles. Offensively, the Rams kept attacking the Panthers with play action and throws to the outside which is their strength. McVay lost control of the game and it nearly cost the Rams in a big way.

3. Defense won the high leverage plays

This isn’t to say that the defense as a whole played well in a game in which they allowed 31 points to a Bryce Young-led offense. However, they played well in the high-leverage situations. Coming into the game, the Panthers offense had the fourth-lowest three-and-out rate in the NFL. On the first drive, the Rams effectively forced a three-and-out with a stop on fourth down at midfield. The Rams defense held the Panthers without a first down on five of their 12 drives.

After the Panthers went 3-for-3 on fourth down back in Week 13, the Rams defense stopped the Panthers on all three fourth down attempts. On the high-leverage plays, the defense for the most part showed up in a big way. Again, that’s not to say that they played well as a whole. They’ve now allowed 30 or more points in four of their last seven games. However, they deserve some credit for their role in the win as well.

4. Playoff Puka Nacua showed up

It’s safe to say that Puka Nacua is a big-game player. Nacua has played in four playoff games and now has over 100 yards in half of them. His 30 playoff receptions are tied with Larry Fitzgerald for the third-most in a player’s first four playoff games. He also has the fourth-most receiving yards in a player’s first four playoff games. Nacua got the Rams on the board, scoring the game’s first two touchdowns. He became the only Rams player to record a receiving touchdown and rushing touchdown in a playoff game.

Nacua did have the big drop that may have been a touchdown at the end of the first half. However, later in the fourth quarter, he may have had the play of the game. Stafford nearly threw a second interception with the Rams driving. It was a questionable throw from Stafford as it seemed like he was targeting Nick Scott. Nacua pulled off his best Travis Hunter impression and broke up the pass, saving an eventual Rams touchdown drive. For much of the game, the Panthers didn’t have an answer for Nacua.

5. Rams pass rush flashed in big spots

The Rams pass rush has taken a lot of criticism this season, but there were flashes of the version from the playoffs last year on Saturday afternoon. Young was sacked twice in this game and the Rams got pressure at a 45.5 percent rate. With how much the Rams were pressuring Young, it truly is a testament to how bad the secondary is on the perimeter as the Panthers quarterback was under duress most of the game.

On Young’s interception, the pass rush forced him to step up and throw off-platform which resulted in the turnover. The Rams defensive line got to Young on both fourth down stops prior to the final drive. Specifically, Byron Young impacted those plays. Braden Fiske made his presence felt. On the final drive, the pass rush got to Young on all four plays which resulted in incomplete passes. Young made some nice plays with pressure, including his touchdown run and the touchdown to take the lead late. However, many of the positive plays from the Rams defense happened because they got pressure on Young.

6. Clutch Colby Parkinson

Has there been a play-maker on the Rams outside of Puka Nacua who has made more clutch plays this season than Colby Parkinson? Parkinson hasn’t been perfect and can be inconsistent. At the same time, he had the incredible touchdown against the Lions to give the Rams the lead in that game. On Saturday against the Panthers, Parkinson’s game-winning touchdown had a completion probability of 27.3 percent.

Parkinson had his best Gerald Everett against the Chiefs impression in the Lions game. This was Parkinson’s best impression of Ricky Proehl’s game-winning touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1999 playoff run. Parkinson only caught two passes, but his touchdown catch with 38 seconds left will go down in Rams history.

7. That is why the Rams trust Matthew Stafford

Heading into the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford was on a run of 4-for-19 for 47 yards and an interception. In the third quarter alone he was 2-for-10 for 24 yards. To say Stafford wasn’t playing well would be an understatement. However, is there any other quarterback you would want leading the charge down by four in the fourth quarter with your season on the line?

Stafford proceeded to go 12-for-15 for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. On the game-winning drive with 2:39 to play, Stafford went 6-for-7 for 71 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Stafford hadn’t had a game-winning drive since Week 4. With his back against the wall and with a hurt finger, Stafford saved the Rams’ season. He now has six playoff wins which is tied with Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese, and Fran Tarkenton. Four of those wins have come via game-winning drives which are tied for the fifth-most all-time with Dan Marino, Terry Bradshaw, and Ben Roethlisberger. Again, there is not a quarterback that you would trust more in that situation and Stafford delivered.

8. Playoff experience paid off

This is a game in which the playoff experience for the Rams paid off. The Panthers played well and were arguably the better team for the middle part of this game. However, good teams and experienced teams find ways to win the games that they are supposed to lose, especially in the playoffs. The Rams had been in this situation the last two years and come up short. They lost by one-point to the Lions in 2023. Needing a touchdown last year with 2:23 to play, the Rams came up 13 yards short against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Panthers threw the kitchen sink at the Rams and there were so many times this game could have gone a different way. The Rams led by three before a blocked punt put the Panthers immediately in scoring range. The Rams have struggled in short-yardage, but converted a 4th-and-1 with a run inside. This is a game on the verge of being the worst loss of the McVay era. However, this is a team that responded in the face of adversity and it takes being in that situation before to do that.

9. Can Rams continue to overcome issues?

If this game proved anything, it is that the issues are still the issues. The Rams don’t have a cornerback that they can consistently rely on outside. Cobie Durant had the interception, but got burned multiple times. Quentin Lake allowed a few big plays over the middle. For a team that lacks size at that spot, Ahkello Witherspoon may be done for the postseason. This is the thing that will likely be the downfall of this team if they lose in the playoffs.

While the special teams had a moment in this game, they once again had the back-breaking play that nearly cost the game with a blocked punt in the fourth quarter. Sean McVay was seen giving a stern talking to Ben Kotwica following the blocked punt. However, the special teams have been an issue since McVay fired John Fassel. It’s something that has been ignored. The Rams were lucky to overcome both of these things on Saturday, but can they do the same against the Seahawks, Bears, Philadelphia Eagles?

10. Survive and advance

This was not the Rams’ best game to say the least. At this point in the season, it’s not about how the wins come, but only that you win. The Rams found a way and they will advance to the divisional round to play the Seahawks or the Bears. Every game that the Rams lost this season was by a touchdown or less. This game felt like we were re-watching every Rams loss of the season. The Rams were in control for much of the game until they weren’t and had a costly special teams mistake. They were on the verge of losing to a team they had no business losing to.

For the first time since September, it felt like the Rams had to find a way to win with their backs against the wall and they did. Following the Panthers touchdown to take the lead late, the Rams had just a 28.1 percent chance to win. They may have deserved to lose this game. It was far from their best effort and they didn’t play a complete game. However, they survived and advanced to the next round.

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