Turf Show Times
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.
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.
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...
