ClutchPoints
The Los Angeles Rams found themselves in a familiar but uncomfortable position late Saturday night in Charlotte. After a blocked punt swung momentum and allowed the Carolina Panthers to take a late fourth-quarter lead, the Rams’ season appeared to be on the brink in the NFC Wild Card round. Yet inside the locker room, defensive lineman Kobie Turner never felt panic, largely because of who was leading the offense.
When Turner was asked postgame what went through his mind as the Rams’ offense returned to the field, his answer reflected complete confidence in his field general.
“I have been in these situations all the time, so I’m used to it,” said Turner, via Sports Central LA. “Honestly, I looked up at the clock, it said 2.34 with three timeouts left. My first thought is, do you not know who’s on the other side? Like, do you guys not know who nine [Mathew Stafford] is? Nine is that guy. So there’s never a doubt.”
The Rams ultimately escaped with a 34-31 win thanks to Matthew Stafford’s final-minute heroics, but the path there was anything but smooth. Los Angeles had already surrendered momentum when Isaiah Simmons blocked a Rams punt with under five minutes remaining, setting Carolina up with prime field position. Four plays later, Bryce Young connected with Jalen Coker for a go-ahead touchdown, igniting the home crowd and putting the Rams behind 31-27 with 2:39 left.
“I knew that he was going to go and do his job,” Turner added. “We talked about it right once we got off the field, we said one more stop. We got that one more stop. We survived the advance. But, a lot of tape to look at, a lot of tape to understand what we can do better. And man, I’m super excited that we have the opportunity to go and make it this better.”
Rams DT Kobie Turner on Matthew Stafford:
"I looked up at the clock, it said 2:34 with three timeouts left. My first thought is, 'Do you not know who's on the other side?'" @DarrenMHaynes | @CBSLosAngeles | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ED3B20mxCj
— Sports Central LA (@SportsCentralLA) January 11, 2026
Stafford backed up that belief immediately. The veteran quarterback marched the Rams 71 yards in seven plays, capping the drive with a perfectly placed 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with just 38 seconds remaining. It was the latest addition to Stafford’s long list of game-winning drives and another reminder of why teammates trust him in high-pressure moments.
The comeback overshadowed a chaotic game that saw Carolina erase an early 14-0 deficit, take multiple fourth-quarter leads, and capitalize on Los Angeles’ special teams mistakes. Still, when it mattered most, the Rams leaned on their quarterback and their defense delivered the final stop Turner referenced.
The post Why Rams’ Kobie Turner wasn’t worried after Panthers blocked punt led to TD appeared first on ClutchPoints.
