The Los Angeles Rams are moving on.

No. 5-seeded Los Angeles outlasted the No. 4 Carolina Panthers 34-31 in the opening wild card game Saturday, putting it in the divisional round.

Los Angeles, which entered the playoffs 12-5, started off hot with a 14-0 lead and looked to have the momentum of a possible rout over the 8-9 Panthers.

But the Panthers, led by former No. 1 pick Bryce Young, stayed afloat with a strong second quarter to force a back-and-forth affair that lasted until the dying seconds.

After a blocked punt led to a late Carolina lead in the fourth quarter, veteran QB and MVP candidate Matthew Stafford showed his credentials with a response of his own.

Carolina had a chance to force overtime, but Young’s ensuing four pass attempts all failed to gain a yard. The Rams will now await their divisional round opponent.

Let’s analyze the game further with takeaways:

Matthew Stafford proves his credentials

There was no way Stafford would let his side lose to an inexperienced playoff team in Carolina. When the Rams needed him to deliver, he did.

In the final seconds, the soon-to-be 38-year-old QB threw a 19-yard strike to tight end Colby Parkinson, who did an excellent job to stay in bounds en route to scoring.

Stafford endured tough stretches in the game but never fully let himself be rattled, completing 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Los Angeles’ Super Bowl hopes rely on him continuously performing. The first test has been passed.

Panthers give a respectable fight

Carolina came into the game playing with house money. Entering the playoffs with a losing record, very few would’ve had the Panthers making a serious run. It just didn’t seem possible, even though Carolina beat LA at home earlier in the regular season.

Despite the loss, the Panthers proved they can belong with more quality added to both ends of the team. Bryce Young threw for 264 yards, one touchdown and a pick on 21 of 40 completions, but just didn’t have enough to give for a miracle.

Chuba Hubbard added two rushing touchdowns on 46 ground yards (13 carries), but speedy backup Rico Dowdle was held to just nine yards on five carries. The highlight was a blocked punt in the fourth that set up a late Carolina lead.

Did Panthers wideout Jalen Coker break out?

Speaking of a young team needing more quality weapons around their QB, second-year wideout Jalen Coker delivered a breakout game under the lights.

After going undrafted in 2024, Coker finished the 2025 regular season with 33 catches on 43 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns. In this game vs. LA alone, Coker went off for nine catches on 12 targets for 134 yards and a touchdown.

It unfortunately didn’t lead to a win, but it gives the offense a connection to build off of if Coker can prove it was a legit showing. Rookie No. 8 overall pick “Tet” McMillan logged five catches on seven targets for 81 yards.

The better team won in the end, but there are signs for Carolina to take that next step in 2026 with the NFC South still lacking overall quality.

Rams wideout Puka Nacua dominates

Speaking of star established wideouts, Puka Nacua was targeted three times on LA’s opening drive that ended in a catching touchdown. His momentum never wavered.

Nacua finished with 10 catches on 18 targets for 111 yards and the aforementioned score, while rushing for 14 carries on three carries and a score.

But the most important play arguably involved him turning into a temporary defensive back to prevent a Stafford pick in the end zone. Had he not broken up the pick, Carolina might’ve been the team moving on.

Here are five things to know about Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.