In an absolutely bonkers opening game of Wild Card Weekend, the heavily favored Los Angeles Rams survived a scare, walking into Charlotte and defeating the Carolina Panthers 34-31.

The Rams led almost the entire game but trailed 31-27 late in the fourth quarter before possible NFL MVP Matthew Stafford led a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that concluded with a 19-yard scoring strike to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds remaining. Stafford completed 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on the evening.

The Rams overcame the aforementioned interception, plus a blocked punt (their latest special teams miscue), a dropped potential touchdown pass by Puka Nacua (who did finish with 10 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, plus a rushing score) and nine penalties to come away with the road victory. They did so thanks to forcing a few turnovers of their own, as well as a pair of clutch drives from Stafford to bring them back from fourth-quarter deficits. 

The road to get there was a wild one, filled with twists and turns nearly every step of the way.

On the opening drive of the game, the Panthers faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 45-yard line. They went for it, but Bryce Young’s pass was batted down by Kamren Kinchens for a turnover on downs. The Rams then made quick work of their opening drive, which ended with Nacua finding the end zone on a vertical route out of the backfield.

Later in the first quarter, Young threw over the middle for Jalen Coker, but there was a miscommunication between the two. Coker stopped on the route while Young thought he would continue, and the pass was tipped into the air and intercepted by Cobie Durant. The Rams again drove right down the field for a Nacua touchdown, which came on a bubble screen that was ruled a rushing attempt because the pass was thrown backward. 

With the Rams leading by 10 points late in the first half, the Panthers forced a punt and thought they would be getting the ball back, but Trevor Etienne allowed the kick to bang off his face mask and Troy Reeder recovered it. Los Angeles drove deep into Carolina territory again, but failed on fourth-and-3, robbing the Rams of another scoring opportunity and creating one for the Panthers.

After a pass interference penalty on Quentin Lake, Young hit Coker for a big gain to get deep into Rams territory. After throwing incomplete on both first and second down, Young scrambled up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown to pull the Panthers within three in a game where the Rams had seemingly been dominating for the entire first half.

The third quarter saw the two teams trade field goals so that the Rams were leading 20-17 late in the period. The Panthers had another chance to convert a fourth down near midfield, but Young was again flushed from the pocket and forced to throw late and his pass again fell incomplete. That gave the Rams a chance to extend their lead back to two scores, but Stafford was intercepted by Mike Jackson — who played the game of his life — on a pass intended for Davante Adams.

Young then led a quick, four-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that ended with Chuba Hubbard’s second rushing touchdown of the game, giving the Panthers the first lead of the night at 24-20. That drive was spurred in part by a 52-yard catch-and-run by Coker, who finished the game with nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown (more on that in a second).

Not to be outdone, the Rams struck right back with a touchdown drive of their own. They converted a fourth-and-1 from just outside the red zone with a run by Kyren Williams, who would later end the drive with a touchdown catch on an angle route out of the backfield.

After the Panthers went three-and-out, the Rams had a chance to run the clock and possibly extend their lead, only for disaster to strike instead. L.A. ‘s drive was set back by a holding penalty and the Rams were forced to punt, but Ethan Evans’ kick was blocked by Isaiah Simmons, setting the Panthers up with the ball just outside the Rams’ 30-yard line with a chance to drive and tie the game or take the lead.

And take the lead they did, thanks to an efficient drive from Young, who lofted a perfect pass over the top of safety Kamren Curl that dropped into the arms of Coker to stake the Panthers to a 31-27 lead. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that was all just prelude to Stafford’s late-game heroics. The Rams made quick work of their ensuing drive, marching down the field and finding the end zone on the aforementioned pass from Stafford to Parkinson, who made a twisting grab in the air and then stretched out for the end zone to cross the pylon.

Crazy fourth quarter

According to CBS Sports research, this game tied the all-time playoff record for most go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, with the lead changing hands via touchdown four times in the final 15 minutes. Those four lead-changing scores marked the most of all time in the fourth quarter of a playoff game as well. 

Stafford became the fifth quarterback ever with two go-ahead passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, and the first to do it in a win since Eli Manning against the 2007 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Coming into the game, Stafford had just one career go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a playoff game — his game-winning touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp in Super Bowl LVI.

Puka Nacua’s monster game

Nacua got off to a hot start with three catches and a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, and he didn’t stop there. He finished the evening with 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, plus three rushing attempts for 14 yards and a touchdown. (The rushing score came on a bubble screen that was ruled a backwards pass.)

Nacua could have had an even bigger day, but he dropped what would have been a wide-open touchdown pass shortly before halftime. Had he caught that ball and taken it into the end zone, it’s highly likely that we wouldn’t have gotten the kind of back-and-forth fourth quarter we were treated to, though, so it was probably a win for football fans that he didn’t haul it in. And luckily for him, his teammates picked him up and helped the Rams come away with a win anyway.

Young and Coker connection

Young acquitted himself fairly well in his first career playoff game. He went 21 of 40 for 264 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he also ran three times for 24 yards and a score. He was under constant pressure throughout the game, but still made quite a few really nice throws — including and especially the ultimately-futile go-ahead touchdown toss to Coker toward the end of the game.

Coker repeatedly burned the Rams in coverage, catching nine passes for 134 yards and that score. His 52-yard catch-and-run late in the third quarter also set up Hubbard’s second touchdown of the game.

If it wasn’t for Stafford’s heroics, this connection would be the story of the game.

What’s next?

With the win, the Rams advance to the divisional round, where they await their next opponent. Depending on what happens in the remaining NFC playoff games, they could face any of the Seahawks, Bears, Eagles and 49ers. 

No matter what happens in the Bears vs. Packers game on Saturday night, L.A.’s second-round opponent will depend on the matchup between the Eagles and Niners. If Chicago beats Green Bay, the Rams will play the Seahawks in the event of an Eagles win and the Bears in the event of a 49ers win. But if Green Bay defeats Chicago, then the Rams will play against the winner of the Eagles-Niners matchup.

The Panthers, of course, are eliminated from the playoffs despite their efforts, and will make the No. 19 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.