| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
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7 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
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0 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left to give the Los Angeles Rams a dramatic 34-31 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. The Rams survived a wild card thriller at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The game featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter. That ties the NFL playoff record for the most fourth quarter lead changes in postseason history.
How the Game Played Out
The Rams jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Puka Nacua caught a 14-yard touchdown pass and then scored on a 5-yard run to put Los Angeles in control early.
Carolina refused to quit. Chuba Hubbard scored on a 1-yard run. Bryce Young added a 16-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-14 at halftime.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter. The Rams led 20-17 heading into the final period.
Hubbard scored his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter. That gave the Panthers their first lead at 24-20.
Stafford hit Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Rams back ahead 27-24 with 8:47 remaining.
The Panthers blocked a punt with under three minutes left. Isaiah Simmons made the big play to set up Carolina at the Rams 30-yard line.
Young found Jalen Coker for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:39 left. The Panthers took a 31-27 lead and the home crowd went wild.
Stafford took over from there. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 71 yards on the game-winning drive. The touchdown pass to Parkinson came on a perfectly placed ball near the right side of the goal line.
The Panthers had one last chance but could not convert. Jimmy Horn Jr. dropped a fourth-down pass that would have kept the drive alive.
Key Player Stats
Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He played through a finger injury on his throwing hand that he suffered in the second quarter.
Nacua had 10 catches for 111 yards. He scored two total touchdowns and made a crucial defensive play in the end zone to break up an interception.
Young completed 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Coker had career highs with nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Hubbard rushed for 46 yards and two scores on 13 carries.
Historic Numbers
Stafford passed Kurt Warner for first place on the Rams all-time playoff passing list. He now has 2,225 yards and 171 completions in postseason play.
The four fourth-quarter lead changes tied the NFL playoff record. Both teams battled until the final seconds.
The Panthers made their first playoff appearance since 2018. Former quarterback Cam Newton hit the Keep Pounding drum before the game.
Special Teams Problems
The Rams continue to struggle on special teams. The blocked punt was their latest major mistake in that phase of the game.
Los Angeles committed nine penalties. That was the most for the Rams in any game this season.
The Rams rank 31st in the NFL in special teams efficiency. They recently fired coordinator Chase Blackburn after a series of miscues.
What's Next
The Rams advance to the NFC Divisional Round. Their opponent depends on Sunday's playoff results.
The Panthers season ends at 8-10. Carolina will pick 19th in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Rams improved to 13-5 overall. They beat the Panthers after losing to them 31-28 during the regular season.
Stafford threw three interceptions in that first meeting. He was much better in the rematch when it mattered most.
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford [QB] | 24/42 | 304 | 7.2 | 3 | 1 | 1-9 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford [QB] | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Kyren Williams [RB] | 57 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| Blake Corum [RB] | 45 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| Puka Nacua [WR] | 14 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davante Adams [WR] | 13 | 5 | 72 | 23 | 0 |
| Colby Parkinson [TE] | 3 | 2 | 34 | 19 | 1 |
| Kyren Williams [RB] | 2 | 2 | 18 | 13 | 1 |
| Tyler Higbee [TE] | 3 | 2 | 45 | 36 | 0 |
| Konata Mumpfield [WR] | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Blake Corum [RB] | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 0 |
| Puka Nacua [WR] | 18 | 10 | 111 | 18 | 1 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| Troy Reeder [LB] | 0 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobie Durant [CB] | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davante Adams [WR] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nathan Landman [LB] | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| Kamren Curl [S] | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Ahkello Witherspoon [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Poona Ford [DT] | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Cobie Durant [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Quentin Lake [S] | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Jared Verse [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kobie Turner [DE] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Byron Young [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaylen McCollough [S] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Desjuan Johnson [DE] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden Fiske [DE] | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Ty Hamilton [DT] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tanner Ingle [S] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kamren Kinchens [S] | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Nick Hampton [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jarquez Hunter [RB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Josaiah Stewart [LB] | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes [CB] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Omar Speights [LB] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tyler Davis [DE] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Rivers [RB] | 3 | 73 | 29 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Smith [WR] | 1 | -2 | -2 | 0 |
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Mevis [PK] | 2/2 | 46 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Evans [P] | 4 | 182 | 0 | 3 | 52 |
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young [QB] | 21/40 | 264 | 6.6 | 1 | 1 | 2-14 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard [RB] | 46 | 13 | 2 | 8 |
| Rico Dowdle [RB] | 9 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Bryce Young [QB] | 24 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| Trevor Etienne [RB] | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Mitchell [TE] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard [RB] | 4 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble [TE] | 3 | 3 | 22 | 11 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle [RB] | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans [TE] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Horn Jr. [WR] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan [WR] | 7 | 5 | 81 | 22 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette [WR] | 4 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Brycen Tremayne [WR] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker [WR] | 12 | 9 | 134 | 52 | 1 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| Trevor Etienne [RB] | 1 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Jackson [CB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maema Njongmeta [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig [S] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton [DT] | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown [DE] | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn [CB] | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson [CB] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Bobby Brown III [DT] | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| A'Shawn Robinson [DE] | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom [LB] | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| Nick Scott [S] | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| D.J. Wonnum [LB] | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Nic Caraway [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bryce Young [QB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom [S] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bam MartinScott [LB] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Chau SmithWade [CB] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus [LB] | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Trevis Gipson [LB] | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Etienne [RB] | 3 | 63 | 24 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette [WR] | 2 | 44 | 28 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Etienne [RB] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald [PK] | 1/1 | 46 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Martin [P] | 3 | 163 | 0 | 3 | 58 |
