US EditionRams Rally Past Panthers to Open NFL Playoffs, Advance to Divisional Round
Matthew Stafford overcame a hurting hand and midgame struggles to lead a 71-yard, game-winning drive, completing 6 of 7 passes including a 19-yard touchdown to Colby Parkinson.
- On Saturday, Matthew Stafford completed six of seven passes on a 71-yard drive, throwing a 19-yard touchdown to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left for a 34-31 win.
- After blocking a punt with about four minutes left, Panthers safety Isaiah Simmons gave Carolina possession at the Rams 30, and Bryce Young found Jalen Coker for a touchdown with 2:39 remaining.
- After starting 8-for-8, Stafford appeared to injure his throwing hand and went 2-for-13 with an 0-for-7 stretch, finishing 24-of-42 for 304 yards and three touchdowns.
- Advancing to the divisional round, the Rams avenge their Nov. 30 loss to the Carolina Panthers and will learn their second-round opponent after Sunday's wild-card games.
- Named AP All-Pro that morning, Stafford—an MVP favorite—recalled his Super Bowl comebacks by leading a late drive despite the Panthers' 8-9 regular-season record.
47 Articles
47 Articles
Tom Krasovic: Up-and-down Rams do just enough to claw past Panthers
Favored by 10 1/2 points Saturday, the Rams had to scramble to keep their Super Bowl bid alive. Matthew Stafford drove L.A. 71 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds left, and the Rams won, 34-31, over the Panthers in a nutty wild-card game that saw each team score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Rams are the NFL’s most high-variance team, and they showed it once again. Looking like a Super Bowl favorite, they started fast in a…
NFL Wild Card: Stafford's late TD pass lifts Rams past Panthers
CHARLOTTE — Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic 34-31 wild-card round win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
NFL playoffs: Rams avoid another upset by Panthers
Lightning almost struck the Los Angeles Rams twice in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the 2025 NFL season. But six completions in seven throws by quarterback Matthew Stafford, including a touchdown with 38 seconds remaining, kept the Rams’ season alive with a 34-31 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
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