Matthew Stafford saved his calmest — and best — for last. The veteran quarterback marched the Los Angeles Rams 71 yards in the final minutes Saturday night, then capped the drive with a perfectly placed 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds remaining, lifting the Rams to a dramatic 34-31 comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Stafford completed 6 of 7 passes on the decisive drive, with the lone incompletion coming on a drop by Davante Adams. Drawing on what he later credited to his 17 years of NFL experience, Stafford delivered when it mattered most, sending the Rams (13-5) into the divisional round in the opening game of the NFL postseason.
Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards, three touchdown passes and one interception on a day that began with him being named an All-Pro. Rookie sensation Puka Nacua starred again, catching 10 passes for 111 yards and scoring two total touchdowns for Los Angeles, which entered the game as a 10½-point favorite.
Carolina (8-10), making its first playoff appearance since the 2017 season, came agonizingly close to pulling off the upset. Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and added another score on the ground, while Jalen Coker had a breakout performance with career highs of nine receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. Chuba Hubbard chipped in 46 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Panthers, who had beaten the Rams 31-28 on the same field six weeks earlier, showed resilience after a rough start. Los Angeles jumped out to a 14-0 lead as Stafford hit Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive, then Nacua scored again on a 5-yard run following Young’s interception.
Carolina steadied itself and trimmed the deficit to 17-14 by halftime on Hubbard’s 1-yard touchdown run and a 16-yard scramble by Young — the second-longest touchdown run of his career. The Rams nearly extended their lead late in the half, but Nacua dropped a potential third touchdown on a deep sideline pass just before the break.
After falling behind early, the Panthers surged ahead in the fourth quarter. Hubbard’s second rushing touchdown gave Carolina a 24-20 lead early in the period, but Stafford answered by leading the Rams downfield and finding Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead.
The game took another dramatic turn moments later. A holding penalty stalled the Rams’ next possession and forced a punt, which Isaiah Simmons blocked, setting Carolina up at the Rams’ 30-yard line. Four plays later, Young lofted a 7-yard touchdown pass to Coker in the left corner of the end zone, giving the Panthers a 31-27 lead with 2:39 remaining and sending Bank of America Stadium into a frenzy.
The celebration didn’t last long. Stafford responded with poise, dissecting the Panthers’ defense before finding Parkinson for the go-ahead score. Carolina’s final chance to answer ended when Jimmy Horn dropped a fourth-down pass from Young near midfield.
The night began with optimism in Charlotte, as former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton returned to Bank of America Stadium to pound the “Keep Pounding” drum before kickoff, hoping to spark some early magic. Instead, Carolina found itself digging out of a hole once again, ultimately falling just short.
Rams coach Sean McVay admitted afterward that it wasn’t his team’s cleanest performance. “There’s a lot to clean up,” he said. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner echoed the sentiment, adding that the fixes would start immediately.
The win was historic for Stafford, who surpassed Kurt Warner to become the Rams’ all-time leader in postseason passing yards and completions.
The Rams will await their opponent in the divisional round, while Carolina’s season comes to an end after a promising but inconsistent second year under coach Dave Canales, one that ended with losses in four of the final five games.
For one night, though, the spotlight belonged to Stafford — and another late playoff drive that reminded everyone why experience still matters in January.
