from The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6960315/2026/01/10/rams-panthers-score-result-takeaways-nfl-wild-card/

Soft coverage with Horn out for Rams’ final drive

The Panthers looked poised to pull the upset in their first home playoff game in 10 years after taking a four-point lead with less than three minutes left.

But they were shorthanded defensively for the Rams’ final drive, with Horn in the medical tent being evaluated for a concussion. With the secondary playing soft coverage to avoid the big play, Stafford took the Rams downfield, completing 6 of 7 passes for 71 yards. His only incompletion came on an Adams drop.

Despite good coverage by Tre’von Moehrig, Stafford dropped the game-winning, 19-yard touchdown over him and into the arms of Parkinson.

It was a valiant effort by the Panthers, who were 10-point underdogs and trailed by 14 in the first half. But they ultimately ended on a three-game losing streak, their longest skid of the season. — Joseph Person, Panthers beat writer

MUFFED PUNT 🙉 (jfc)pic.twitter.com/WSRX4IC2Bi

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) January 10, 2026

RIDICULOUS THROW 🥵 pic.twitter.com/MSU7l6CbnX

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) January 11, 2026

Alex Zietlow@alexzietlow05
#Panthers veteran safety Nick Scott on what it was like going toe to toe with Matthew Stafford.

“We were on the wrong side of a classic.”

InvaderRam wrote:

e. i remember something about olsen saying about the panthers defense being really good against play action. maybe it was a matchup thing.

I mentioned this, but their DC is Evero, former Rams secondary coach.

Remember the game that initially exposed the secondary this year was against Carolina. Since then people have been following the same script against the Rams D. He wasn’t just the safties coach, he was the Rams defensive passing game coordinator. You can probably safely assume that Evero had something to do with that–he talked to the Panthers OC.

But also he knows Stafford and McVay. He schemed against them in training camp in 2021, before he left for Denver (then Carolina).

It’s not the only factor but it is a factor.

…

wv wrote:

On the punt-block. Who was the idiot who barely chipped the on-coming punt-blocker?

I mean, it was about as lame an attempted block as I’ve seen. WTF?

w
v

That was #34, Tanner Ingle.

He’s been on the practice squad virtually all year.

Bet he never blocks like that again.

That is, assuming he doesn’t wake up on the streets of Toronto with no ID and nothing but a blanket in his possession and no memory of who he is or where he’s been or what he’s doing there.

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Sean McVay has won 9 playoff games in 9 seasons with the Rams. That’s the same number this team won in the previous 33 seasons before he arrived.

…

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/01/10/rams-panthers-wild-card-game-win-takeaways/88123048007/

Is there a quarterback in the NFL you’d rather have late in the fourth quarter than Stafford? The likely MVP struggled for much of the game after starting 8-for-8, but he came through when it mattered most. After the Panthers took a 31-27 lead with just over 2 minutes to play, Stafford took the ball and didn’t flinch.

He led the Rams down the field and scored a game-winning touchdown on a beautiful pass to Colby Parkinson. He went 6-for-7 for 71 yards on the final drive, with his lone incompletion being a drop by Davante Adams over the middle.

Stafford didn’t have his best stuff on Saturday, throwing one interception and nearly another in the second half before Puka Nacua turned into a DB and broke up the pass, but he rose to the occasion late, as he always does.

from Frank Schwab: https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/live/rams-survive-panthers-epic-wild-card-upset-bid-with-incredible-matthew-stafford-to-colby-parkinson-td-pass-in-final-minute-200028826.html

It was the first playoff game of Young’s career, and he played one of his best games in the NFL.

Stafford was just a little better. After the Panthers took that late lead, Stafford was nearly perfect on the next drive, and then the Panthers couldn’t get into field-goal range as Jimmy Horn dropped a pass on fourth down to end the threat.

The Rams could go on to win a Super Bowl. The talent is there and they spent most of the season playing at a championship level. But if people weren’t worried about the warning signs for the Rams late in the season, they might be now.

Wildcard game v. Carolina

***
Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Rams TE Terrance Ferguson is OUT against the Panthers today. As is CB Josh Wallace.

L.A.’s inactives:

TE Terrance Ferguson
OL Kevin Dotson
CB Josh Wallace
CB Derion Kendrick
CB Darious Williams
WR Jordan Whittington

With Stetson Bennett as the emergency QB.

Rob Maaddi@RobMaaddi
The Associated Press 2025 NFL All-Pro team selected by a national panel of 50 media members:

First team

Offense
Quarterback — Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Running Back — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Fullback — Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
All Purpose — Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Tight End — Trey McBride, Arizona
Left Tackle — Garrett Bolles, Denver
Left Guard — Joe Thuney, Chicago
Center — Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard — Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle — Penei Sewell, Detroit

Defense
Edge Rushers — Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Will Anderson Jr., Houston; Micah Parsons, Green Bay
Interior Linemen — Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee; Zach Allen, Denver
Linebackers — Jack Campbell, Detroit; Jordyn Brooks, Miami
Cornerbacks — Derek Stingley Jr., Houston; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia
Slot cornerback — Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia
Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Kevin Byard, Chicago

Special Teams
Placekicker — Will Reichard, Minnesota
Punter — Jordan Stout, Baltimore
Kick Returner — Ray Davis, Buffalo
Punt Returner — Chimera Dike, Tennessee
Special Teamer — Devon Key, Denver
Long Snapper — Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville

___

Second team

Offense
Quarterback — Drake Maye, New England
Running Back — James Cook, Buffalo
Fullback — Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
Wide Receivers — George Pickens, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit; Chris Olave, New Orleans
All Purpose — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Tight End — Kyle Pitts, Atlanta
Left Tackle — Trent Williams, San Francisco
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center — Aaron Brewer, Miami
Right Guard — Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Right Tackle — Darnell Wright, Chicago

Defense
Edge Rushers — Brian Burns, New York Giants; Danielle Hunter, Houston; Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit
Interior Linemen — Leonard Williams, Seattle; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville; Ernest Jones IV, Seattle
Cornerbacks — Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle
Slot cornerback — Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Safeties — Jessie Bates III, Atlanta; *-Talanoa Hufanga, Denver; *-Xavier McKinney, Green Bay

Special teams
Placekicker — Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter — Michael Dickson, Seattle
Kick Returner — Kavontae Turpin, Dallas
Punt Returner — Marcus Jones, New England
Special Teamer — Del’Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
Long Snapper — Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
___
*-tied for second-team spot

Zooey wrote:

I’m afraid that Lake’s injury corresponded with something else, an identification of a weakness in the Rams’ approach that multiple teams took advantage of. I don’t know what else to suggest.

That’s the worry.