The NFL Playoffs kicked off on Saturday with a rematch between the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers just a few weeks removed from a fantastic regular-season clash. What we got in the NFL Wild Card Game on Fox was another great duel between two of the best teams in the NFC.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from the Rams vs Panthers game, with Los Angeles winning 34-31.
Winner: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
It wasn’t a flawless game by any means for Matthew Stafford. He started off hot, completing 10-of-15 passes for 137 yards (9.1 yards per attempt) with a touchdown. He then suffered a hit to his hand, going 2-for-12 for 24 yards (2.0 ypa) with an interception. He did get bailed out a bit midway through the fourth quarter, with Puka Nacua making a great play on a leaping interception to knock the football loose. On Stafford’s next pass, he made a great play to hit Kyren Williams for the go-ahead touchdown.
Loser: Dave Canales’ Fourth-Down Play-Calling
We’ll first recognize that aggressive play-calling from Dave Canales is what got the Carolina Panthers into the NFL playoffs. The team finished the regular season with the most fourth-down conversions (27) in the NFL and the fourth-highest conversion rate (67.5 percent). Unfortunately for Canales, it didn’t pay off on Saturday. A 4th-and-4 attempt from the Rams’ 48-yard line and a 4th-and-1 from the Panthers’ 45-yard line were stopped, with the latter leading to an early touchdown by Los Angeles. Canales is still one of the league’s best up-and-coming coaches, but his fourth-down aggressiveness failed him tonight.
Winner: Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
Jalen Coker sure likes facing the Rams. The 6-foot-3 wideout is often overshadowed by Tetairoa McMillan, who is likely to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, it’s been Coker who has made the big plays against the Rams. Just over a month after he put up 74 yards and a touchdown against Los Angeles, Coker topped that on Saturday night. He beat Los Angeles deep twice, putting up a team-high 9 receptions for 134 receiving yards. The biggest play came with under 3 minutes left when he created just enough separation in the corner of the end zone, beating Kam Curl, to pull down the go-ahead touchdown. Coker picked the perfect time to have a career-best performance.
Loser: Los Angeles Rams Defense
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula has been a popular name in the NFL coaching carousel in January, with many around the league impressed by his work this season. However, this Rams defense had really started to dip in the second half of the year. From Weeks 13–18, Los Angeles allowed 27.8 points and 357.5 total yards per game, with opponents averaging 6.1 yards per play and posting a 100.1 passer rating with 13 passing touchdowns in six contests. Tonight, the Panthers put up 333 total yards and averaged 5.2 yards per play, reaching the red zone four times and finding the end zone on each trip. Most of the damage, including all 31 points scored, came after the first quarter. This unit is an area of concern in the Divisional Round.
Winner: Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
While Puka Nacua had a big drop that took a potential touchdown off the board for Los Angeles, he more than made up for it in the second half with an incredible display of athleticism and instincts to break up an interception. How critical was it? Just five plays later, Los Angeles found the end zone. That play effectively erased the earlier gaffe. Now we can focus on Nacua leading the team in receptions (10) and targets (18) as Stafford’s go-to guy. Fittingly, Nacua also proved instrumental on the second go-ahead touchdown drive by the Rams with time winding down.
Loser: Carolina Panthers Defense
Three takeaways in the last meeting with Los Angeles masked how bad the Panthers defense was. It was evident just how outmatched they were again on Saturday night. Quite frankly, it could’ve been even worse if not for Stafford’s hand injury. Los Angeles finished the night with 411 total yards and a 5.7 yards-per-play average, going 4-for-5 on its red-zone trips. Most painfully for Bryce Young and Co., the Panthers defense allowed a 61-yard go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter and then surrendered the game-winning 71-yard touchdown drive minutes later. Talent is the issue, and it will be something for the front office to work on this offseason.
