Five Instant Observations After the Rams' Wild Win Over Carolina

The Los Angeles Rams have a lot to clean up but will have the chance to do so next week

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales meet after the game in the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

CHARLOTTE, NC. The Los Angeles Rams pulled off a near-impossible victory over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night, kicking off the 2026 NFL postseason with an instant classic.

While the Rams were victorious and remain alive in the playoffs, there were a glunnity of issues to fix. Here are five instant observations from the game.

1. Matthew Stafford Lack Of Target Diversification Is Impacting His Production

Over the last several weeks, Matthew Stafford has left several pass catchers wide open in order to bombard his favorite targets. That happened again tonight and it wasn't until Stafford started to target Kyren Williams, Konata Mumpfield, and others that the Rams were able to push.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) reacts in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

When Stafford was at his best, everyone got the ball. Despite less targets, Puka Nacua had more space to operate in, leading to continued peek production. While I don't put this all on Stafford, he wouldn't need to bail the Rams out late if the Rams manufacture ball distribution beyond the line of scrimmage early to target a plethora of players, giving the opposition zero keys to hone in on late in contests.

2. Sean McVay's In Game Decisions Almost Lost the Game

Obviously, it's easy to second guess in-game decisions/ game management from the press box and I've always been correct when asked to be a Monday Morning quarterback but it all comes down to this simple fact.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Rams did not capitalize on Carolina's mistakes while the Panthers made the Rams pay for those. In this process, the Rams made too many poor calls, throwing deep on third and short, and while I respect pushing the pedal, there are also times to take the points. Not just to add to a score but to prohibit an instant change of momentum that coincides with an instant change of possession.

3. The Special Teams Unit Is Atrocious

This is on Sean McVay because to be honest, I don't really know who else to pin blame on. The Rams fired Chase Blackburn, said goodbye to Alex Ward and Joshua Karty, brought back Jake McQuaide, brought in Harrison Mevis, promoted Ben Kotwica, hired Matthew Harper and yet after three preseason games and 17 regular-season games, the Special Teams Unit let the Rams down again.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Harrison Mevis almost had a kick blocked because his protection team collapsed and the Rams were only saved because Mevis is faster to the ball than Joshua Karty was. Ethan Evans had a punt blocked in the critical moments of the game. This is not an issue, this is bad football and no one wins championships playing bad football.

4. Chris Shula Has Been Out-schemed Far Too Often This Season

Which is wild to say but the Panthers and Dave Canales had the Rams looking foolish until the critical moments. That's the brilliance of the Rams' defense is that they come alive in the critical moments but in the playoffs, they also need to be more effective in the other moments.

Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula on the field prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

There are multiple issues with the secondary, the pass rush isn't getting home, the personnel the Rams call to match opposing offenses have led to massive breakdowns in their operation. I don't know what led to all these issues but with another week at full strength, the hope is that the results change.

5. Winning Solves Everything

Despite the fact that the last four observations were negative, there is one massive takeaway from this game that needs to be highlighted over everything else. The Rams found a way to win in a situation that they had no business winning.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Looking back at this game, the Rams truly had every reason to lose and yet they will play football next week. This reinforces the ultimate belief. If the Rams are able to drag a game into the fourth quarter, they will set themselves up for a chance to win it. Happened in every game this season and again tonight.

Just get Stafford the ball.

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