One Major Takeaway From the Rams Advancing

The Los Angeles Rams hang on against the Carolina Panthers in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs to advance to the Divisional round. At one point, the Rams were up 14 - 0 before they allowed the Panthers to battle back and left the door open for an upset victory.

The final score was 34 - 31, and it took Colby Parkinson making the catch and toe-tap of his life in order to beat a team with a losing record. To be fair, the Panthers had already beaten the Rams once before this season. What's one of the biggest takeaways from their win?

Too Close for Comfort

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

Purely looking at the stats, it looked like Matthew Stafford outperformed Bryce Young in their second head-to-head matchup this season. He had three touchdowns to his lone interception, and ultimately, led his team to a win. Young had a chance with less than a minute left to give them in field goal range, and it resulted in four straight incompletions and a turnover on downs.

However, if you watched the game, you'd realize that they won in spite of Stafford being out of sync. The offense was out of sorts all game, and that can also be attributed to Sean McVay and how he coached throughout the contest. He made questionable decisions on 4th down, and it took a lot of things to swing Los Angeles ' way in order for them to squeak by.

If there's one player who contributed the most to their win, it was Puka Nacua. On ten catches, he had 111 yards and one touchdown, as well as a rushing touchdown. The Panthers were not holding back any punches in how they guarded him, as he only caught ten of the 18 passes he was targeted with.

Davante Adams didn't have as big an impact as the Rams would've hoped in his first game back from injury, but that's due to how well the Panthers were keeping him in check. He was targeted 13 times and was only able to haul in five balls. His being on the field certainly affected how the Panthers played defense, but they rarely let him run free.

In the postseason, a win is a win. The Rams are in the second round of the playoffs, and that's all that matters. It may not have been the prettiest win, but it showed off the Rams' experience in this moment.

A lesser team would've found a way to lose. The Rams are not first-round exits, and I promise that no team in the NFL wants to face them in a one-game elimination playoff match.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Rams when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSIand @BrockVierra. Please let us know your thoughts on the Rams' advancing to the second round when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE