The Good, Bad, and Ugly From Rams' Wild Card Win

CHARLOTTE, NC. The Los Angeles Rams were fortunate to leave the North Carolina with a victory against the Panthers but now that the game is done and dusted, here's the good, bad, and ugly from the team.

The Good: The Rams' Constant Perseverance

I've written this about the game on several occasions throughout Saturday evening and I say it now. There is no reason the Rams should've won this game and yet they did. In the regular season, the Rams had the chance to defeat Carolina at home and on their game-winning drive, the Panthers closed the door by forcing a fumble on Matthew Stafford.

On Saturday, the Panthers blocked an Ethan Evans punt that should've gave the Panthers the win. Carolina cashed in, scored a touchdown to take a four point lead. The Rams offense was struggling to move the ball up to that point, scoring a lucky touchdown earlier in the fourth and yet, the Rams lived by one mantra...get nine the ball.

In the same scenario that he failed to perform in during the regular season, with the pressure amplified, Matthew Stafford led the Rams on a game-winning drive that the defense cemented by causing four straight incompletions to force a turnover on downs, icing the game. That's championship stuff right there.

The Bad: Defensive Space Interpretation

That means many things but the part I'm focusing on is the Rams' pass rush designs. The edges should've been containing the edge, allowing the rush to collapse a pocket with Bryce Young in it. Young isn't great at stepping up so his options are to go sideways or back.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) react after the game in the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Rams allowed Young to go sideways too often and he made the defense pay. If the Rams play Jalen Hurts and they allow Hurts to go sideways, they will lose. The Rams are not built to handle duel-threat quarterbacks and their play calls have put their secondary in bad spots.

The Ugly: Special Teams

What more can be said. It's not that mistake happen or that they keep repeating, despite changes in personnell and coaching. It's not that they have contributed to nearly every Rams loss this season. It's not even the fact that it almost costed the Rams tonight.

It's that the Special Teams is finding new ways to mess up. A blocked punt? Seriously? It's not enough that Harrison Mevis had to bail the Rams out of suffering a blocked kick, the Rams had to give up a blocked punt, late in the fourth quarter, which led to the Panthers taking the lead.

If not for Matthew Stafford's heroic, the narrative of the game is about their continued Special Teams failures. 20 games. Three preseason, 17 regular season. Little improvement. This is what kills championship ambition.

Follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @BrockVierra. Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE

Don't 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.