Colby Parkinson caught the ball at the 5-yard line, twisted his body to stay inbounds, and reached the football across the goal line with 38 seconds left. The touchdown silenced 73,426 fans at Bank of America Stadium and sent the Los Angeles Rams to the divisional round with a 34-31 victory over Carolina on January 10.
Matthew Stafford’s 19-year pass to Parkinson capped a 71-yard drive that took just seven plays. The Rams quarterback completed six of seven attempts on that final possession after the Panthers had taken a 31-27 lead with 2:39 remaining. Carolina’s first playoff appearance in eight years ended on Jimmy Horn’s dropped fourth-down pass with 32 seconds left.
The wild card game matched the NFL playoff record with four lead changes in the fourth quarter. Carolina, an 8-9 division winner and 10.5-point underdog, nearly became the first team with a losing record to win a postseason game since 2010.
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Stafford’s Playoff Pedigree Shows
The Rams’ 37-year-old quarterback finished 24-of-42 for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Those numbers came despite an injury to his throwing hand in the second quarter when his follow-through hit a Panthers defender’s helmet.
“I have been in that spot a lot in my life, and I love that spot,” Stafford said after the game. “I would rather be me having to go out there with our offense and do it than watch from the sideline.”
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns during the regular season. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors and remains a leading MVP candidate alongside New England’s Drake Maye. The official MVP announcement comes February 5.
The victory gave Stafford the Rams’ all-time postseason records for passing yards and completions, surpassing Kurt Warner. It marked his fourth playoff comeback win since joining Los Angeles in 2021.
Passing Statistics
Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matthew Stafford (LAR) | 24/42 | 304 | 3 | 1 | 93.8 | 1-9 |
Bryce Young (CAR) | 21/40 | 264 | 1 | 1 | 71.2 | 2-14 |
Young threw his first playoff touchdown and showed why Carolina extended his fifth-year option. The second-year quarterback rushed for another score and threw for 264 yards in his postseason debut, but two Carolina turnovers in the first quarter put the Panthers in an early hole.
Fourth Quarter Fireworks
Los Angeles led most of the game but trailed twice in the final period. The sequence of scoring plays:
0:09 remaining in Q3 – Chuba Hubbard’s 1-yard run gave Carolina its first lead, 24-20
9:47 in Q4 – Kyren Williams’ 13-yard reception from Stafford, Rams back ahead 27-24
2:39 in Q4 – Jalen Coker’s 7-yard reception from Young, Panthers lead 31-27
0:38 in Q4 – Parkinson’s 19-yard reception from Stafford, Rams win 34-31
Isaiah Simmons’ blocked punt with 4:06 left set up Carolina’s go-ahead score. The former first-round pick gave the Panthers the ball at the Rams’ 30-yard line, and Young needed just four plays to find Coker in the left corner of the end zone.
Receiving Leaders
Player | Team | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Coker | CAR | 9 | 134 | 14.9 | 1 | 12 |
Puka Nacua | LAR | 10 | 111 | 11.1 | 1 | 18 |
Tetairoa McMillan | CAR | 5 | 81 | 16.2 | 0 | 7 |
Davante Adams | LAR | 5 | 72 | 14.4 | 0 | 13 |
Tyler Higbee | LAR | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 0 | 3 |
Coker’s nine receptions and 134 yards both set career highs. His 52-yard catch in the fourth quarter set up Hubbard’s second rushing touchdown. The Panthers receiver beat Rams defensive backs consistently throughout the night, though Los Angeles played without starting cornerback Jaycee Horn after he left with a concussion.
Nacua added a 5-yard rushing touchdown to his receiving stats, giving him two total scores. He dropped a potential third touchdown before halftime on a pass down the right sideline.
Ground Game
Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyren Williams | LAR | 13 | 57 | 4.4 | 0 | 8 |
Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 13 | 46 | 3.5 | 2 | 8 |
Blake Corum | LAR | 11 | 45 | 4.1 | 0 | 8 |
Bryce Young | CAR | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 1 | 16 |
Neither team found much success on the ground. The Rams totaled 116 rushing yards on 29 attempts (4.0 average), while Carolina managed 83 yards on 22 carries (3.8 average). Young’s 16-yard touchdown scramble in the second quarter was the second-longest rushing score of his career.
Team Stats Comparison
Category | Rams | Panthers |
|---|---|---|
Total Yards | 411 | 333 |
Plays | 72 | 64 |
First Downs | 21 | 21 |
3rd Down | 3-13 (23%) | 5-12 (42%) |
4th Down | 1-2 | 0-3 |
Red Zone | 4-5 | 4-4 |
Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
Penalties | 9-83 | 4-35 |
Possession | 31:46 | 28:14 |
Los Angeles struggled on third down, converting just three of 13 attempts. Carolina’s defense forced the Rams into difficult situations but couldn’t get a final stop when it mattered. The Panthers failed all three fourth-down attempts, including their opening drive when they went for it at midfield.
Defensive Numbers
Rams Leaders: Kam Curl (10 tackles, 5 solo), Nate Landman (10 tackles, 4 solo), Cobie Durant (interception). Braden Fiske and Poona Ford each recorded one sack.
Panthers Leaders: Nick Scott (9 tackles, 4 solo), Christian Rozeboom (9 tackles, 5 solo), Mike Jackson (interception). Trevis Gipson had Carolina’s only sack.
Mike Jackson’s third-quarter interception of Stafford gave Carolina possession at the Rams’ 49-yard line. The turnover led directly to Hubbard’s go-ahead touchdown four plays later, putting the Panthers ahead 24-20.
Early Rams Control
Los Angeles jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter after Carolina failed on fourth-and-1 at midfield on the opening possession. Stafford found Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown, then Nacua scored on a 5-yard run after Durant intercepted Young.
The Panthers cut the deficit to 17-14 by halftime. Hubbard’s 1-yard touchdown run and Young’s 16-yard scramble for a score made it a three-point game at the break. Carolina had a chance to tie or take the lead before halftime, but a muffed punt at their own 26-yard line gave the Rams excellent field position. Los Angeles managed just a field goal from the turnover.
The third quarter featured two field goals and little offense from either side until Carolina’s defense forced the turnover that changed momentum.
What It Means
Carolina coach Dave Canales reflected on the narrow defeat in his postgame comments.
“There is such a mix of emotions right now in the locker room, from guys being proud of what we accomplished and where we got, to being sick about the opportunity that was right there in front of us,” Canales said. “And that is going to sting.”
The Panthers won the NFC South at 8-9 after losing their final two regular season games. They hadn’t won a playoff game since January 2016 and hadn’t even appeared in the postseason since 2017. Carolina beat these same Rams 31-28 in Charlotte during Week 13.
Los Angeles finished 13-5 after winning the season finale against Arizona. The Rams entered the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 5 seed and were expected to handle Carolina easily as 10.5-point favorites.
Parkinson’s game-winner came on a perfectly placed back-shoulder throw that he had to high-point while keeping both feet inbounds.
“I knew he was going to have to throw a back-shoulder ball, and that was a perfect ball,” Parkinson said. “It couldn’t have been placed any better.”
The Rams advanced to face Chicago in the divisional round, where they won 20-17 in overtime before losing to Seattle 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game on January 25. Stafford’s regular season performance still earned him PFWA MVP honors, announced January 27, though the official NFL MVP award won’t be revealed until February 5.
