Matthew Stafford leads Rams past Panthers in NFC wild-card round with game-winning drive

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A year ago, the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford got the ball back, down six, with the chance to steal a road playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The failure to do so sent the team home downtrodden and full of what-ifs.

Given an opportunity to redeem himself Saturday in the wild-card round against the Carolina Panthers, Stafford delivered, driving the Rams 71 yards in 2:01 of game time and completing 6 of 7 passes, the last a towering throw that tight end Colby Parkinson caught before spinning across the goal line.

Four incomplete passes later – the last broken up by safety Quentin Lake – and the Rams and Stafford rectified the previous year’s shortcoming with a 34-31 win.

Everything clicked early for the Rams. The Panthers went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 45 on the opening drive. Lake broke up the Bryce Young pass. Four plays later, the Rams scored as Puka Nacua, lining up in the backfield, ran a go route and caught it for a 14-yard TD.

When Nacua scored on a backwards screen pass — bouncing off a lead blocker before weaving to the end zone – it felt like the Rams were on their way to an easy win with a 14-0 lead.

The number of mistakes the Panthers made supported this theory. A tipped-ball interception by Rams corner Cobie Durant set up the second Nacua touchdown. A Chuba Hubbard third-down drop and a fumbled punt by Trevor Etienne gave the Rams the ball back.

But the Rams couldn’t capitalize on those last two mistakes, with one drive ending with a broken-up fourth-down pass in Carolina territory. And the Panthers carved up the Rams’ secondary to get back into the game.

The Rams’ pass rush struggled to get home against Young, even with the starting right guard and left tackle leaving the game with injuries. The pattern was that the rush threatened, Young escaped and his receivers got open for a first down.

Then the Panthers would close the drive out with their feet. A Durant pass interference in the end zone set up a 1-yard Hubbard rushing touchdown. Then – after the Rams’ gamble to go for it on fourth down at the end of the second half backfired – Young escaped pressure and scrambled 16 yards for a touchdown.

After a Nacua drop on what likely would have been a third touchdown, the Rams went into the halftime holding onto a 17-14 lead. Worse, quarterback Matthew Stafford appeared to injure his throwing hand when it collided with a pass rusher’s forearm at the end of the half.

Stafford had started the game 8-for-8. But he went 2-for-13 after that, including 0-for-4 to open the second half and an 0-for-7 stretch that was the longest without a completion in his five-year Rams tenure.

After the Rams went three-and-out to open the second half and the Panthers tied the game at 17, the Rams again faced third down, with the crowd at Bank of America Stadium on its feet, waving white towels through the air, smelling blood.

But Stafford found Davante Adams on a crosser to pick up a first down. Then Adams was hit in the helmet by safety Nick Scott, drawing a penalty as he went to the injury tent with a bloodied mouth. The Rams stalled, but were able to take a three-point lead on a 42-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis.

Another fourth-down stop by the Rams defense, and the opportunity to go up by two possessions was presented. But Stafford was sacked on second down, then underthrew Adams on third and was intercepted by Michael Jackson.

The Panthers went back to the crossing routes off the turnover, with Young connecting with Jalen Coker for a 51-yard pass to end the third quarter. Two plays into the fourth, Hubbard pushed into the end zone and the Rams found themselves trailing for the first time all day, 24-20.

The Rams responded with an 11-play touchdown drive to retake the lead, Stafford connecting with Davante Adams on a 23-yard gain across the middle of the field to get into Carolina territory. Stafford almost threw the ball to the Panthers, only for Nacua to break up the pass in the end zone. After a successful Stafford sneak on fourth-and-1, the quarterback found Williams on an angle route for a touchdown to go back up by three.

But a holding penalty on right guard Justin Dedich – the team’s ninth of the day – put the Rams in a first-and-20 situation from which they could not recover. They had to punt, but Panthers safety Isaiah Simmons broke through the Rams’ offensive line, blocking Ethan Evans’ punt. The ball was recovered at Rams 30 and Carolina needed just four plays for Young to find Coker in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

But they left 2:39 on the clock, and that was 38 seconds more than Stafford needed.