The Los Angeles Rams barely held off the Carolina Panthers 34-31 in Saturday’s thrilling Wild Card matchup.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead thanks to wide receiver Puka Nacua’s strong first-quarter play. After scoring a touchdown in the opening five minutes, L.A. increased their lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.
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The Panthers finally responded with a strong drive before a one-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to seven.
Carolina’s defense then held strong, forcing the Rams to settle for a field goal. That’s when Panthers quarterback Bryce Young broke out for a 16-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to three.
Both squads played solid defense in the third quarter, exchanging field goals.
As the final five minutes of the fourth began, the Rams still had a three-point advantage.
In the biggest play of the game for the Panthers, wide receiver Jalen Coker caught a seven-yard touchdown pass to go up by four.
While it looked like the Panthers may pull off the upset, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with tight end Colby Parkinson on a ridiculous 19-yard touchdown with less than 45 seconds left to play.
Carolina’s last-second drive was unsuccessful, allowing the Rams to hold on for the victory.
Stafford finished the game with 304 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while completing 24 of his 42 pass attempts.
For the Panthers, Young had 264 passing yards, two total touchdowns and one interception. Of his 40 pass attempts, he completed 21 of them.
The Rams were heavy favorites going into Saturday’s matchup, but narrowly escaped an upset and have now punched their ticket to the NFC divisional round.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
