The Los Angeles Rams survived the Carolina Panthers to advance to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. LA corrected the record and got revenge after falling to Carolina earlier in the year. The final score was 34-31.
Let’s take a look at the Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades and data from the game. Who helped the Rams move to the next round of the postseason?
Top five grades on offense
1 – Alaric Jackson, LT: 83.4
With Kevin Dotson out, it’s a debate whether Warren McClendon or Alaric Jackson is the Rams’ next best lineman. Jackson took those honors on Saturday. He graded out evenly in the run and pass games at 80.9 and 80.4, respectively.
2 – Puka Nacua, WR: 81.0
Nacua led the Rams in run blocking grade at 91.3. While he was easily LA’s most productive receiver with 10 catches for 11 yards and two total scores, his PFF grade is likely lower than expected because he dropped a would-be touchdown from Matthew Stafford. Making this play could have made a major difference in the game script.
3 – Colby Parkinson, TE: 70.7
The Rams didn’t target Parkinson often. He made the biggest play of the game with the winning 19-yard touchdown from Stafford. In total he finished with two catches on three targets for 34 yards and the score. The blocking grades were less favorable for Parkinson. He made his mark as a receiver in this game.
4 – Coleman Shelton, C: 70.4
Shelton was stellar in pass protection with a grade of 82.1 (second to Blake Corum on the team). He struggled in run blocking with a grade of 65.3 (still fifth highest).
The Rams allowed 11 pressures on Stafford. This is how they stacked up:
- Warren McClendon: three
- Jackson: three
- Kyren Williams: two
- Steve Avila: one
- Shelton: one
- Justin Dedich: one
5 – Kyren Williams, RB: 69.9
While Blake Corum averaged 4.1 yards per carry and Williams was slightly better at 4.4, the Rams didn’t seem committed to the rushing attack for most of this game. They seemed to fare better on early downs and couldn’t muster much production in short-yardage situations. Williams finished with 13 carries for 57 yards and Corum had 11 rushes for 45.
Williams created 24 yards after contact. Corum had 26. Nacua led the offense in forced missed tackles as a rusher with three.
Other notes on offense
This wasn’t Matthew Stafford’s worst game of the 2025 season, but it was second from the bottom according to PFF. His lowest mark also came against Carolina in Week 13.
That should give us comfort that maybe the Rams’ slow start to the postseason was a unique outcome of facing the Panthers. Stafford and the offense may fare better against a different defense.
Still, it’s noteworthy that the Panthers defensive coordinator is a former Sean McVay assistant in Ejiro Evero. Does Evero hold the recipe to slowing down LA’s usually potent offense?
In this game Stafford finished with two big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays. Rams pass catchers dropped two passes; however, Stafford’s adjusted completion rate of 63.4% was comfortably his lowest mark of the year. The veteran QB was off the mark on this game and the PFF data bears that out.
Top five grades on defense
*Excluding players with less than five snaps. Roger McCreary had a grade of 79.8 on four snaps.
1 – Poona Ford, DT: 84.4
If you exclude Bryce Young’s production as a scrambler, Carolina gained only 59 rushing yards by backs. Chuba Hubbard carried 13 times for 46 yards (3.5 avg) with two scores. Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne were both held under 10 yards.
Poona Ford deserves a lot of credit for this effort in run defense. He earned the second-highest grade in this facet on the defense and has excelled in this area all season. Ford also earned three pressures as a pass rusher.
2 – Kamren Curl, DB: 74.3
Curl edged out Ford to lead the defense in the running game at 73.6. He made 12 total tackles without a miss.
Curl was targeted only a single time and allowed a seven-yard touchdown to Jalen Coker. This was a great pass by Bryce Young to throw his receiver open. Curl was in tight coverage.
3 – Jared Verse, EDGE: 71.9
Verse was second in total pressures with six. His highest-graded contributions came as a pass rusher. It’s clear he consistently effected Young even though he did not record a sack.
4 – Ty Hamilton, DT: 71.3
You can usually find rookie Ty Hamilton towards the bottom of the defensive PFF grades, but the rookie gave positive contributions in the playoffs. It’s an encouraging sign, even if he only played 11 snaps. Hamilton earned a solid run defense grade of 70.2 that ranked fourth for the Rams.
5 – Byron Young, EDGE: 69.1
Young had seven (!) pressures on Bryce Young and led the team. With 30 seconds left in regulation and the Panthers needing a field goal, Young came alive to scare Bryce Young out of the pocket and forced errant throws. It was reminiscent of how Aaron Donald used to takeover games in their biggest moments.
One negative note: Young only had two tackle attempts and still had a miss. The Rams only ,missed six tackles against Carolina, though MLB Nate Landman led the list with two.
Other notes on defense
It was a brutal night for the LA secondary. These are the PFF coverage data for each of the major offenders:
- Cobie Durant: 3/7 for 88 yards, penalty, INT
- Quentin Lake: 7/11 for 83 yards, PBU, penalty
- Emmanuel Forbes: 3/4 for 26 yards
- Nate Landman: 2/2 for 17 yards, penalty
- Ahkello Witherspoon: 1/1 for 15 yards
- Omar Speights: 2/4 for 14 yards
Jalen Coker versus Rams defenders, specifically:
- Durant: 1/2 for 52 yards
- Lake: 5/6 for 62 yards
- Curl: 1/1 for seven yards, TD
