The Rams traveled to Carolina to take on the NFC South-winning Panthers in the Wild Card Round, and after a 34-31 win, Los Angeles advances to the Divisional Round.
The Rams were the third of three NFC West teams to land in the postseason this year, and for a stretch of the season, they looked like THE team to beat in the NFC. And the Panthers, of course, finished under .500, which was good enough to lock up the NFC South since it’s currently the silliest division in the NFC. LA was heavily favored heading into this one, and the Rams did not disappoint.
This one wasn’t pretty at times, but LA got the job done when it mattered most. They led 14-0 and looked ready to blow out Carolina. But as they’ve done all season, the Panthers fought back. They took the lead two separate times, but Matthew Stafford showed why he was All-Pro and potentially the NFL MVP. He found Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left in the game to secure the fourth quarter comeback victory.
Updated 2026 NFC playoff bracket
Rams vs. Panthers was the first game on the Wild Card Weekend schedule, so we will update this post as more results become available.
Wild Card results
Jan. 10, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET
Rams 34, Panthers 31
Jan. 10, 2026, 8 p.m. ET
Packers vs. Bears
Jan. 11, 2026, 1 p.m. ET
Bills vs. Jaguars
Jan. 11, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET
49ers vs. Eagles
Jan. 11, 2026, 8:15 p.m. ET
Texans vs. Steelers
Divisional Round bracket
The Seahawks will host one of the Rams, 49ers, or Packers depending on how the rest of the Wild Card Round concludes. The rest of the field will settle at that point and we’ll be able to update the bracket.
