The Carolina Panthers handed the Los Angeles Rams a stunning 31-28 defeat Sunday, in a thrilling showdown that included a potential catch-of-the-year candidate and a surprisingly rusty performance by quarterback Matthew Stafford.
A strip-sack by Panthers tackle Derrick Brown with less than three minutes left in the game helped Carolina secure the win. Stafford also threw two interceptions, including a pick six. Each team held the lead at various points in the game, seemingly generating clutch plays right when they needed them most.
The Panthers (7-6) snapped the Rams’ (9-3) six-game winning streak and kept their playoff hopes alive. Here’s a deeper look at the game’s biggest storylines.
Bryce Young’s clutch performance
After a forgettable outing six days earlier at San Francisco, Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw three touchdowns, finished with a career-best 147.1 passer rating and outplayed Stafford. Young saved his best plays for the biggest moments. He hit Jalen Coker for a 33-yard TD on fourth-and-3 to give the Panthers a 24-21 advantage. He found receiver Tetairoa McMillan for a 43-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2 for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. On the next possession, Young went back to Coker for a 10-yard gain on third-and-5 to allow the Panthers to run out the clock for one of the team’s biggest wins in a decade. — Joseph Person, Panthers beat writer
Undermanned Carolina defense steps up
With the Panthers missing three defensive starters and a key contributor, this looked like a mismatch on paper and on the betting boards. However, the Panthers’ defense played inspired football, picking off Stafford twice (the QB had set a record on the Rams’ first drive with his 28th consecutive TD pass without an interception) and forcing him to fumble on a crucial third down late in the game. Mike Jackson returned the second interception 48 yards for a touchdown, while Brown had the huge third-down sack on Stafford, whose fumble was scooped up by linebacker D.J. Wonnum on what turned out to be the Rams’ final offensive play. — Person
Matthew Stafford is mortal after all
Stafford has spent his 17th season chasing down history, one accolade at a time. The latest came on his first drive Sunday, when he hit wide receiver Davante Adams for a touchdown that gave him 28 passing scores since his last interception, breaking Tom Brady’s record for the longest streak. Yet, that was quickly snapped, as Stafford was intercepted on a tipped pass in the red zone and then threw a pick six when Jackson jumped a sideline route for Puka Nacua.
Neither of those was his worst mistake, though. That was getting strip-sacked on third-and-10 while in field-goal range with the Rams down three points in the fourth, right after he and the offense took a delay-of-game penalty despite having two timeouts.
Stafford was still explosive and productive, throwing for 243 yards, including a 51-yard deep shot to receiver Xavier Smith. Nonetheless, fluctuating between mistakes and production is more of who he has been in his 17-year career. He’s still having a terrific season, with 34 touchdowns and four interceptions, and his first MVP award is within reach. What looked like a runaway campaign, however, is no longer after three costly mistakes in a game the Rams should have won against a shorthanded and less talented Panthers team. — Nate Atkins, Rams beat writer
Rams’ defense misses Quentin Lake
The Rams’ defense came into this game on a heater, having held four of the past six opponents to 10 points or fewer and having corralled six interceptions over the past two games. Most of those two games were played without their captain and arguably best defender, safety Quentin Lake. It was a matter of time until that absence showed up in a defense where he does a little of everything when he’s on the field.
The regression all hit at once Sunday in Carolina. The Panthers found ways to be explosive at times, including two deep-ball touchdowns over the head of Emmanuel Forbes Jr. They also showed they could be methodical, rushing for yards and draining the clock, similar to when they held the ball for all but three plays in the third quarter. Young has been rattled at various points in his career, but not on Sunday, when he finished 15 of 20 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and zero turnovers.
Lake wasn’t there to provide the same coverage help and pre-snap adjustments that settled Forbes in so well. And Lake’s absence was particularly noticeable in the run defense, where he often blitzes to take up blockers and effectively communicates the fits.
This can still be a high-powered defense with strong pass rushers and defensive backs who make plays on the ball, but it will have limitations as the lowest-paid unit in the NFL without a versatile star like Lake. — Atkins
