Honestly, if you missed the Saturday night slugfest at Bank of America Stadium, you missed the kind of game that reminds people why we watch football in the first place. The final score of Carolina Panthers game was a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
It was a Wild Card round that felt like a heavyweight boxing match where both guys were exhausted by the 12th round but kept swinging.
The stadium was vibrating. Panthers fans haven't had a home playoff game since 2015, and you could feel that decade of pent-up energy from the opening kickoff. But, man, what a rollercoaster. One minute you’re convinced Bryce Young has finally arrived, and the next, Matthew Stafford is doing that "clutch veteran" thing that makes you want to throw your remote at the TV.
Breaking Down the 34-31 Heartbreak
The final score doesn't quite tell the whole story of how we got there. The Panthers basically spotted the Rams 14 points. A turnover on downs on the opening drive and a Bryce Young interception led to two quick Puka Nacua scores.
14-0.
Most teams would’ve folded right then and there. But Dave Canales has built something kinda different in Charlotte this year. The Panthers clawed back, largely on the back of Chuba Hubbard, who ran like his hair was on fire. By the time Bryce Young scrambled for a 16-yard touchdown just before the half, the lead was cut to 17-14.
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The second half was just pure chaos.
- Third Quarter: A Ryan Fitzgerald field goal tied it up.
- Fourth Quarter: The lead changed hands three times in the final ten minutes.
- The Turning Point: Isaiah Simmons blocked a punt that set the Panthers up at the Rams' 30-yard line.
When Young hit Jalen Coker for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:39 left on the clock, the Panthers were up 31-27. It felt like the upset of the decade was actually happening.
Why the Final Score of Carolina Panthers Game Swung Late
Then Matthew Stafford happened. There’s no other way to put it.
He took the Rams 71 yards in about two minutes. He was surgical. He completed 6 of 7 passes on that final drive, eventually finding Colby Parkinson for a 19-yard touchdown with only 38 seconds left.
The final score of Carolina Panthers game settled at 34-31, and just like that, the "Cardiac Cats" season was over.
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It's sort of a bitter pill to swallow because Carolina actually beat this Rams team 31-28 back in Week 13. They knew they could win. They had the recipe. But the Rams’ experience showed in those final two minutes. Stafford finished with 304 yards and three touchdowns. Puka Nacua was a nightmare all night, hauling in 10 catches for 111 yards and scoring twice.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025-26 Panthers
You'll probably hear a lot of national media talking about how the Panthers "didn't belong" in the playoffs because they finished the regular season with an 8-9 record. People love to hate on the NFC South.
But look at the context. This was a team that started 1-3. They lost Ikem Ekwonu to a nasty knee injury early in this playoff game. Jaycee Horn was out with another concussion. Despite all that, they stood toe-to-toe with a Super Bowl contender and had them on the ropes.
The offense finally found an identity. Jalen Coker is a legitimate star in the making—he had 134 yards against a very good Rams secondary. Tetairoa McMillan has been the deep threat this team was missing for years.
The Reality of the Offseason
So, where does this leave them?
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First off, the Panthers are picking 19th in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s a massive jump from where they’ve been picking lately.
They need depth. The Ekwonu injury highlighted how thin they are at offensive tackle. They’ll likely look at someone like PJ Williams from SMU or maybe a tight end like Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon to give Bryce Young more weapons.
Next Steps for Panthers Fans:
- Keep an eye on the injury report for Ikem Ekwonu; his recovery timeline will dictate the entire draft strategy.
- Look for Dan Morgan to be aggressive in free agency regarding edge rushers. The defense played well, but they couldn't get home on Stafford when it mattered most.
- Re-watch the Week 3 Atlanta game and the Week 13 Rams win if you need a reminder that this team actually has a ceiling much higher than their sub-.500 record suggests.
The 2025 season was about proving they could compete. The 2026 season will be about proving they can close. The 34-31 final score of Carolina Panthers game is a scar, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like a scar from a fight they actually had a chance of winning.