Can the Panthers Upset the Rams in the Wild Card Round?
The Carolina Panthers have not made an appearance in the NFL Playoffs since 2017, and now, with an 8-9 record and the winners of the NFC South find themselves in a Wild Card matchup against the 12-5 Los Angeles Rams. Back on January 10th, 2004, the only playoff game between these two teams took place, where the Panthers came out on top 29-23. Now, 22 years later, the same matchup takes center stage Saturday afternoon. This contest consists of third-year quarterback Bryce Young trying to overcome a Super Bowl champion 17-year veteran in Matthew Stafford. However, Carolina is against all odds; according to ESPN’s analytics, they have a 26.5% chance to win this game, and they’re playing at home. Can the Panthers upset the Rams in the Wild Card Round, or will we see an easy victory by the Rams?
Carolina is led by their third-year quarterback, who has made a huge jump from a season ago. Last year, there was almost a genuine consensus that Young would not turn out to be the guy the Panthers needed moving forward. Yet, the 24-year-old has changed the narrative, completing almost 64 percent of his passes, improving three percent from a year ago, as well as hurling 3,011 passing yards, 700 yards more than he threw last season. While Young threw two more interceptions than in his previous season, he went from 15 to 23 touchdowns. He did everything he could to change Carolina’s identity, and by staying in the NFC South title picture for the entire season, he clinched a playoff spot for the first time in his career, looking to show how far he can take the Panthers now and for years to come. The connection of Young to rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan will be key in this matchup, as well as the play of running back Rico Dowdle, who ran over 1,000 yards for the second straight season.
For Los Angeles, Stafford put together an MVP-caliber season and positioned himself as a legitimate front-runner. Staying in the Super Bowl chase will be key to keeping voters focused on his candidacy. With receiving options such as Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, the Rams legitimately have two weapons who can hurt any team at any moment. Running back Kyren Williams can also pick up any slack, if any, by this Rams offense. Williams ran for more than 1,000 rushing yards and scored more than 10-plus touchdowns for the third straight season. Any team would need an elite defense to stop this group, and Carolina’s defense must step up in a big way, shutting Adams, Nacua, and Williams down in order to pull off a major upset.
McMillan recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in seven touchdowns in his rookie season. His pass/catch connection with Young is critical in this playoff matchup. Los Angeles must stop that quarterback/wide receiver bond in the Wild Card Round game. Panthers on the defensive side of the ball, like Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, and Chau Smith-Wade, must step up in a big way to stop the Rams’ offensive threats. This game will depend on whether the Panthers’ defense can slow down or even stop the Rams’ explosive offense. If the Panthers slow down the Rams’ offense, there’s a possibility they prove all the doubters and all the analytics wrong, yet if the Rams keep the scoring barrage afloat, there will be no stopping Los Angeles.
While the Panthers had a nice turnaround season, they do not have the manpower both offensively and defensively to win this Wild Card Round matchup. Los Angeles is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and with Stafford having an MVP-caliber season, there’s no way this team slows down now. If they do, it would be severely surprising. When you have a potential MVP and then add a potential Offensive Player of the Year candidate in Nacua, it’s hard to stop that deadly combination.
