All posts by : Don Lichterman

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t just win on Saturday night. They started a mission — one fueled by unfinished business, lingering stings, and the kind of payback only January football delivers. In a thrilling 34–31 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, the Rams officially launched Phase One of their retribution tour, taking a page — from Donald Trump’s “playbook”: settle scores, assert dominance, and make everyone remember that losses are temporary, but reckoning is permanent.

For Rams fans, this game was more than a win. It was the first step in payback season — and the taste of it was welcomed.

Game Summary: A Wild Card Rollercoaster

The Rams came out swinging, quickly building a 14-0 lead, as quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with his top targets and Kyren Williams powered the running game. Puka Nacua was a constant nightmare for Carolina’s secondary, moving the chains and making critical catches.

The Rams’ defense recorded just one official sack on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young during the Wild Card game, with a “near safety” occurring that was missed by a millisecond or a millimeter.

Defensive Pressure vs. the Panthers was rough. Although only the one sack was logged — credited to nose tackle Poona Ford — the Rams applied consistent pressure throughout the game. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Matthew Stafford faced multiple pressures, including a first-half hand injury when his throwing hand struck a pass rusher’s forearm.

The Los Angeles Rams defense registered a 45.5% pressure rate on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young during yesterday’s Wild Card game. The defensive front was consistently in Young’s face, forcing him out of the pocket and leading to four straight incompletions on the Panthers’ final drive to seal the Rams’ victory.

Overall, the Rams’ defense generated 11 total pressures on Stafford, spread across several key players.

Rams Defensive Statistics (vs. Panthers, Jan 10, 2026)

The Panthers’ defensive plan to pressure Stafford early in the game initially created some disruption, but the Rams’ offensive line adjusted quickly, effectively picking up blitzes and keeping their quarterback protected when it mattered most.

But the Panthers refused to roll over. They clawed back, capitalizing on Rams mistakes — including a blocked punt, a dropped touchdown, and several costly penalties — to take a late fourth-quarter lead.

That’s when Stafford, battling through a painful finger injury, orchestrated a 71-yard game-winning drive, capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson with just 38 seconds left. The Panthers had one final chance, but a fourth-down pass was dropped, sealing a hard-fought Rams victory and advancing Los Angeles to the divisional round.

Final Score: Rams 34, Panthers 31.

Phase One: complete.

Key Player Highlights: Stafford, Parkinson, Nacua

Colby Parkinson is the clear game ball recipient. His clutch touchdown and consistent route-running made him the difference-maker when it counted most. As the physical target in the red zone, Parkinson delivered exactly what the Rams needed to start their retribution story. The other tight end Terrance Ferguson was listed as inactive (sat out) against the Panthers. He was a late scratch for the game due to a hamstring injury. With Ferguson out, the Rams’ available tight ends included Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and Nick Vannett.

Matthew Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns despite injuring his right index finger early in the game. X-rays later confirmed no broken bones or dislocation, and Stafford remained the cool hand under pressure, engineering two late fourth-quarter touchdown drives, including the decisive score to Parkinson. “Never a doubt — No. 9 is with us,” said wide receiver Puka Nacua after the game, capturing the locker room sentiment perfectly.

Speaking of Nacua, he dominated the stat sheet with 10 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, consistently moving the chains and keeping the Rams’ offense balanced and dangerous.

Kyren Williams contributed 57 rushing yards and a touchdown, setting the tone with his physical running in key moments. On the Panthers’ side, Chuba Hubbard totaled 46 yards and two touchdowns, while Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown — showing that the Panthers fought every step of the way.

Kevin Dotson’s absence continues to impact the Rams’ offensive line and running game. The opportunities for the running backs to make quick decisions immediately after Williams or Corum receive the ball are limited without him. While the Rams are executing many run plays effectively, defenders often stack the line right away, disrupting others. Sometimes on 3rd and 4th down plays which really hurts the team.

Dotson’s absence is particularly significant because he was ranked among the top guards in the NFL this season. Justin Dedich has been filling in as the starting right guard during his absence.

– Kevin Dotson: Right guard, out with an ankle injury.
– Justin Dedich: Started at right guard in place of Dotson for the Wild Card game.
– Steve Avila: Plays left guard (opposite Dotson) and is a key part of the interior line.
– Alaric Jackson & Warren McClendon Jr.: Primary left tackle and right tackle, respectively.
– Coleman Shelton: Starting center for the Rams.

Even without Dotson, the offensive line provided solid protection for Matthew Stafford during the Rams’ 34–31 victory over the Panthers. Head coach Sean McVay noted that Dotson is “making good progress,” suggesting a potential return if the Rams advance further in the playoffs.

The offensive line, even without Dotson for the Wild Card game, provided solid protection for Matthew Stafford in their 34-31 victory over the Panthers. Head coach Sean McVay mentioned that Dotson is “making good progress,” suggesting a potential return if the Rams advance further in the playoffs.

Discipline Issues and McVay’s Takeaways

Head coach Sean McVay acknowledged the team’s mistakes, highlighting nine accepted penalties for 83 yards — a significant contrast to their usual disciplined performance. Notable infractions included:

• Personal fouls: Nate Landman’s helmet-to-helmet hit gave Carolina first-and-goal at the 3-yard line, leading to a touchdown.
• Taunting: Desjuan Johnson’s penalty on a kickoff gave the Panthers favorable field position at the 46-yard line.
• Holding: Justin Dedich’s offensive holding on a second-and-three converted into first-and-20, contributing to the blocked punt sequence.

McVay was blunt: “We need to be more poised. There’s a lot to clean up.” But he also emphasized that finding a way to win in tough circumstances is what playoffs are about.

Injuries: Stafford, Others, and Panthers Update

Stafford’s finger injury was a key storyline. He bent it back after hitting a defender’s arm but played through the pain, misfiring on some throws before finishing with two late touchdown drives. X-rays came back negative, confirming no fractures or dislocations, and he is expected to be ready for the next playoff game.

Rams inactives included Kevin Dotson (ankle), Jordan Whittington (knee), Josh Wallace (ankle), and Darious Williams (ankle). On the Panthers’ side, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patella tendon, a significant injury that could affect his future availability.

The Road Ahead: Playoff Scenarios and Retribution Map

The Rams’ next opponent depends entirely on the 49ers vs. Eagles game and so does the plan for true retribution this year:

• Eagles win: Rams travel to Seattle to face the No. 1-seeded Seahawks — a team they split with in the regular season, both games decided by a single point. The Seahawks are a natural target for retribution after this season’s matchups.
• 49ers win: Rams head to Chicago to face the No. 2-seeded Bears — another step in the mission of payback and playoff dominance.

If the bracket breaks favorably, the Rams’ ultimate retribution could be Phase Three: facing the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the teams that not only beat them this year but did so in games the Rams should have won. Every matchup, every step forward, is about settling unfinished business.

The Rams are not here to apologize, clean up a narrative, or earn forgiveness. They are here for retribution — to settle scores, make up for past losses, and assert their dominance in the playoffs.

Phase One — defeating the Panthers on the road — is in the books. Phase Two looms, and it only works if the Eagles win, with either the Seahawks or Bears waiting. And Phase Three? For that to happen, we have to assume the Eagles will first beat the 49ers and then overcome the Bears. Only then can this full retribution plan come to fruition, setting up the ultimate reckoning with every team that has left a mark on the Rams’ season — the ones to whom we handed victories earlier in the year.

The message is clear: survive, advance, and take payback seriously. The Rams are coming, and they will not be denied.

Key Player Statistics

There are wins… and then there are wins that meet the standard.

Unless the Rams are winning by 30 or 40, I do not consider it a true statement game — and Sunday’s 37–20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals lived in uncomfortable limbo for most of the afternoon. Yes, the Rams ultimately pulled away. Yes, the win secured the No. 5 seed in the NFC Playoffs. And yes — it was still far uglier than it ever needed to be.

For nearly three quarters, this game was an emotional tax on Rams fans that should have been paid off by halftime.

A Game That Should Have Been Over Early — Wasn’t. There was an expectation heading into this matchup that Sean McVay was rolling out the full arsenal. That did not happen. What unfolded instead was a strangely sluggish, mistake-prone offensive showing that allowed a 3-14 Cardinals team to hang around far longer than acceptable.

Dropped passes. Miscommunications. Missed opportunities. Drives that stalled for no reason other than execution failures.

At one point in the third quarter, the Rams were trailing — and the frustration boiled over for good reason. Easy catches were clanked off hands, including misses by tight ends and wideouts who will be expected to deliver in January. Matthew Stafford, meanwhile, occasionally reverted to those puzzling half-throws — balls floated five yards in front of open receivers, creating unnecessary incompletions and momentum killers.

When you are paid millions of dollars to perform eight months a year — and your professional shelf life is often seven seasons or fewer — attention to detail is not optional. It is the job.

Catching the football is the job. Catch the Ball and you know what I mean, I mean the ones my nephew would catch if thrown to him should be caught by the professional’s on the Rams team during those 8 months.

The Adams Void Is Still Real. This game once again highlighted how much Davante Adams is missed within this offense. His absence forces Stafford to attempt tighter, more dangerous throws to Atwell and Smith, shrinking windows and magnifying mistakes. The Rams are simply at their best when two elite wide receiver outlets are on the field.

We have seen this formula before — Cooper Kupp paired with Odell Beckham Jr. produced championship football. Now, Puka Nacua is that cornerstone, but he still needs a second gravitational force to fully unlock the offense.

Puka, of course, remains unreal.

Ten receptions. 76 yards. Another highlight-reel, intentional one-handed touchdown grab — because of course he did. He continues to look like a receiver who simply does not drop footballs, regardless of how difficult the attempt. And as always, he played with infectious energy, high-fiving fans along the first rows of the stands like a kid living his dream.

But Puka needs help.
And this offense needs Adams.

The Turning Point: Flip the Switch, End the Game

OK. Now. Once the Rams finally decided to play real football, the game ended quickly.

After Arizona briefly grabbed a 20–16 lead in the third quarter, Los Angeles responded with ruthless precision:

• Stafford to Colby Parkinson — 21-yard touchdown
• Stafford to Tyler Higbee — 22-yard touchdown
• Stafford to Parkinson again — 1-yard touchdown

They finally all caught the ball. They caught every pass finally in that 4th quarter without missing any and in essence, earning their money. It is not hard if you do the work.

That is 21 unanswered points, fueled by defensive stops, pressure packages, and a quarterback who suddenly remembered he is still one of the most dangerous passers in football.

The defensive backs were consistently left hung out to dry. On multiple occasions, they were isolated in one-on-one coverage that directly led to Arizona’s biggest plays. There were no safeties in sight on two of the Cardinals’ touchdowns, and to be honest, Jacoby Brissett delivered several excellent passes that no defender realistically could have reached.

Witherspoon and Curl did miss a few plays, but they also play the most difficult position in football. Witherspoon, in particular, clearly knew he made mistakes — you could see it on his face on the sideline.

Stafford finished with 259 yards and four touchdowns, passing Dan Marino for seventh all-time in career touchdown passes — a milestone quietly buried beneath the chaos of the first three quarters.

Tyler Higbee returned with authority despite a few early drops. He finished the game as the Rams’ leading receiver in yardage, catching five of his six targets for 91 yards and a touchdown, including a critical fourth-quarter score that slammed the door shut.

Higbee did have an early drop and missed a difficult catch just before halftime in the Rams’ 37–20 win over the Cardinals. However, overall, he delivered a strong performance. His final catch rate for the game was an impressive 83.3%.

His overall performance was considered a success in his return from a six-game injury absence and he proved to be a reliable target for quarterback Matthew Stafford when the team pulled away in the second half. 

Finally, the defense erased Arizona in the fourth quarter, allowing only 50 yards of offense and forcing multiple punts and a turnover on downs.

When the Rams turned it on — it was over.

Which is exactly the problem.

They didn’t need three quarters to do it.

Which is exactly the problem.

Officiating Wasn’t the Story — Execution Was. This was not a ref-ball game. There were no controversial flags, no momentum-changing calls, no blown challenges. The only penalties that stood out were the kind that scream lack of focus — delay-of-game situations and sloppy procedural mistakes that simply should not exist in January football. The ones when they can’t even get the play off because of something stupid.

This loss of precision is fixable — but it must be corrected immediately.

Playoff Path: Carolina Awaits. Now, the Rams head to Carolina for the Wild Card round — and it is a matchup that should be handled decisively. I welcome everything about this game. Including having to travel to Charlotte.

Weather will not be a factor. Talent will be. And if the Rams show up focused and complete, this is a game they should win comfortably. The blueprint is already visible with our pressure defense, efficient Stafford, Puka being Puka, and tighter execution across the board.

But they cannot afford another three-quarter warm-up act in the postseason.

January football does not forgive sloppiness.
January football ends seasons.

The Rams are talented enough to make a deep run — but only if they start playing like a team that understands how rare this window really is.

Because fugly wins still count…

But championships demand dominance. We need to get back to dominating. After all, the commissioner practically pleaded with the team because we were winning so easily — and now the entire league feels like it is on equal ground. That is my new conspiracy theory that I am feeding you readers, but in reality, there is no true frontrunner.

If you consider Denver and Seattle to be the No. 1 seeds and, in essence, the top teams, they are also winning in fugly ways. This postseason is wide open. And if the Rams play the way we did before last month ended, we will crush every team we face.

Overall, they need to execute the full game plan — which means catching the football and eliminating illegal procedure penalties. Get the play off. That is the easiest thing to do in football. Please stop messing that up. Make no mistakes. In essence, executing the game plan means catching the ball, protecting it without fumbling, and not throwing passes directly into defenders’ chests. It is not a high bar to meet if you do the work.