Saturday will mark the 18th postseason game in Panthers history, with the franchise holding a 9-8 all-time record in the playoffs. They will be seeking their first postseason victory since defeating the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFC Championship, 49-15, on January 24, 2016.
Carolina is 5-2 all-time in home playoff games, including victories in each of their past three postseason matchups. They are one of four franchises in the NFL with at least five home playoff wins and only two-or-fewer losses.
The Panthers are 3-1 in the Wild Card round all-time, with a 2-0 record at home in the first round of the playoffs.
This will mark the second postseason meeting between the Panthers and Rams. Carolina won the first matchup, a 29-23 victory in the Divisional round on January 10, 2004 in St. Louis, which marked one of six double overtime games in NFL history. The Panthers won the game on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith Sr.
Carolina has two postseason victories against two other franchises – Arizona and Dallas. A win on Saturday would include the Rams in that group.
The Panthers defeated the Rams, 31-28, at Bank of America Stadium in Week 13. A Carolina victory on Saturday would mark the second time the franchise has defeated a nondivision opponent twice in one season (Seattle in 2015).
The Matchup
About Carolina
- In his third season, QB Bryce Young established career highs in a number of categories including wins (8), completion percentage (63.6%), passing yards (3,011), yards per attempt (6.29), passing touchdowns (23), touchdowns/interceptions (2.1), passer rating (87.8), and passing first downs (154), while taking just 27 sacks, his fewest in a season.
- Rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan, the eighth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, led all rookies in receiving yards with 1,014, tied for the 14th most in league, and one of just 11 rookies with 1,000+ yards receiving the last five seasons. McMillan led the team in receiving 11 times this season, establishing a new franchise mark for rookie receiving, surpassing the 1,008 yards by Kelvin Benjamin (2014).
- In his first season with the Panthers, RB Rico Dowdle posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing effort. Dowdle is one of seven undrafted players since 1970 with back-to- back 1,000-yard seasons.
- DT Derrick Brown (right) will make his postseason debut following a season that saw him establish a new single-season best with 5.0 sacks and matched his previous season high with seven passes defensed, the only player this season with 5.0+ sacks and seven+ passes defensed as an interior defensive lineman. Against the run, Brown totaled 45 run stops (defined by Next Gen Stats as tackles on run plays that represent a failure for the offense), tied for the fourth most in the league.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season, CB Jaycee Horn tied for the league lead among cornerbacks with a single-season best five interceptions. Horn, set to make his postseason debut after signing a contract extension with the Panthers this offseason, has been targeted as the nearest defender on just 12.1% of his 495 coverage snaps this season, the 10th-lowest rate among the players with 400+ coverage snaps as an outside cornerback.
- Mike Jackson has led the league with 36 passes defensed, including tying for a league-best 19 this season. Jackson also posted a single-season high four interceptions this season, including one returned 48 yards for a touchdown vs. the Los Angeles Rams (11/30). Despite being targeted 94 times as an outside corner this season, the third most in the league, Jackson has allowed a 70.1 passer rating as the nearest defender, the seventh lowest in the league among the players with 400+ coverage snaps as an outside corner.
About LA
- QB Matthew Stafford finished the regular season 388-of-597 passes for 4,707 yards. Stafford set a new single-season career-high with 46 passing touchdowns. He climbed up the NFL’s all-time ranks becoming seventh in career passing touchdowns and sixth in career completions.
- RB Kyren Williams has rushed for at least 40 yards in every game this season. He leads the team in rushing yards with 1,252. RB Blake Corum has added 746 rushing yards on 145 carries. Williams and Corum combined for 1,998 rushing yards this season. That is fourth most by a Rams teammate duo in a season.
- WR Puka Nacua leads the team in receiving yards (1,715) and receptions (129). He passed Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the second-most receiving yards by a player in their first three seasons in NFL history. He finished the regular season leading the league in receptions. WR Davante Adams finished leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 14, despite missing the last three games.
- ILB Nate Landman leads the defense with 132 tackles. S Kam Curl is right behind with 122 total tackles. OLB Byron Young leads the team with 12.0 sacks, tied for the eighth-most in the NFL. His 27.5 career sacks are third-most by a Rams player in his first three seasons.
- In 2024, the Rams won the NFC West for the fourth time in eight seasons under Sean McVay (2017, 2018, 2021, 2024) and for the first time since 2021. Only Chuck Knox (five) has more division titles as the Rams head coach. Last season marked McVay’s sixth playoff berth, tied with John Robinson for the most by a head coach in franchise history.
Panthers vs Rams
How to Watch
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET FOX: Play-by-Play: Joe Davis; Analyst: Greg Olsen; Sideline: Kristina Pink & Pam Oliver
Radio: WRFX 99.7FM in Charlotte market –Play-by-Play: Anish Shroff; Analysts: Luke Kuechly & Jake Delhomme; Sideline: Sharon Thorsland
Per Release