CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Stafford arrived at training camp in July unsure if he would even play football this season due to a back injury.
But after an MVP-type season that included a league-leading 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes, Stafford has the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) poised to make a run at a second Super Bowl championship in five years.
That quest begins on Saturday with the heavily favored Rams visiting the Carolina Panthers for a wild-card playoff game.
“There were some lean moments,” Stafford said of his rehab from the back injury. “It was touch and go there for a little bit. … A lot of treatments and things that I did to try and help myself get to this point. I didn’t know if I would get there but I went out there and it was wait and see, let’s see what happens. Luckily it turned out pretty good.”
First up is a shot at redemption against the Panthers (8-9), who beat the Rams 31-28 in Week 13 in Charlotte, ending LA’s six-game win streak.
Rams coach Sean McVay called the result “humbling” for his team.
From there, the Rams stumbled down the stretch, losing the inside track to the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a heartbreaking 38-37 overtime loss to Seattle in Week 16. With wide receiver Davante Adams returning from a hamstring injury, the Rams believe they are ready to make a run.
“I just don’t take any of these opportunities for granted,” the 37-year-old Stafford said. “I don’t take them for granted because I’ve had years where I either haven’t been able to play in the playoffs or I haven’t been able to play in certain games because of injury. It feels great to be at this point.”
Carolina enters the game as a 10 1/2-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — the same point spread as the Week 13 game against the Rams — after losing three of its final four games and needing the Falcons to beat the Saints in Week 18 just to get into the postseason.
Still, the Panthers know they can beat the Rams.
Carolina controlled the clock in the first meeting. The Panthers racked up 164 yards on 40 carries, while Bryce Young had a career day, completing 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns for the second-highest quarterback rating (147.1) in franchise history.
The defense forced three turnovers by Stafford and snapped his NFL-record streak of 28 touchdown passes without an interception.
“We know we can win,” Panthers safety Nick Scott said. “We have won multiple times and it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We are just excited to be in the playoffs. The intensity will be through the roof.”
The Panthers are 5-2 in home playoff games in their 31-year history.
Fourth down was pivotal in teams’ last meeting
Young threw two touchdown passes against the Rams on fourth down in the last meeting — a 33-yard strike to Jalen Coker late in the third quarter and a 43 yarder to Tetairoa McMillan midway through the fourth.
“It’s always a combination of things,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said of his team’s struggles to get off the field on fourth down. “Sometimes it’s part scheme and it’s part play-calling. … I think they did a good job of keeping us off-balance. Sometimes you’re thinking run and next thing you know, they’re dropping back and throwing it and they get an explosive (play).”
Rams’ defense seeks return to form
The Rams’ once-impressive defense faded badly down the stretch, with Los Angeles allowing 28 points per game in its final six contests and particularly struggling late in close games.
Carolina moved the ball well in the teams’ first meeting, putting together four drives of 60-plus yards. But the Rams expect a boost from the return of versatile safety Quentin Lake, who missed the last seven games following elbow surgery.
Playoff newcomers on both sides
The Rams’ roster has plenty of postseason experience, but two key players are making their playoff debuts.
Linebacker Nate Landman, LA’s leading tackler and defensive signal-caller, spent his first three seasons with Atlanta before blossoming this year. Rookie kicker Harrison Mevis made his NFL debut in November, and while he’s an impressive 12 of 13 on field-goal attempts and 39 of 39 on extra points, his only miss was on a high-pressure kick with 2:07 left in a tie game at Seattle last month. The Rams lost in OT.
The Panthers have 31 players who have never played in a postseason game, including Young.
Ground game could be key for Rams
The Rams had the NFL’s top passing offense with Stafford, Puka Nacua and Adams, who returns from a hamstring injury Saturday.
But Los Angeles also thrived on the ground, as the Panthers learned in November when Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined to rush for 153 yards and two TDs. The Rams finished seventh in the league in yards rushing, and they’re facing Carolina’s 20th-ranked rushing defense.
Newton to rev up Panthers fans
Cam Newton is expected to return to Charlotte to hit the “Keep Pounding” drum at Bank of America Stadium. The relationship between the Panthers and Newton has been frosty since the end of his second stint with the team in 2021. The Panthers have not won a playoff game since Newton led them to the NFC title 10 years ago.
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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Steve Reed, The Associated Press
