During the 2025 NFL regular season, the Carolina Panthers stunned the Los Angeles Rams. Now, the two teams are set to meet again in the 2026 playoffs, and head coach Sean McVay has made one thing clear about that costly loss to Carolina.
In Week 13, the Panthers shocked the league by defeating the Rams. Now, the teams will face off again in a win-or-go-home scenario, and McVay knows Los Angeles cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes they made in that matchup.
“They did a great job,” McVay said of the Panthers‘ win in Week 13. “They made the plays to win the game and we came up short. We had our chances but there’s a lot of learning opps. There’s a lot of learning opps even when we’ve gotten the results we wanted in those 12 wins we had. But this was a good, humbling day.
“You don’t take away anything — they earned that win, but we do have a very clear understanding of what’s going to be required for us to be at our best, to do the things that are necessary first and foremost starting with ourselves, and then geared toward the opponent and the scheme. Our players have a lot of respect for these guys. We’ll be ready to go, but we know what a great challenge it’ll be.”
The pressure is on the Rams
For their 2026 Wild Card matchup against the Panthers, the Rams are listed as 10.5-point favorites. Los Angeles is clearly the more talented team on paper, but this is not a game they can take lightly.
The Rams finished the regular season with a 12–5 record, while the Panthers went 8–9. However, Carolina will host the playoff matchup after winning their division, giving them a home-field advantage that could play a significant role in the outcome.
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For many fans, it is Super Bowl or bust for the Rams, while expectations are far lower for the Panthers. That imbalance puts enormous pressure on Sean McVay’s squad, as a loss to a team with a losing record would raise serious questions about whether Los Angeles was ever truly a championship contender.
Is Matthew Stafford retiring after the 2026 NFL playoffs?
Before the 2025 NFL season, Matthew Stafford agreed to a two-year, $84 million extension with the Rams. However, his future could hinge on how far Los Angeles goes in the playoffs.
According to rumors, the 37-year-old quarterback could consider retirement depending on the postseason outcome. Stafford could either walk away from the game with another Super Bowl title—or return for one final run with the Rams in 2026.
