Momentum appeared to be on the aspect of the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon after Bryce Younger discovered Jalen Coker for a 7-yard landing, giving the NFC South champs a four-point lead over the visiting Los Angeles Rams with 2:31 to play.
Matthew Stafford wasn’t deterred. The veteran quarterback — who on the age of 37 earned his first-ever First Workforce All-Professional nod this week — turned to Rams’ wideout Davante Adams and mentioned, “let’s go snatch these guys’ hearts.”
And Stafford and his Rams did simply that.
The three-time Professional Bowler and College of Georgia product orchestrated a seven-play, 71-yard drive that ate up about two minutes of clock and ended with Stafford discovering tight finish Colby Parkinson on a wheel route for a 19-yard landing. The Panthers couldn’t muster a response towards LA’s protection, and the Rams went on to win 34-31 in a sport that had Stafford’s fingerprints throughout it.
For Stafford, that game-winning drive was the 51st of his profession and his fourth within the postseason.
After beginning the sport finishing 7-of-7 passes, Stafford suffered an harm to his throwing hand on a second down play within the second quarter when his finger bent backward because it collided with the arm of a Carolina go rusher.
“It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t nice. We’ll see what it’s,” Stafford mentioned of the harm.
However the gunslinger persevered, finishing 24-of-42 throws for 304 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t an otherworldly efficiency, but it surely was a gritty one which paved the way in which for the Rams to seize a victory.
“He obtained a bunch of various guys concerned,” Rams coach Sean McVay mentioned. “I believed he noticed the sphere very well, and that is why we’re advancing, due to his management.”
Certainly. The Rams appear to be a crew that can go so far as Stafford takes them. With the way in which he’s enjoying, that might be to the Tremendous Bowl the place Stafford and McVay would have the chance to seize their second championship collectively.
In his seventeenth season as an expert, Stafford appears to be enjoying on the peak of his powers. He ended the common season main the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 scores this 12 months. He’s additionally tossed simply eight interceptions this season and has a career-best passer score of 109.2.
Stafford appeared to thrive within the moments the place the sport mattered most on Saturday. The fourth quarter between the Rams and Panthers featured 4 lead adjustments, which is tied for probably the most in a closing body of any NFL playoff sport. And Stafford grew to become the fifth participant in NFL historical past with a number of go-ahead passing touchdowns within the fourth quarter of a playoff sport. Earlier than discovering Parkinson for the game-winning rating, he discovered working again Kyren Williams over the center for a 13-yard landing to place the Rams forward with beneath 9 minutes to play.
“I really like these conditions,” Stafford mentioned. “I dwell to do it. It is nice to do it on the highway too. Quieted a pleasant crowd at present, so we’ll take it.”
Puka Nacua hauled in Stafford’s different scoring strike and appeared to be his favourite goal on the day, catching 10 balls for 111 yards.
“That’s what coach talks about,” Nacua mentioned. “You by no means need to let No. 9 down.”
Stafford additionally surpassed Kurt Warner for probably the most postseason passing touchdowns in Rams’ historical past.
The Rams haven’t been nice in shut video games this season. Every of their 5 losses was by a landing or much less and the Rams failed to reply late in these video games. However with Stafford main the way in which towards the Panthers, LA lastly rallied round its chief and did that, profitable a sport that was hanging within the steadiness.
Maybe this highway playoff victory was a turning level for the Rams. Maybe they do have one of the best quarterback remaining within the playoffs.
Whether or not these issues are true or not, what Stafford and the Rams confirmed on Saturday was resolve and willpower. They’ll make errors — and had loads of them on particular groups towards the Panthers — however they gained’t again down and so they gained’t go away quietly.
“He was regular,” McVay mentioned of Stafford. “It was MVP sort of stuff what he did.”
