The NFL Wild Card Round got off to a sensational start as the Los Angeles Rams outlasted the Carolina Panthers on the road, and Rams wide receiver Davante Adams revealed that quarterback Matthew Stafford’s comments on the final drive may have been enough to push them over the hump.
Matthew Stafford Snatches the Hearts of the Carolina Panthers
During the postgame press conference following a 34-31 road win against the Panthers, Adams told reporters what Stafford said on the final drive, which resulted in a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson.
“I think he [Stafford] said, ‘Let’s snatch these guys’ hearts’ … and that was pretty cold… MVP stuff,” Adams said.
Video: On the final drive, Matthew Stafford told Davante Adams “let’s snatch these guys’ hearts,” and then he did it. “MVP stuff,” Adams says. pic.twitter.com/Bph3D4PLBn
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 11, 2026
It was a tightly contested game. The two teams had met previously in Week 13, when the Panthers earned a 31-28 victory. This time, however, the Rams secured a three-point win, 34-31.
Stafford played well, completing 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He connected with Adams, who was playing in his first game in three weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury, five times for 72 yards. Adams’ longest reception went for 23 yards, and he was targeted 13 times.
The performance did not come as much of a surprise. Stafford finished the regular season with an 84.4 PFSN QB Impact Score.
The Rams earned the No. 5 seed after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, followed by Los Angeles’ blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals.
That sequence allowed the Rams to face the NFC South champion Panthers, who reached the postseason through a three-way tiebreaker. Carolina finished the regular season 8-9 and clinched a playoff berth after the New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons.
From here, the Rams will wait to see who their next opponent will be. If the Chicago Bears defeat the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles will then await the winner of the San Francisco 49ers-Philadelphia Eagles matchup.
If the Packers beat the Bears, the Rams would face the winner of the 49ers-Eagles game. However, if the Bears and Eagles both win, the Rams would travel to face the Seahawks, the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Now, the question is whether Stafford can snatch a few more hearts on the way to a Super Bowl 60 appearance and victory.
