The NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend with the Wild Card Round, and the first matchup is between the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers.
The Rams finished the regular season with a record of 12-5, which rewarded them with the fifth seed in the NFC playoff picture. The team coached by Sean McVay has been remarkable this season, and that’s highly attributed to the stellar play by the veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Despite making the playoffs as the fourth seed in the NFC, the Panthers finished the season with a losing record of 8-9, but made it because they won the NFC South. The team, coached by Dave Canales and led by quarterback Bryce Young, is putting up the best season of his young career.
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers
Game Details
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. EST
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
How to Watch
TV: FOX (National)
Streaming: FOX One, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, NFL+, Sling TV, YouTube TV
Radio: 710, 93.1 FM, 1330 AM (Rams Local Area), 99.7 The Fox (Panthers Local Area), Westwood One Sports (National)
Broadcast Team
Joe Davis (Play-By-Play), Greg Olsen (Color Analyst), Pam Oliver, and Kristina Pink (Sideline Reporter)
How Both Teams Performed This Season
These teams already played this season on Nov. 30, which resulted in a Panthers win by a score of 31-28.
This season, the Rams ranked first overall in PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact Metric with a score of 92.3 and a letter grade of A-. Stafford finished the regular season ranked fifth in PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric with a score of 84.4 and a letter grade of B. Stafford completed 65.0% of passes for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions.
Defensively, the Rams were toward the top of the league as well. In PFSN’s NFL Defense Impact Metric, the unit ranked fifth in the league with a score of 85.5 and a letter score of B.
Despite having the best season of his career, the Panthers’ offense ranks 25th in PFSN’s OFFi with an impact score of 70.0 and a letter grade of C-. Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was the team’s biggest offensive threat. He finished the regular season with 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and 7 touchdowns, which resulted in a ranking of 44th in PFSN’s NFL WR Impact Metric with a score of 75.5 and a letter grade of C.
Ironically, the team’s defense also ranked 25th in PFSN’s DEFi. They finished the season with an impact score of 69.2 and a letter grade of D+. Despite the poor rankings, the team managed to secure a spot in the playoffs.
