So, if you’re looking for the score of the rams football game from this past weekend, you probably already know it was a nail-biter. But the final box score—Los Angeles Rams 34, Carolina Panthers 31—doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story of what went down at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026.
It was messy. It was loud. Honestly, for about three-quarters of that game, it looked like the Rams were going to sleepwalk right out of the playoffs.
The Rams entered as massive double-digit favorites. They had the momentum, the veteran quarterback, and the "Super Bowl or bust" mentality. Meanwhile, the Panthers were the 8-9 "underdogs" that nobody expected to be there. But as we’ve seen a thousand times in the NFL, the point spread doesn't play the snaps.
The Score of the Rams Football Game and Why It Was So Close
The game started exactly how Sean McVay drew it up. Matthew Stafford came out firing, finding Puka Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Then Nacua doubled down with a 5-yard rushing score in the second quarter. 14-0. The rout was on, right?
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Not even close.
Carolina’s defense started feasting on mistakes. Stafford banged his hand on a defender’s helmet—a moment that had every Rams fan holding their breath—and the offense stalled. Bryce Young, who has been under a microscope all season, suddenly found a rhythm. He scrambled for a 16-yard touchdown just before the half to cut the lead to 17-14.
The second half was basically a heavyweight fight where both guys are too tired to block. Chuba Hubbard was a problem. He punched in two touchdowns, including a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
Key Scoring Plays and Game Changers
- Puka Nacua’s Early Dominance: Two first-half touchdowns set the tone, but he was relatively quiet in the third quarter as the Panthers adjusted their coverage.
- The Stafford Finger Scare: That hand injury late in the second half clearly affected his grip. You could see him shaking it out between series.
- Colby Parkinson’s Heroics: With only 38 seconds left on the clock, Stafford found Parkinson for a 19-yard strike in the end zone. That was the dagger.
Basically, the Rams' experience won them this game, but their lack of execution nearly lost it. They let a sub-.500 team hang around far too long. If you’re a Rams fan, you’re happy with the "W," but you've gotta be a little worried about the defense moving forward.
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What This 34-31 Win Means for the Divisional Round
Winning a Wild Card game is great, but the road just got a lot steeper. By moving past Carolina, the Rams have set themselves up for a brutal trip to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears.
The weather is going to be the biggest factor there. We’re talking 10-degree temperatures and wind chills that make the ball feel like a rock. Tom Brady even weighed in on this recently, noting that while Stafford played in Detroit for years, he’s spent the last few winters in the California sun. You get "soft" in the cold—his words, not mine.
The defense also has a massive hole to fill. Ahkello Witherspoon is officially out for the season after an injury during the Panthers game. That is a huge blow to a secondary that already looked shaky against Jalen Coker and the Panthers' wideouts.
Real Talk on the Rams' Playoff Ceiling
Can they win it all? Maybe. But they can’t play like they did in Charlotte.
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The offense is still explosive. Kyren Williams had a quiet day on the ground but came up huge with a 13-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth. When this team is clicking, they’re almost impossible to stop because you can't double-team Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Parkinson all at once.
However, the "bend-but-don't-break" defense is starting to look like it’s just breaking. Letting Bryce Young lead a go-ahead drive with under three minutes left is a major red flag. Against a team like the Bears or the Seahawks, that kind of lapse is a season-ender.
Your Post-Game Action Plan
If you're following the Rams through this playoff run, here is what you need to keep an eye on before the next kickoff:
- Monitor the Injury Report: Specifically Stafford’s index finger. If he can't grip the ball effectively in the Chicago cold, the Rams are in trouble.
- Check the Weather at Soldier Field: Wind speeds over 15 mph usually mean the Rams will have to rely more on Kyren Williams and the run game than Stafford’s arm.
- Secondary Depth: Look for who McVay elevates to replace Witherspoon. This will be the "bullseye" on the Rams' defense that opposing coordinators target.
The score of the rams football game gave them another week of life. Whether they can survive the "Windy City" is a completely different question.