You could feel the electricity humming through Bank of America Stadium before kickoff. Cam Newton was out there hitting the "Keep Pounding" drum, the crowd was deafening, and for the first time since 2017, playoff football had actually returned to the Queen City. But if you're looking for the bottom line on what was the score of the carolina panthers game, it’s a tough pill to swallow for the home crowd: The Los Angeles Rams beat the Carolina Panthers 34-31.
This wasn't just some mid-season slog. This was a Wild Card thriller on Saturday, January 10, 2026, that saw Bryce Young prove he belongs on the big stage, even if the final result didn't go his way.
The Final Score and How We Got There
Honestly, it looked like a blowout early. The Rams jumped out to a 14-0 lead and the Panthers looked completely shell-shook. Puka Nacua was doing Puka Nacua things—catching a 14-yard touchdown pass and then basically walking in a 5-yard rushing score. You could almost hear the collective sigh of "here we go again" from the fans.
But then things got weird, in a good way.
Carolina started clawing back. Chuba Hubbard, who has been a absolute workhorse this season, punched one in from the one-yard line. Then, right before half, Bryce Young reminded everyone why he was a number one pick with a 16-yard touchdown scramble. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it was a total back-and-forth street fight.
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The Panthers actually took a 31-27 lead with only 2:39 left on the clock. Young found Jalen Coker—who had a monster day with 134 yards—for a 7-yard touchdown. The stadium was shaking. You really thought they had it.
Then Matthew Stafford happened.
The veteran QB marched the Rams 71 yards in under two minutes. He capped it off with a 19-yard strike to Colby Parkinson with only 38 seconds left. Panthers fans were stunned. A final desperation drive ended when a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, sealing the 34-31 loss.
By the Numbers: Why the Game Was Closer Than Expected
If you look at the box score, the stats tell a story of two teams that were virtually identical on the day. Both teams had 21 first downs. Both teams turned the ball over once. It really just came down to who had the ball last.
- Bryce Young: 21/40, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (plus that rushing TD).
- Matthew Stafford: 24/42, 304 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
- Chuba Hubbard: 13 carries, 46 yards, 2 TDs.
- Puka Nacua: 10 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD.
The real unsung hero for Carolina was Jalen Coker. He was basically unguardable, racking up career highs across the board. On the flip side, the Rams' Davante Adams was kept relatively quiet for his standards, though he did haul in some crucial catches on that final game-winning drive.
What This Loss Means for the Panthers
Kinda sucks to lose like that, but you've got to look at the big picture. Dave Canales took a team that most people picked to finish last in the division and turned them into NFC South champions. They finished the regular season 8-9—not exactly a world-beating record—but they won the games that mattered to get a home playoff date.
The defense, led by Ejiro Evero, showed some serious backbone. They even blocked a punt in the fourth quarter (shoutout to Isaiah Simmons) to set up what should have been the game-winning score.
The reality is that the Panthers were double-digit underdogs in this game. They weren't even supposed to be competitive. The fact that they pushed a veteran Rams team to the literal last second is a huge win for the culture in Charlotte.
Moving Forward into the 2026 Offseason
The sting of the 34-31 loss will linger for a bit, but the "Keep Pounding" mantra feels real again. This offseason is going to be about finding that one extra playmaker on defense and maybe some more depth on the offensive line to keep Young upright. He was sacked twice and hit several more times during the Wild Card round.
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If you’re tracking the what was the score of the carolina panthers game for betting purposes or just to settle a debate with a friend, remember that while the Panthers lost the game, they probably won over a lot of skeptics.
Key Takeaways for Fans:
- Check the final injury report on Jaycee Horn; he played through some stuff and his health is huge for the 2026 secondary.
- Keep an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft order; despite the playoff appearance, the Panthers still have some premium capital to work with.
- Watch the coaching carousel; Ejiro Evero is almost certainly going to get more head coaching interviews after how this defense performed.
The Panthers' season is officially over, but for the first time in years, the future in Carolina doesn't look like a total rebuild. It looks like a team that's finally figured out how to compete.