It’s revenge season as the Los Angeles Rams get a rematch against the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card Round on Saturday. Both teams faced off in Week 13, with the Panthers coming away with a 31-28 upset
win on a day when Matthew Stafford turned the ball over three times, and the Rams lost grip of the NFC’s top seed. Good times (insert eye roll).
Ahead of this weekend’s big rematch, I again spoke with Walker Clement from Cat Scratch Reader to get the inside scoop on how Carolina got here in the first place, trust or lack thereof in Dave Canales and Bryce Young, and more.
Q – Carolina has won the NFC South twice in its history with a losing record. It also has a not-so-nice point differential of -69 and has suffered six double-digit losses. Could you explain how on earth this team made the playoffs, specifically concerning the tiebreaker that got them there?
A – The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished in a three-way tie for the NFC South title at 8-9. The Panthers were 3-1 against the Bucs and the Falcons, which topped the Falcons’ and Bucs’ records against the Panthers and each other; therefore, the Carolina Panthers beat out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the dubious honor of becoming the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record more than once. Keep Pounding, as they say.
That, at least, is the math of it all. How on earth did they make it to the playoffs, or even to eight wins, or even to a 1-0 head-to-head record against the Los Angeles Rams? Chaos is the answer. The Panthers have been full-time agents of chaos ever since Cam Newton’s career-ending shoulder injury in 2017. Nothing has made sense since. As one fan recently put it to me, ” I’ve come to expect nothing from this team, good or bad. They never make sense.” The Panthers are, in short, the last team you want to see on your schedule because your own efforts and quality don’t matter. They are either going to lose or they’re going to smack that game with the biggest chaos hammer you’ve ever seen. That is independent of talent, of coaching, of ownership and of year. It’s just who they are at this point.
Q – I’m sure the playoff seeding discussion will be brought up to death again this week, now that the Panthers are in the dance. What is your stance on the NFL’s playoff seeding format, and do you believe it should change, despite its benefitting Carolina this weekend?
A – I am a Panthers fan because I was raised in Charlotte, NC. I remain a Panthers fan because I am OK with a little personal suffering and because I enjoy chaos. I don’t mind the Panthers being in the playoffs as a division winner with a losing record because that invites more chaos into the NFL. That said, their commitment to parity is also admirable. I think the division winner should retain automatic entrance, but seeding should be purely down to record. That would give the first three seeds to the NFC West this season and that’s fine. Y’all have the best division in football, that should absolutely be recognized and reflected in the playoff structure.
Q – Last time we spoke, you had asked what it’s like to trust your coach and quarterback, adding that Dave Canales is the “closest we have come” to being interested in and capable of scoring more points than the opposition. Regardless of what happens against the Rams, what must Canales and Bryce Young do to continue earning the fanbase’s trust moving forward?
A – Young is going to split this fan base right down the middle if he wins even one playoff game. Take that as your consolation prize if the Rams find a way to lose. Some fans are just begging for a reason to believe, while others couldn’t be convinced if he won the Super Bowl this season. Ultimately, his inconsistency and physical limitations have left a lot to be desired. For him to earn wider confidence from the fan base, he has to at least look competitive with Stafford, statistically, on Saturday and then have a strong and steady start to the 2026 season. This isn’t a trust issue that can be fixed with one game.
As for Canales, fans are already split there. Is he limited as a play caller or does he not trust Young? Answering the questions around Young is the first step to being able to answer the questions around Canales. Either way Saturday goes, I expect both of them to be in their respective seats at the start of next season.
Q – During the first meeting, the Panthers played a perfect blend of complementary football to secure a win over a team regarded as the NFC’s best at the time. L.A.‘s run defense has struggled lately, so how can they keep the dynamic duo of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard in check this time around?
A – Good luck. The Panthers are actually, possibly getting healthier along their offensive line this week. Pro Bowl caliber guard Rob Hunt is expected to return from a torn bicep in Week 2 and they may also be returning his backup, Chandler Zavala. The Panthers have been starting their fourth and fifth-ish string right guards for most of the season after the top three options went down in quick succession over the first half of the season. The Rams need to commit to defending the run and give Young the opportunity to beat them over the top. He has had zero success as a quarterback targeting the intermediate portions of the field, so deep passes are where he will win if he does as a passer. That means the majority of the offensive production should be expected to come from the running game, whether the Rams are keying on that or not. Commit to the run and back up if you need to. Young has simply not proven himself enough as a consistent passer to defend this game any other way.
Q – In the previous matchup, Matthew Stafford essentially lost the game for L.A., as Young did just enough to secure the stunning Week 13 win. The Panthers are the biggest underdogs of Wild Card Weekend, as L.A. is a 10.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook. What must Carolina do to pull off the historic upset?
A – The biggest key to their victory is not flipping that script. If they lose, or even start, the turnover battle, then that’s that. A clean game from Carolina is a winning gameplan. But with Young and referee Clete Blakeman in the house? I wouldn’t put money on Panthers fans going home happy.
