The fun, surprising ride of the 2026 season is over for the Panthers. Carolina was eliminated in stunning fashion 34-31 to the Rams in the Wild Card Round. The Panthers
This one is going to sting. The Rams were heavily favored by 10.5 points, but the Panthers showed the fight they’ve shown all year. They fought back from a 14-0 deficit to take the lead two separate times. It looked like they might pull it out, but Matthew Stafford pulled a rabbit out of the hat when he found Colby Parkinson for the game-winning
score with 38 seconds left in the game.
For much of the season Los Angeles was discussed as a viable Super Bowl team. They looked the part to start the game and maybe the Panthers might have been in a little over their heads. And yet, in spite of a losing record and all the NFC South jokes, the Panthers gained a lot of respect this season and with this performance.
This shows us that Dave Canales and Bryce Young have the chops to win in this league. It shows that the Panthers are heading in the right direction as a team, and that’s something to be excited about.
The Rams will advance to the Divisional Round, and their next opponent will depend on how the rest of the games over the course of Wild Card Weekend shake out. For the Panthers, it’s time to turn the page to the 2026 offseason and putting the team in a position to push further into the postseason next year.
