The Los Angeles Rams were on the brink of being upset by the Carolina Panthers, but Matthew Stafford, the player many think should be this year's MVP, pulled it out in the final moments of the game.
Trailing 31-27 with less than one minute to play, Stafford made an incredible throw to tight end Colby Parkinson, who made a spectacular catch, using every inch of his 6-foot-7 frame to reel the ball in and find his way into the end zone for an improbable touchdown.
Matthew Stafford put on his MVP hat, leading the Rams down the field and hitting Colby Parkinson for the go-ahead TD with 36 seconds left. Pic.twitter.com/Jv7GMSQkHQ https://t.co/Igx1acVkrG
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 11, 2026
Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig could not have had any better coverage; it was just an incredible play when the Rams had to have it.
Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the game as the Rams avenged a loss to the Panthers earlier this season. Parkinson's catch was just his second of the game.
Puka Nacua paced the Rams with 10 receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown. The Rams will not wait for the results of Sunday's games to see who they will face in the divisional round.
For much of the first half, the Rams looked like they were going to coast to victory in this one. But when they failed on a 4th-and-3 from the Carolina 19-yard line, momentum swung the other way. The Rams watched their 10-point lead shrink and they found themselves in a heavyweight slugfest in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers scored a touchdown on a beautiful 7-yard pass from Bryce Young to Jalen Coker that put them up by four points with just 2:39 left to play. But Stafford took his team down the field and got into position to make one of the better throws of the entire NFL season.
The MVP Award is based on the regular season only, but Stafford may have just proved that it should go to him.
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