Why Rams Shouldn't Lose Much Sleep Over Panthers Rematch

Rams can't get too comfortable

The Los Angeles Rams might have a favorable matchup ahead of them, but it's hardly a "gimme." After all, the Carolina Panthers already beat LA earlier this season, with a stunning 31-28 upset back in Week 13. It took a lot for them to eke out that three-point win, though.

The Panthers found a good amount of success pounding the rock against the Rams in the Carolina rain, with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, and Bryce Young combining for 164 yards on 40 carries. They never broke 130 yards rushing as a team again for the rest of the campaign. Young also played out of his mind, completing 75 percent of his passes for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Matthew Stafford had one of his worst performances of the year, committing three turnovers, including a pick-six.

NFL.com's panel of editors isn't expecting a similar game script in the first round of the playoffs, with all five picking the Rams. Dan Parr outlined why he's not expecting much drama this time around: "No matter what you might have heard, lightning can strike in the same place twice. I'm not sure the same thing applies to the Panthers when hosting the Rams this season, though."

"I'm not overlooking that Los Angeles dropped consecutive games before recovering against a woeful Cardinals team last week, and L.A. went just 5-4 on the road this season. I just don't think Carolina has the offensive firepower to keep up with the Rams, who should be getting Davante Adams back from injury. However, if Matthew Stafford fails to take care of the ball again (three turnovers in the Week 13 loss), anything is possible. I'm expecting steely focus from a team that had multiple wake-up calls in the final month of the season."