The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2025 NFL playoffs as one of the favorites to win Super Bowl 60. They suffered a scare in the wild-card round of the playoffs, edging the Carolina Panthers in the final minute of a tight, 34-31 victory.
Early on, it seemed like the Rams would be able to cruise to victory. They built an early 14-0 lead in the first half and were moving the ball at will against the Panthers.
But at the end of the first half, Los Angeles was dealt what looked like it might be a fatal blow. Matthew Stafford appeared to bang his hand on D.J. Wonnum’s arm while trying to follow through on a pass. The 37-year-old quarterback immediately grabbed his throwing hand after taking the blow and doubled over in pain.
Stafford was able to remain in the game despite the apparent injury. He flashed a thumbs-up to Sean McVay on the sideline after the play and later told reporters he just ‘got a finger bent back’ during his postgame news conference.
‘They saw it on the TV on the sideline or whatever,’ Stafford said of his injury. ‘I didn’t obviously know exactly what had happened. It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great. I was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. Once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good.’
Even so, Stafford wasn’t quite as effective in the immediate aftermath of hitting his hand. He endured uncharacteristic struggles with his accuracy during the third quarter of Saturday’s game before snapping out of it in the nick of time to save Los Angeles’ season.
Here’s what to know about Stafford’s performance against the Panthers.
Matthew Stafford stats vs. Panthers
Stafford ended up completing 24-of-42 passes for 303 yards, three touchdowns and an interception against the Panthers. That said, his outing felt very much like a performance in three acts, with two elite segments sandwiching a brutal, midgame lull that aligned perfectly with his hand injury.
Before injuring his hand, Stafford enjoyed a prolific start to Saturday’s game. He completed 10 of his first 15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while generally keeping Los Angeles’ offenses on schedule.
After it, Stafford endured one of the worst stretches of his season. He went just 2-of-12 passing for 24 yards and an interception over the end of the first half and in the third quarter. He was every bit as off as those numbers suggest.
Stafford struggled to consistently deliver accurate passes to his receivers. He missed in a variety of ways, occasionally overthrowing his top targets but also underthrowing Davante Adams on his lone interception of the game.
Stafford’s spotty ball placement hamstrung the Rams’ passing game and allowed the Panthers to hang around a game many thought Los Angeles would win with ease.
But once the fourth quarter rolled around, Stafford looked a lot more like himself. He was able to see the field better and routinely got the ball to his receivers in rhythm. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a perfectly placed game-winning strike to Colby Parkinson.
What led to Stafford’s fourth-quarter resurgence? It simply seemed like he was able to adjust to the trouble his hand was giving him.
That helped Stafford pilot the Rams to a last-minute victory and keep the MVP candidate’s squad in the running for Super Bowl 60.