NFL wild-card playoffs: Massive questions, judging overreactions

The NFL wild-card spherical is full after the Texans scored 23 factors within the fourth quarter to defeat the Steelers on Monday evening. To start the playoffs Saturday, the Rams narrowly edged the Panthers earlier than the Bears pulled off a wild comeback in opposition to the Packers. On Sunday, the Payments held off the Jaguars, the 49ers took down the defending champion Eagles and the Patriots received a low-scoring affair over the Chargers.

What are the primary classes and takeaways from every wild-card matchup, and what’s subsequent for these groups? We requested nationwide NFL reporter Dan Graziano and NFL analyst Ben Solak to assist dimension up each matchup from the opening spherical and look ahead from all angles. For every wild-card sport, Solak is answering one massive remaining query and Graziano is judging the legitimacy of 1 potential overreaction.

Let’s bounce in, making sense of the potential offensive modifications for the Chargers and Eagles, the Payments’ Tremendous Bowl window, the Jaguars’ speeding assault, Caleb Williams’ development, Bryce Younger’s extension and Aaron Rodgers’ future.

Leap to:
HOU-PIT | LAC-NE | SF-PHI
BUF-JAX | GB-CHI | LAR-CAR

‘It will not matter who the Steelers’ coach is till they get an actual quarterback.’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. You possibly can love Mike Tomlin, hearth Mike Tomlin, give Mike Tomlin a lifetime contract or no matter. It is not going to matter till he or whoever succeeds him will get an actual quarterback.

The Aaron Rodgers hive would have you ever imagine that the 42-year-old future Corridor of Famer elevated this offense, however he actually did not. He completed twenty third in Complete QBR this season after ending twenty fifth final season and twenty sixth in 2022, his remaining season in Inexperienced Bay. (Bear in mind, he did not make it previous the fourth play in 2023.)

The Steelers did what they might with this offense, constructed round a quarterback who averaged a league-low 2.59 seconds to throw and one respectable receiving risk in DK Metcalf. They improved in a number of metrics over final season’s Justin Fields/Russell Wilson offense, however they nonetheless settled in at fifteenth in offensive effectivity and sixteenth in offensive EPA. The Steelers tried to keep away from this downside in 2022, after they drafted Kenny Pickett within the first spherical. However that did not work out, which is why they have been on this mediocre-veteran hamster wheel the previous couple of years.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud could not have performed a lot worse than he did Monday evening, but he nonetheless made big-time throws on third down when the Texans wanted them. It has been fairly some time because the Steelers had a quarterback who may ship these sorts of difference-making performs, and you do not have to observe the likes of Josh Allen or Matthew Stafford or Drake Maye to understand how poor the Steelers have been on the QB place because the begin of Ben Roethlisberger’s decline.

Regardless of the Steelers do or do not do with Tomlin, and it doesn’t matter what Rodgers decides about whether or not he desires to maintain taking part in, Pittsburgh should not deliver again Rodgers. They are not going any additional with him at 43 than they did with him at 42. He is a bandage at finest at this level in his profession, and the Steelers cannot preserve going with bandages. They want a transplant.

Pittsburgh’s coaches ought to really be counseled for the job they did to get this staff so far as it went. Tomlin must be counseled for mainly all the time getting his groups so far as the roster ought to go. The problem is that the Steelers want to start out constructing higher rosters, and the primary downside they’ve had in doing that’s their incapacity to discover a actual, lasting answer at a very powerful place on the sphere.

In the event that they discover their model of Maye — and even somebody like Stroud — within the 2026 draft, Tomlin’s going to appear to be a a lot better coach to the disgruntled Steelers followers than he has shortly. If they do not, I am sorry to let you know, that is the perfect you are going to get, irrespective of who coaches the staff. — Graziano

Can the Texans offense survive with out extensive receiver Nico Collins?

The Texans completed the job in opposition to a tricky Steelers protection, and though it wasn’t fairly, it hardly ever is in opposition to Pittsburgh. Mission achieved. However they weren’t with out loss. Collins was carted off the sphere due to a concussion within the third quarter — his second of the season. Houston performs once more Sunday, so it is a brief week and a number of concussions in a season typically result in longer restoration instances by means of the protocol. It is exhausting to think about the Texans could have their star receiver in opposition to the Patriots.

The Texans are deep on the place. In Xavier Hutchinson and Jayden Higgins, Houston has two extra big-bodied receivers who can work over the center of the sphere. Veteran Christian Kirk stepped as much as create explosive performs on this sport, placing up a career-high 144 yards. And rookie Jaylin Noel is able to filling Kirk’s sneakers within the slot if Collins’ absence forces Kirk to play extra outdoors. The bar for the Texans’ offense is objectively low, as their protection is so terrifying that it will probably management and win video games by itself — the Texans’ protection outscored the Steelers’ offense 14-6 on their very own Monday.

However with out Collins, count on the Patriots to play tons of man protection throughout the board … if their star cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, is obtainable Sunday after sustaining a concussion in opposition to the Chargers.

There’s massive damage information to observe on this sport both means. However the Texans specifically really feel like an offense that scrapes by extra typically than they dominate. And now, their finest weapon most likely can be unavailable for the divisional spherical. If there ever was a legacy sport for the Texans’ protection (greater than beating up on a horrible Steelers offense), it is the one which’s coming. — Solak

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C.J. Stroud finds Christian Kirk for Texans’ first rating

C.J. Stroud throws a 6-yard landing go to Christian Kirk to provide the Texans a 7-3 lead vs. the Steelers.

‘The Patriots STILL have not crushed anyone good!’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. Oh positive, they received. Which is all that issues at this level. However their efficiency didn’t scream “No. 2 seed/Tremendous Bowl contender,” and it did little to tamp down the notion of them being an untested staff that might wrestle in opposition to higher competitors. The Chargers are actually solely the third staff the Patriots have crushed this season that made the playoffs. One of many different two was the Panthers, who completed their season 8-10 after shedding to the Rams on Saturday. And the ultimate one was the Payments, to whom in addition they misplaced to later within the season.

The Patriots made some performs after they needed to in opposition to the Chargers. They made their subject aim makes an attempt, which actually issues in video games which are touchdown-free till the ultimate 10 minutes. However they have been additionally sloppy with the ball and did not generate a lot of their regular thrilling, explosive offense. The Chargers’ protection was among the finest at limiting explosive performs this season, so that may have been part of it. However it might have been exhausting to observe this sport and never suppose a staff with a purposeful offense may have knocked out New England within the first spherical.

So what occurs now? Did quarterback Drake Maye & Co. get their stinker out of the best way early and survive it? Do they be taught from this and play higher subsequent week in opposition to the Steelers or Texans? Or does this superior stage of competitors do them in, the best way their critics feared all season that it would?

We’ll have to attend per week for the solutions. Coach Mike Vrabel has pressed each right button in his first season because the Patriots’ coach, and MVP contender Maye has not let something trouble him. They will get both the Steelers and an opportunity to avenge a Week 3 loss wherein they turned the ball over 5 instances, or a Texans staff that may be coming in on a 10-game win streak and options an excellent more durable protection than the Chargers.

That is the survive-and-advance time of the yr, and the truth that the Patriots received ugly does not disqualify them from profitable all of it. It simply provides slightly little bit of energy to the arguments of those that proceed to imagine this staff is taking part in over its head. — Graziano

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Patriots deck Herbert to pressure fumble

Okay’Lavon Chaisson drops Justin Herbert and forces a fumble.

Why have not the Justin Herbert-led Chargers received a playoff sport?

Herbert has formally gone 0-3 in his first three postseason begins. He’s solely the fourth quarterback this century to go winless in his first three postseason begins, becoming a member of Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford.

The overall NFL consuming public is fairly suspicious of Herbert among the many trendy quarterbacking elites, as he does not have the wins that Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen have, not to mention QBs comparable to Jalen Hurts or Brock Purdy. Although Herbert did not play an important sport Sunday, it is exhausting to assemble an argument that he misplaced the sport for the Chargers.

The Chargers clearly want new inside offensive linemen. Although the accidents at sort out submarined the entire line, all three starters on the inside have been the anticipated ones preseason: Bradley Bozeman at heart, Zion Johnson at left guard and Mekhi Becton at proper guard. Bozeman and Johnson haven’t been starting-caliber gamers for years, and Becton is barely an average-level starter.

On 12 of Herbert’s 18 begins in 2025, the Chargers gave up a fast strain price (pressures in underneath 2.5 seconds) larger than 15%. The league common for fast strain price this season was 13.8%. The Chargers have additionally been constantly outschemed underneath coordinator Greg Roman. His utilization of wonky personnel and various working schemes is effective, however the Chargers have not delivered in opposition to playoff-caliber defenses. Although the offensive line was dreadful, few if any efforts have been made to alter the sport across the offensive line. No screens, rollouts, trick performs. When was the final time the Chargers actually outschemed their opponent?

After all, that does not clarify away the four-interception sport in opposition to the Texans within the 2024 postseason, nor the collapse in opposition to the Jaguars within the 2022 postseason. Taking the collective weight of these three losses and calling Herbert a postseason disappointment is a good evaluation. However of the three quarterbacks he has joined (and, not for nothing, Peyton Manning would additionally qualify if we included the 1999 season), he is clearly extra of a Stafford character than a Dalton one.

Postseason success will come to Herbert when he performs for a extra well-rounded staff. As unsatisfying as it’s to say, it is the reality. — Solak

‘The 49ers could make a legit Tremendous Bowl run.’ Overreaction?

Sure, overreaction. The 49ers are a simple staff to love and respect. They’re TOUGH robust. They have been with out their two finest gamers on protection (linebacker Fred Warner and defensive finish Nick Bosa) for months. They performed greater than a month with out quarterback Brock Purdy. Tight finish George Kittle was out and in of the lineup all season — and he is now out for nonetheless lengthy their season continues after tearing his Achilles in Philadelphia. It’s a miracle that they are one of many eight divisional-round groups, they usually deserve admiration for the extent to which they’ve normal rooster salad out of … nicely, every part that has occurred to them this yr.

However the 49ers should go play in Seattle, and we simply noticed that sport final weekend. Taking part in the Seahawks at house with the division title and the NFC’s high seed on the road, the Niners put up a meager 173 yards of whole offense in a 13-3 loss. Now, the Seahawks can be at house and coming off a bye, whereas the Niners will limp in after a bodily brutal win over the defending Tremendous Bowl champs.

Will it assist that left sort out Trent Williams, who did not play in Week 18, is predicted to play subsequent week? Positive. However the 49ers nonetheless will not have Kittle, and their run sport is not excellent with out him. Operating again Christian McCaffrey stays a playmaker for Purdy within the passing sport, however they averaged 3.5 yards per rush try in Sunday’s win. That is not out of character for the Niners, as they averaged 3.8 within the common season (thirtieth within the NFL). They’re restricted in what they will do on offense, and the Seahawks have the sort of protection that may reap the benefits of that.

There was some extent within the fourth quarter after I thought, “Whoever wins this sport is getting smoked within the subsequent spherical,” and I sort of stand by it. The 49ers are nearly out of gamers, and the Eagles could not do something in opposition to a staff that was nearly out of gamers.

It was a becoming finish for a 2025 Eagles staff that was by no means as many believed it to be. Whilst they marched down for the go-ahead rating, it by no means felt like they’d get it. A baby born throughout the third quarter of this sport may have found out the Eagles have been going to Dallas Goedert on the ultimate play, they usually did regardless of him being triple-covered. It was peak 2025 Eagles — no creativity, no juice. They weren’t an important staff; they only received a awful division. In the meantime, the Seahawks received the one division in NFL historical past wherein three groups received no less than 12 video games. Kudos to Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh and Co. for getting so far as they obtained with their roster crumbling round them. However it’s solely getting more durable from right here. — Graziano

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49ers cease Eagles on 4th right down to clinch victory

Eric Kendricks makes an important play on protection to cease the Eagles from scoring and safe the 49ers’ 23-19 win vs. the Eagles.

The lingering query: Is the Eagles’ offensive breakup inevitable?

There isn’t a worse-kept secret within the NFL than the frustration internally and externally with the Eagles’ offensive teaching this season. Coordinator Kevin Patullo, promoted to switch the outgoing Kellen Moore, has been a longtime assistant for coach Nick Sirianni. However Patullo was evidently underqualified for his function. Vast receiver A.J. Brown was visibly upset to various levels all year long. Operating again Saquon Barkley was not practically as productive as he was final season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts continued to wrestle with throwing to the center of the sphere.

There’ll virtually actually be a brand new offensive coordinator in Philadelphia subsequent season — the fifth in 5 years. However maybe the best query is that if anything can be new within the Eagles’ offense? Brown, who went over 20 minutes of sport clock within the second half with out a goal and was seen arguing with Sirianni on the sideline, was a rumored goal for a lot of groups on the commerce deadline. His contract represents a considerable lifeless cap ($66.9 million) if he is traded, and he would possible should collaborate with the Eagles’ entrance workplace and finagle the funds if he calls for a commerce.

Aside from Brown, tight finish (and key pink zone possibility) Dallas Goedert can be a free agent. At 31, he’ll wish to money in on what most likely can be his remaining good years, and the Eagles haven’t got a ton of cap house to pay him. However in addition they haven’t got a superb TE2 ready within the wings. Proper sort out Lane Johnson, a franchise mainstay for greater than a decade, missed the tip of the season due to a foot damage and can flip 36 this spring. How for much longer does he wish to play — and the way efficient would he be? It appears like a much bigger change than a mere coordinator swap is on the horizon for Philadelphia’s offense because the Eagles look to get again on high of the NFC. — Solak

‘This actually is Josh Allen’s finest likelihood to win the Tremendous Bowl.’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. This has been the #narrative because the preseason. The Payments have been arrange with one of many easiest-looking schedules. They’ve performed one sport all season outdoors of their house time zone. Patrick Mahomes missed the playoffs. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson missed the playoffs. Allen and the Payments, the idea went, had the street cleared for them and have been in line to lastly recover from that postseason hump.

However a humorous factor occurred on the best way to the coronation. This season’s Payments turned out to be … not so good as regular. The protection by no means actually obtained it collectively and nonetheless seems very susceptible. Jacksonville ran for over 100 yards outdoors the tackles in Sunday’s sport, the primary time a Jaguars staff has carried out that in additional than three years. Buffalo is extremely banged-up and short-handed on each side of the ball. It did not have a solution for Trevor Lawrence till the beautiful tipped-ball interception that locked down Sunday’s win. The Payments will possible be a street underdog subsequent weekend.

However what the Payments do have is guts and expertise — and Allen, who performs with a number of simultaneous accidents and does not have a star WR1 however by some means finds a approach to do no matter it takes. Sure, even when that is a 10-yard tush push on fourth-and-1 on the opponent’s 11-yard line with a minute left in a playoff sport. The Payments have a profitable tradition, put in place by coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane, who each get loads of grief for not getting over the hump. However they’ve constructed a postseason mainstay out of a staff that — their critics might overlook — had missed the playoffs 17 years in a row earlier than it obtained there.

Jacksonville had the higher staff this season. Actually, it seemed very a lot as if it had the higher staff Sunday. However Allen and the Payments willed their approach to a win, they usually’re nonetheless going. There’s nonetheless no Mahomes dragon to slay. There isn’t a staff left within the subject with wherever near Buffalo’s postseason expertise. That is the yr with out the dominant staff. That is the NFL playoffs, the place nobody is aware of who’s alleged to win; the place everybody’s favourite staff is an NFC 5-seed that hardly beat a sub-.500 staff within the first spherical. There isn’t a means we will rule out a Josh Allen Tremendous Bowl run, even when that is removed from the perfect staff he has ever delivered to the playoffs. Somebody has to win this factor.

Discover me a staff that has been by means of greater than the Payments. Discover me a staff that is hungrier. Discover me a staff that is extra sure it will probably do what it takes to win video games this time of yr. Discover me one other staff with Josh Allen. — Graziano

The lingering query: Why did not the Jaguars run it extra?

About midway by means of the third quarter, you, me and each armchair coach in America have been questioning the identical factor: Why weren’t the Jaguars counting on the working sport? Jacksonville was gaining virtually 10 yards per carry by means of their first seven drives, and the deficit was by no means larger than one rating. Lawrence was not dangerous, however he was actually erratic, and it felt just like the Jaguars’ passing sport could be one massive mistake away from catastrophe.

Effectively, the Jags rolled down the sphere on their subsequent two drives, scoring touchdowns on 11- and 10-play sequences that collectively took up 11 minutes of clock. The working sport was sprinkled in, nevertheless it was Lawrence ripping throws with accuracy and aggression that created the scoring alternatives. Through the again half of the common season, the Jaguars had been a particularly one-dimensional offense, rating fourth in success price on dropbacks however thirty first in success price on designed runs. They have been third in EPA per play on dropbacks however thirtieth in EPA per play on designed runs. It is exhausting to cease dancing with the one which introduced you, even when the Payments have been so prepared to play with mild packing containers and give up floor in opposition to the run.

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Travis Etienne Jr. shakes off a sort out try to put Jags again up late in 4th

Trevor Lawrence finds Travis Etienne Jr., who powers by means of a sort out try to provide the Jaguars a lead with slightly over 4 minutes remaining.

Even regardless of his shaky accuracy and first-quarter interception, Lawrence had a 48.5% dropback success price (Allen was 42.1%) on the day. The Jaguars actually may have run the ball extra in an effort to shorten the sport and decrease the variety of second-half possessions Allen obtained. And I might make a robust guess that coach Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone will make investments severe offseason sources into bolstering the offensive line to make sure they’ve the type of working sport that they will belief all season lengthy.

On the finish of the day, the Jaguars misplaced a brutally shut sport to a wonderful Payments staff. As with all shedding groups, there have been loads of little issues they might have carried out higher. However somebody has to lose the ballgames, and Jacksonville — regardless of its actually wonderful season and legit Yr 1 leap underneath Coen — drew the shorter straw Sunday. — Solak

‘Caleb Williams goes to win the MVP award subsequent season.’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. The Bears fell behind 21-3 at halftime. Williams accomplished lower than 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions. And regardless of pouring it on within the second half, the Bears have been down 27-24 on the two-minute warning — at house because the No. 2 seed — to their oldest and most hated rival. It was all organising for an enormous Bears playoff letdown. Till they received.

Williams hit DJ Moore for a 25-yard go-ahead landing go with 1:43 left to finish a livid comeback, and for the seventh time this season, Chicago received a sport it trailed within the remaining two minutes of regulation. Williams can put you thru the complete spectrum of emotion on actually any snap. However you watched him decide up a fourth-and-8 and a third-and-10 on his approach to the landing go that reduce the result in three and turned the Soldier Subject crowd all the best way as much as 11, and also you most likely thought one thing alongside the strains of, “Yeah, there’s one thing magic about this child.” You watched him get the ball again after the Packers’ missed a subject aim try with 2:56 to go and also you thought, “Yeah, I sort of suppose he is obtained this.”

Williams could make throws different quarterbacks cannot make, and he seems to be the sort of participant whose pulse chills all the best way out within the moments that ship the pulses of others by means of the roof. That is why even when it isn’t going nice, you are feeling as if there is a good likelihood it will definitely will. With Williams in his second season as an NFL quarterback and Ben Johnson in his first yr as an NFL head coach, Chicago went 11-6, received a division out of which the opposite three groups made final season’s playoffs and nonetheless has an opportunity to win the entire thing. The Bears have younger talent place expertise all over round Williams. They will spend their offseason beefing up the protection, too. Is there a compelling cause to imagine they’re going to be worse subsequent season than they have been this season? Nope.

Williams ought to proceed bettering with this group round him and Johnson teaching him. If subsequent season’s Bears win 12 or extra, and Williams wins 5 – 6 of these within the remaining two minutes, he could be the darling of the MVP voting physique. There are loads of “ifs” there, positive, however this is not far-fetched. — Graziano

The lingering query: What’s fallacious — and proper — with Ben Johnson’s fourth-down decision-making?

The fourth-down haters have been out in full pressure on the finish of the primary half, as Johnson’s Bears went 1-for-4 there, together with a failed fourth-and-5 at their 32-yard line. This was a very aggressive name. The NFL Subsequent Gen Stats mannequin favored a punt, whereas the ESPN mannequin very, very narrowly favored a “go.”

Ought to Johnson have gone for all these early fourth downs? I am unsure. The protection felt as if it had no stops in it, however as evidenced by the second half, it did. It is exhausting to know from the skin what goes into each resolution.

What we will say confidently is that the Bears have been making huge, simple errors on fourth down. The interception focusing on Luther Burden III on fourth-and-6 got here as a result of the rookie receiver was confused on the line. The second-half fourth-and-1 failure within the pink zone was a results of a blown go safety. Even the fourth-and-5, means backed up, seemed like an enormous Burden catch-and-run … till the ball was tipped on the line.

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Ought to Rams be involved after tight win over Panthers?

Alex Smith, Tedy Bruschi, Rex Ryan and Randy Moss focus on the Rams’ 34-31 wild-card win over the Panthers.

The story of the Bears’ win — and the Bears’ season — is not certainly one of choices; it is certainly one of execution. Chicago made loads of sloppy errors on offense to start out the season and improved later within the schedule. On this first playoff sport for a younger offense, the Bears made loads of simple errors and improved as the sport progressed. These cardiac Bears reside by the hair on their chinny chin chins, and its exhausting to win all your playoff video games that means. However they’re doing precisely what a younger staff must do within the playoffs: settling down, combating again and studying what it takes to win January soccer. — Solak

‘Bryce Younger goes to get a top-10 QB contract this offseason.’ Overreaction?

Sure, overreaction. Look, huge respect to Younger and the Panthers right here. The Rams received, however Carolina made all of us who thought it may pull off an upset look good. Younger was fearless and enjoyable and every part groups need their quarterbacks to be in massive moments. He was 21-for-40 for 264 yards and a landing go, and he additionally ran for a landing. He hit Jalen Coker for the go-ahead TD with 2:39 to go, solely to observe his protection inexplicably go into stop mode with means an excessive amount of time left, because the Rams marched down the sphere for the profitable rating. However Younger did every part he may to attempt to preserve his season — wherein he threw for 3,011 yards, 23 landing passes and 11 interceptions for a division champion — alive. Sure, an 8-9 division champion, however nonetheless.

All of that stated, it is too quickly for the Panthers to commit. If Younger desires to signal a Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield kind of deal, go forward and try this, Carolina. Effectively price it, given the promise Younger confirmed this season and the funding the staff has already made in him. But when he desires Tua Tagovailoa cash? Uh-uh.

Younger is signed by means of 2026, and the Panthers have an possibility for 2027, which I really feel extraordinarily assured they are going to decide up as a result of there is no cause not to take action. They will mainly have him for $30 million over the following two years in the event that they try this. That is a very affordable funding that may enable them to collect extra information and determine whether or not he is the franchise man they believed him to be after they traded as much as choose him first in 2023. The fifth-year possibility (and the franchise tag, frankly, in the event that they wish to try this in 2028) afford the staff the chance to make Younger show it once more.

Younger does not look like the sort of man who wants the affirmation that may include the long-term deal. I am positive he is aware of a ton of issues he can do higher and appears ahead to an opportunity to work on them. Heck, he is higher off ready and having an excellent higher yr in 2026 and negotiating off that. Massive hat tip to Younger and the Panthers, nevertheless it’s nonetheless means early. — Graziano

The lingering query: What have the 2 video games in opposition to the Panthers taught us in regards to the Rams?

There are many massive variations between the Panthers’ regular-season upset of the Rams and their close to postseason repeat. The connecting thread is how efficiently the Panthers examined the Rams’ defensive backs in protection. Within the first matchup, it was with shot performs late in drives to attain massive touchdowns; on this sport, the Panthers ripped off explosives to Tetairoa McMillan and Coker. The ball got here out quick from Younger, which helped neutralize the Rams’ go rush, as Carolina wagered on its supersized receivers in opposition to the Rams’ smaller defensive backs. It typically labored.

Nickelback Quentin Lake returned to the beginning lineup for the primary time since Week 11, and the Panthers instantly examined him, too. Lake was focused 10 instances and allowed 7 receptions for 83 yards, as the massive slot Coker specifically gave him hassle (5 catches on 5 targets for 62 yards). Because the Rams advance, I might count on extra groups to check that secondary in 50-50 and contested conditions, whether or not deep down the sideline or in the midst of the sphere. It is not an enormous group, and bodily receivers give it challenges accordingly.

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Drake Maye drops a dime to Hunter Henry for a TD

Drake Maye drops a dime to Hunter Henry for a TD

After all, the Rams have struggled with turnovers in opposition to Carolina, as nicely: three takeaways within the first sport, then one (plus the blocked punt) within the second sport. Normally, the Panthers do nicely discouraging the play-action go and forcing Matthew Stafford to play extra patiently. And when he performs patiently, he is pressured to scramble extra or take extra checkdowns — not his most popular model of play. — Solak