The Los Angeles Rams battled their way to a 34-31 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon that was closer than many fans were expecting it to be. Matthew Stafford saved the Rams from a stunning playoff defeat with a big performance, even though he appeared to suffer a finger injury along the way.
This wasn’t exactly Stafford’s best game, but with the outcome hanging in the balance, he did what he needed to in order to lead Los Angeles to the divisional round of the playoffs. His latest injury situation will be worth monitoring over the next few days, but according to a recent report, it doesn’t sound like it’s a very serious situation.
Latest Update on Matthew Stafford’s Finger Injury
Even though the Rams were the lower seed in this meeting with the Panthers, they were heavy favorites to prevail in this game. While L.A. got off to a hot start, Carolina roared back in the second half, which just so happened to coincide with the time when Stafford seemed to be struggling with his injury situation the most.
Stafford woke up in the fourth quarter to lead the Rams to victory, and he ended up finishing the day with some very strong numbers (24/42, 304 TD, 3 TD, 1 INT). However, his status now bears watching as Los Angeles turns its attention to its upcoming divisional round matchup, which will see them play either the Seattle Seahawks or the Chicago Bears.
Throughout his career, Stafford has built a reputation for being one of the toughest players in the league, and that should serve him well moving forward. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, X-rays on Stafford’s finger came back negative, which should clear the way for the MVP candidate to suit up again next weekend.
“X-rays were negative, did not suffer a dislocation, so really just got it bent back really bad,” Rapoport said of Stafford’s finger injury on “NFL GameDay.”
Who Should Matthew Stafford, Rams Want to Play in the Divisional Round?
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers.
It would take something truly major in order to keep Stafford off the field for the Rams at this stage of the game, and while his injury status will be worth keeping tabs on, it seems like this isn’t something he’s going to have to worry about too much. As a result, he and the rest of his teammates can begin preparing to take on either the Seahawks or the Bears.
Both of these matchups would present more challenges for Los Angeles than Carolina did. The Rams split their two meetings with the Seahawks this year, while they have yet to face the Bears. If it plays its best football, L.A. could beat both of these teams, but it’s going to have to be better than it was against Carolina. The Rams will closely monitor the Philadelphia Eagles/San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday, as that will determine who their next opponent ends up being.
Rams Get Good News on Matthew Stafford Injury After Wild Card Win