The Panthers Could Only Give The Rams A Good Scare

A confession: For the past week, I grew convinced that the Carolina Panthers would do it. They had already beaten the Los Angeles Rams once in the regular season, in Charlotte, and this playoff game would be at the same stadium. The weather forecast looked crummy, working against the Rams, whose quarterback favored indoor conditions. Cam Newton and his big hat were going to show up before the game and pound the drum. Could this be a repeat of when the 7-9 Seahawks upset the Saints? Would there be another moment that matched the absolute euphoria of the Beast Quake?

Nope. After absorbing the derision that comes with an 8-9 team making the playoffs, the Panthers acquitted themselves well. They even took the lead with less than three minutes to go. Alas, the underachieving NFC South champions were unable to pull off an all-time upset, instead losing to Los Angeles, 34-31, in the typically staid Saturday afternoon time slot.