The Carolina Panthers have beaten the Los Angeles Rams once already this season. If they can do the same again, head coach Dave Canales' squad will reach the playoff divisional round.
Not many in the media or in Vegas are giving the Panthers much of a chance of that. They are double-digit underdogs with sportsbooks. Annual calls to ludicrously re-seed the postseason as another division leader hosts a Super Bowl favorite have reared their heads again. But even though Carolina stumbled over the line to reach the knockout rounds, they deserve to be here.
The Rams have loftier ambitions than just making it. They want to win it all, and they are also set to get some significant reinforcements back in time for the wild-card clash at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina Panthers will get the best of the Rams, just the way they want it
Head coach Sean McVay confirmed that the Rams are expected to have All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and safety Quentin Lake back for their pivotal showdown with the Panthers. That's not going to help Carolina's cause, but it also doesn't change all that much in the grand scheme of things.
"Via multiple reporters, head coach Sean McVay said in his Monday news conference that receiver Davante Adams and safety Quentin Lake are expected to return for Saturday’s wild card matchup. Adams has been sidelined since aggravating a hamstring injury in Los Angeles’ Dec. 14 victory over Detroit. Though he played just 14 games this season, Adams still finished with a league-leading 14 touchdowns, having caught 60 passes for 789 yards."Myles Simmons, Pro Football Talk
Adams remains one of the league's most prolific route runners. Lake's been missing for weeks, but the physically imposing defensive back also looks to take his place back in the lineup. It's something else for the Panthers to prepare for. Even so, they always seem to play better when their backs are against the wall.
There is no pressure on the Panthers. Facing Adams and Lake doesn't change that. Nobody anticipated them winning the NFC South and making the playoffs before the campaign. Most fans were hopeful that progress could arrive in some capacity. As it turned out, the weakness across the division worked in their favor.
The Rams have revenge on their mind. McVay's squad is 3-2 since losing to the Panthers, so they are not invincible by any stretch of the imagination. They also have to go cross-country for a Saturday afternoon game. And everyone anticipates Bank of America Stadium to provide a genuine home-field advantage after being starved of playoff football for so long.
Lake and especially Adams will need to be accounted for. But nobody inside the Panthers was expecting them to sit out such a monumental occasion.