CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Before the Rams took the field with 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Matthew Stafford told wide receiver Davante Adams, "Let's go snatch these guys' hearts."
Seven plays and a little over two minutes later, the Panthers lifelessly watched as Stafford fired what would be the game-winning touchdown pass in No. 5 seed Los Angeles' Wild Card playoff win over the No. 4 seed Carolina on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.
"That was pretty cold, just to hear that," Adams said, recalling the moment postgame. "And I actually literally smiled in the moment, because I thought that was like one of the most gangster things you could say in that moment, honestly. And to hear him say that, and the look on his on his face, and then throw the touchdown, and then the look on his face after that, was just MVP stuff."
In the fourth quarter alone, Stafford completed 12 of 15 pass attempts for 143 passing yards and two touchdowns for a 146.0 passer rating. It marked the fourth postseason game-winning drive of his career, and 54th game winning drive of his career overall across the regular season and playoffs.
Asked how he stays calm in those moments, Stafford simply pointed to experience – this is year 17 for him – as well as his belief in his teammates.
"I trust all those guys go out there and make plays," Stafford said. "I just try to put in a good spot for those guys. But I've been in that spot a lot in my life. I said that earlier, but I love that spot. I'd rather (it) be me having to go out there with our offense and go out there and do it, than watching, so it's a fun thing to be a part of. You can make it stressful, or you can make it calm and collected, and I feel like that's what we were today. I thought our guys on the outside and up front did a hell of a job on that last drive, and I just tried to put it in good spots."
Stafford putting up those numbers, and really the game-winning drive itself, was all the more impressive considering a finger on his throwing hand got bent back in the second half of Sunday's game, though any pain he was experiencing was warded off by late-game adrenaline.
"It wasn't pleasant. It wasn't great. We'll see what it is," Stafford said. "I was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. Once the ball's snapped, the adrenaline's pretty good, so we'll hopefully just keep it going."
Which made the story former Lions teammate Golden Tate posted on X Saturday night all the more fitting as Tate recalled when Matthew Stafford messed up a finger on his throwing hand.
"I checked on him like "you good?" Tate's post read. "He said, 'bro I'm straight… I got nine other fingers.' He's different!"
Stafford's Rams teammates have seen the same first-hand over the last five seasons, so the outcome left little surprise to them.
"I looked up at the clock, it said 2:34 with three timeouts left. My first thought is, 'Do you know who's on the other side?'" defensive end Kobie Turner said. "Like, do you guys not know who 9 is? 9 is that guy."
"Never a doubt," wide receiver Puka Nacua said. "Number nine is with us."
"He was steady," head coach Sean McVay said. "It was MVP type of stuff."
