Jan. 11, 2026, 2:15 p.m. ET

The Carolina Panthers gave it just about everything they had on Saturday.

They played through numerous injuries, they dug out of double-digit deficits and they had a Super Bowl favorite on the ropes. Heck, they even rolled out franchise legend Cam Newton to hype up the crowd right before kickoff.

But unfortunately, all of that wasn’t enough—as they fell to the Los Angeles Rams in a heartbreaking 34-31 loss.

So, with the last game in the books, let’s look to Pro Football Focus and give you the rundown.

Here are the team’s best and worst PFF grades from the wild-card round defeat . . .

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

*Players listed recorded at least 10 offensive or 10 defensive snaps.

Best of the offense

1. LG Damien Lewis: 81.1

2. WR Jalen Coker: 79.0

3. RB Chuba Hubbard: 75.9

4. WR Tetairoa McMillan: 72.1

5. RT Taylor Moton: 71.5

Lewis earned a team-best 82.4 run-blocking grade. Moton, meanwhile, led the way in pass blocking (83.2).

Coker notched nine receptions for a game-high 134 yards and a touchdown. McMillan added five catches for 81 yards.

Worst of the offense

12. RB Rico Dowdle: 52.5

13. WR Xavier Legette: 51.7

14. WR Jimmy Horn Jr.: 42.9

15. TE Mitchell Evans: 37.9

16. RG Austin Corbett: 34.5

Dowdle rushed just five times for nine yards. Legette was also quiet, reeling in one catch for eight yards.

Corbett was given a 0.0 pass-blocking grade. He was charged with two pressures over eight opportunities.

Best of the defense

1. CB Mike Jackson: 90.4

2. OLB Princely Umanmielen: 83.5

3. DL Bobby Brown III: 80.5

4. OLB D.J. Wonnum: 71.2

5. OLB Trevis Gipson: 70.2

Jackson tallied four passes defensed and an interception of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Per PFF, he allowed just one catch for 18 yards over seven targets.

Gipson, with three pressures, received a team-best 90.3 pass-rushing mark.

Worst of the defense

13. DL A’Shawn Robinson: 48.2

14. CB Chau Smith-Wade: 48.1

15. S Lathan Ransom: 39.6

16. ILB Claudin Cherelus: 34.6

17. S Nick Scott: 30.8

Cherelus was picked on in the passing game. He allowed four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown on four targets.

Scott was also saddled with a touchdown. He relinquished five catches for 79 yards on seven looks.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.