Carolina
Panthers
0-0
17
FINAL
19
Los Angeles
Rams
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested season opener, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers 19-17, kicking off the 2028 season with a thrilling win. Both teams fought hard for momentum, but ultimately, the Rams secured the victory on their home turf.
Leading the Rams' offensive efforts was Ty Simpson, who threw for 221 yards, showcasing his arm strength and precision. Kyren Williams was a standout on the ground, rushing for 127 yards and providing a strong running presence that kept the Panthers' defense on their toes. Puka Nacua added to the offensive firepower with 66 receiving yards, contributing to the Rams' balanced attack.
Defensively, the Rams made key plays that shifted the dynamics of the game, including an interception by Quentin Lake that halted a potential scoring drive for the Panthers. Nic Scourton of the Panthers was a force on defense, recording two sacks, but it was the Rams' ability to capitalize on crucial moments that defined the contest. The turning point came in the fourth quarter when Los Angeles managed to hold off a late surge from Carolina, securing their win in dramatic fashion.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Simpson | QB | 34 | 21 | 62% | 221 | 0 | 0 | 80.6 |
| Drew Mestemaker | QB | 32 | 14 | 44% | 164 | 1 | 2 | 44.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyren Williams | HB | 18 | 127 | 7.1 | 73 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 24 | 65 | 2.7 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Drew Mestemaker | QB | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 22 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Ty Simpson | QB | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 17 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Jakobi Meyers | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| A.J. Barner | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puka Nacua | WR | 5 | 66 | 13.2 | 17 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams | HB | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 35 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| Cam Coleman | WR | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Colby Parkinson | TE | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| CJ Daniels | WR | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Jakobi Meyers | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| A.J. Barner | TE | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Max Klare | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bryant Wesco Jr. | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Garrett | REDG | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Lake | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suntarine Perkins | SAM | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dijon Lee Jr. | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Braden Fiske | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kam Curl | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trent McDuffie | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Watson | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Graceson Littleton | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Jones | SS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Young | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobie Turner | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Omar Speights | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Graham | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Harrison | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JJ Faulk | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 |
| Harrison Mevis | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 28 |
| Ethan Evans | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

