Cameron DaSilva, Rams WireSun, November 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM UTC·2 min readNo team in the NFC was hotter than the Los Angeles Rams coming into Week 13, having won six in a row to take over the top spot in the conference. The Carolina Panthers, after losing two of their last three, put an end to the Rams’ impressive run, however.
The Rams were stunned by Carolina on the road, 31-28, dropping to 9-3 on the year and falling from first to second in the NFC standings. It’s as deflating a loss as the Rams have had all year, failing to come up with the win as double-digit favorites on the road.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Rams’ first two losses of the season were equally frustrating, and Sean McVay was visibly angry after both of them. But on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, he remained optimistic and encouraged about the direction his team is heading.
“Love this football team,” he said. “I’m really excited about how we respond. There’s never a good story without a little bit of adversity. We’re all in this together. We’re going to be tighter than we’ve ever been, and it's going to be a great opportunity for us to be able to respond. That’s what this group has shown they’re capable of.”
McVay pointed to the fact that the Rams didn’t execute a lot of the things they have been doing well this season. He specifically mentioned that “the turnovers were the difference and some of the fourth-down conversions they were able to have” were turning points in the game, which is exactly right.
Matthew Stafford threw an uncharacteristic pick-six and had a tipped interception in the end zone, while also coughing up a fumble when the Rams were in position to tie the game late in the fourth.
Even after all that, McVay remains confident in his players.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“We’re going to stay tighter than we’ve been,” he said. “This is a disappointing day, but we’re not going to stay in this moment for long. We’ll look at it, we’ll figure out how do we respond? How do we move forward the right way? And that’s exactly what we’re tasked to do, and that’s exactly what we will do.”
The Rams will try to bounce back next Sunday when they visit the Arizona Cardinals, who lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-17, this week. It’s an important divisional game, especially with the Bears, Seahawks and Eagles all vying for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Sean McVay shares optimistic message after loss to Panthers
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