With under three minutes left, the Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford led a seven-play, 71-yard scoring drive and capped it off by throwing the go-ahead touchdown to Colby Parkinson. Even in that tense fourth quarter, the QB kept his cool, at least from the outside. It came to light after the game that beneath that demeanor, there was a fierce intensity driving him.

“He said, ‘Let’s go snatch these guys’ hearts.’ That was pretty cold just to hear that,” Rams wideout Davante Adams revealed, according to FOX Sports: NFL.  “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.”

No hype speech, no panic, just a cold message meant to finish the job.

Naturally, that moment stuck with Adams.

The Rams had their struggles on Saturday, but at least they could count on Matthew Stafford.

With the game on the line, he came through on the biggest drive, completing 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards and throwing three touchdown passes. With that kind of performance, he showed why he’s considered one of the top contenders for the league MVP.

Earlier, Bryce Young found Jalen Coker on a 7-yard score with 2:39 left after Carolina blocked an Ethan Evans punt. Carolina moved 30 yards in four plays and grabbed the lead.

However, Stafford answered. With 38 seconds left, he zipped a 19-yard touchdown to Parkinson and silenced the Queen City. And Strafford addressed the moment in the post-game.

“That’s a situation that I’ve been in a bunch of times in my life,” Stafford said of the game-winning drive. “I was just going to go out there and try to execute and give guys a chance to make plays. They made some great ones.”

In all, the box score backed it all up. And numbers aside, this was about control. When it mattered most, the Rams followed their quarterback. And Stafford made sure the Carolina Panthers never recovered and even got the MVP shout.

Matthew Stafford got MVP chants from the head coach

After the final whistle at SoFi Stadium in the City of Angels, Sean McVay did not hesitate to talk about what he just witnessed.

“It was MVP-type of stuff that he did,” McVay said of Stafford.

He then doubled down by pointing to how calm and sharp his quarterback looked under pressure.

“I thought he saw the field really well, and that’s why we’re advancing because of his leadership.”

McVay also made sure to highlight how Matthew Stafford held everything together when things felt shaky. According to the coach, the game was far from clean. Still, Stafford kept the offense locked in and led the seven-play, 71-yard march that flipped the night.

“We made a lot of mistakes in this game, and there are a lot of things that we have to clean up,” McVay said.

Even so, he trusted No. 9 to steady the wheel. Then, McVay owned his part while giving Stafford even more credit.

“That’s on me. But I will say that when we needed it the most, we found a way to be at our best,” he admitted. “Matthew orchestrated an unbelievable drive after the blocked punt. Matthew trusted his guys, and they came through.”

Early in the game, the Rams quarterback started hot before hitting a quiet stretch and eventually bouncing back again. However, once the Panthers clawed back to grab the lead, Stafford never blinked.