Key takeaways and analysis from Wild Card Weekend

Playoff Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Just the beginning

What a difference a year makes. Bears fans couldn't have had much fun watching the unmitigated disaster that took shape in Caleb Williams' rookie season. Given this organization's rough history with quarterbacks, there had to be some level of concern that they were about to waste a generational talent at the position. Fortunately for Chicago, one benefit of having such a player is that you can suddenly find yourself with one of the most attractive coaching jobs in football.

The Bears being the team to pry Ben Johnson out of Detroit has set this organization on a path to regular Super Bowl contention. They might not get there this year, as the defense could still use another offseason to build toward Dennis Allen's vision. But Saturday night's incredible comeback - erasing a 21-3 halftime lead - demonstrated that this offense is already well on its way to becoming everything we thought possible when Johnson and Williams joined forces. It's scary to think about what this unit could look like a few years from now.

LaFleur's future

Matt LaFleur's name has come up more often than one might expect as league insiders report on this year's coaching cycle. It's tough to imagine that the Packers would actually consider moving on from a coach who's posted a 76-40-1 record over his first seven seasons and led his team to the playoffs every year but one. Perhaps it proves to be nothing more than some public posturing with extension talks just around the corner.

If the organization was the least bit uncertain looking ahead to the last year of LaFleur's contract, though, Saturday night's loss isn't going to help his case. The Packers blowing a commanding lead against a division rival is a devastating way for their season to come to an end. Prior to this game, NFL teams were 158-3 when entering the fourth quarter of a playoff game ahead by at least 15 points. LaFleur's offense stalling out in the second half was a big part of the collapse. Some game management blunders left the Packers short on timeouts on their final drive, too. I'm not making the case for LaFleur to be fired - I think he'd immediately become the best candidate on the market - but it at least seems possible that there could be another major twist in an already chaotic coaching carousel.

No doubt now

Williams had plenty of astonishing moments throughout the regular season, so this really shouldn't be anything new. But we know how quarterback discourse works. Critics are always looking to poke holes in a rising star's game, and Williams finishing the year last among full-time starters with a 58.1% completion rate offered box-score hunters some juicy narratives. But how many of the quarterbacks above him can make throws like this?

The incredible comeback doesn't happen if not for Williams' superhuman effort on a fourth-and-8 while trailing by 11 late in the fourth quarter. Would the Bears like their quarterback to complete passes at a higher rate? Of course. Those efficiency numbers should tick up in time. But as long as the misses aren't backbreaking turnovers - Williams had just seven interceptions in the regular season - who wouldn't trade a few misfires for this kind of game-changing skill set? His ability to make things happen when a play breaks down is right up there with the best quarterbacks in football. Give him another year to fine tune the rest of his game under Johnson's guidance, and Williams could very well be in that conversation across the board.

A star in the making

Surrounding Williams with an elite coaching staff was just one part of the effort to get this franchise headed in the right direction. While previous years under general manager Ryan Poles had been a bit of an adventure with roster management, a critical first offseason with Johnson in the building couldn't have gone much better. Selecting Colston Loveland in the first round of the draft is proving to be one particularly impactful stroke of genius.

I had Loveland as my No. 1 tight end in April. That was a bit of a unique take, with much of the football world favoring Tyler Warren. But this is the upside I saw in his game coming out of Michigan. Loveland came on strong after injuries led to a slow start, ranking second only to Kyle Pitts among tight ends with 597 yards from Week 9 through the end of the regular season. His six touchdowns over that stretch were fourth at the position. Loveland effectively emerging as the Bears' No. 1 receiver in the biggest game of the season - eight catches for 137 yards on 15 targets - really says it all. Chicago having one of the best tight ends in football for the next decade could be a cheat code in this offense.

Rams survive a scare

Nobody was giving the Panthers much of a chance heading into this weekend's wild-card opener. Part of that was a product of the NFC South champs becoming only the seventh team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. The other was the fact that the Rams were arguably the best team in football for much of the regular season. The defense had fallen off quite a bit by the end of the year, though, going from first in EPA/play from Weeks 1-9 to tied for 13th from Weeks 10-18. Those issues, evidently, aren't going away in the playoffs.

While the Rams can score with anyone, teams are now routinely finding ways to expose a weakness at cornerback - Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker combined for 215 of Carolina's 264 receiving yards. Chris Shula will have to find a way to dial up some consistent pressure if the Rams are going to hide that group and remain in the hunt for a Super Bowl. The effort we saw this week won't fly against the top competition in the NFC.

Stafford banged up?

The defense wasn't the only reason Los Angeles had to sweat this one out, as Sean McVay's offense also had its share of struggles. Some of those hiccups were schematic, with the Rams being a little too stubborn when it came to attacking a stout tandem of Panthers corners. As spectacular as Puka Nacua and Davante Adams may be, the star duo combining for 31 of 42 targets was a bit of a departure from the heavy tight end usage that's been so critical to this offense's success.

McVay had made the necessary adjustments by the end of the game, so this isn't anything to worry about heading into next week. Stafford's injury status will be worth monitoring, though. The veteran quarterback was clearly uncomfortable after hitting his throwing hand on the arm of a defender while following through on a pass. He was able to work through the issue just fine at the end of the game, capping a picture-perfect drive with a 19-yard strike to Colby Parkinson for the win, but it sure seemed like his typical pinpoint accuracy was affected for an extended stretch beforehand.

Special teams matter

I don't want to pick apart the Rams too much here. They did get the win, after all. At this time of year, that's really all that matters. But yet another special teams blunder nearly cost them their season, as a blocked punt handed Carolina a short field to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.

The Rams were spectacularly bad in this underrated phase of the game throughout the the first 16 weeks of the regular season, ranking last in special teams EPA when McVay made the decision to dismiss third-year coordinator Chase Blackburn. With the defense trending in the wrong direction, Los Angeles can't afford any more of these gaffes.

Respect to Carolina

OK, we get it. The Rams nearly let one get away from them. But let's also give credit where it's due. The Panthers rose to the occasion and simply obliterated any expectations there could have been for this team coming off a roller coaster of a regular season.

Perhaps we should have seen it coming - it was only six weeks ago that Carolina stunned this same Los Angeles team for one of the biggest upsets of the year. But nothing about that result, swung by a few big turnovers, seemed all that sustainable. This was the more impressive performance, with Bryce Young stepping up in several big moments and the Panthers' defense frustrating Stafford and Co. until the very end. Carolina holding its own against a top Super Bowl contender in the playoffs is an encouraging way to head into the offseason, potentially setting the stage for this team to take another meaningful step forward in 2026.

Coker dazzles in defeat

I had the Panthers taking a receiver in my post regular-season mock draft. After an inconsistent year for the offense, it felt like they could really use a long-term running mate for Tetairoa McMillan. I still wouldn't be against such a move - teams can never have enough playmakers - but calling it a glaring need may have been a little disrespectful to a hidden gem already on the roster.

Jalen Coker was outstanding as Bryce Young's top option in the passing game, turning his 12 targets into nine catches for 134 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the clutch. The former undrafted free agent capping a promising sophomore campaign with a performance like this should give him every opportunity to establish himself as the No. 2 receiver heading into next season.

Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.