Stafford takes TD streak into Carolina against a secondary reeling with injuries, suspension

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles passing game is hitting on all cylinders as the first-place Rams set their sights on the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The Carolina Panthers (6-6) are struggling to find that same consistency with Bryce Young at the helm as they push to snap a seven-year playoff drought.

The 37-year-old Stafford, who led Los Angeles to a Super Bowl championship four years ago, has thrown 27 straight touchdown passes without an interception as the Rams (9-2) have won six straight games, propelling them from playoff contender to Super Bowl favorites, according to BetMGM.

“We’re not worried about the outside-in narrative, but you can’t help but be aware of it,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of the increased attention on his team. “There’s been a discipline. There’s been a humility. There’s been a commitment to a process. Let’s continue to raise our standards and ascend week in and week out and really day in and day out is what we talk about.”

Stafford is firmly in the hunt for league MVP.

He’s thrown 18 TD passes over the last five weeks and is looking to become the fourth player all-time with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in six consecutive games, joining Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Don Meredith.

His 27 straight TD passes are an NFL record since 1978, per Elias Sports Bureau.

And, as if he needs any help, he’ll face a Panthers secondary that is expected to be without three key players.

Cornerback Jaycee Horn, who is tied for the league lead with five interceptions with Chicago Bears tandem Nahshon Wright and Kevin Byard III, remains in the concussion protocol after Carolina’s 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.

Carolina also lost backup cornerback Corey Thornton for the season to a broken leg and safety Tre’Von Moehrig will miss Sunday’s game while serving a one-game suspension for punching San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the groin.

“This is a great offense and regardless of who we have out there, this is going to be a hard team to defend,” said Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was an assistant coach on the Rams staff that won Super Bowl 56. “I just always look at the opportunity it creates for other players. At the end of the day there are no excuses and we have to go out there with who we have.”

Young’s struggles

Young threw for a franchise record 448 yards two weeks ago against Atlanta, but the Panthers passing game regressed to the norm against the 49ers.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft was held to fewer than 200 yards passing for the ninth time in 11 starts and the Panthers managed just two pass plays of 15 yards in another inconsistent performance in the passing game.

Young said it boils down to execution.

“You’ve got to be able to turn the page, whether it be good or bad,” Young said. “And we have all the guys in there with the right mindset. It’s just execution. First just growing that identity, all of us, especially as a younger unit. But everyone’s embraced it. There’s no excuse for us not to be consistent.”

Adams a scoring machine

While Puka Nacua leads the Rams in receptions (80) and yards receiving (947), it’s been Davante Adams who has been his primary target in the red zone, catching 12 of Stafford’s league-leading 30 TD passes.

One-fourth of Adams’ 48 catches have resulted in scores.

“They have seemed to feature Davante more in the red zone and and so we will certainly be aware of that,” Evero said. “But they have a lot of weapons all over the field. Their tight ends are pretty good and they can run the ball very well. When you have all of those things working it make you tough to defend.”

Cornerback Mike Jackson is expected to matchup against Adams plenty in the red zone if Horn is out.

Jackson said he has picked up tips on how to defend Adams by listening to the receiver’s podcast. He said he will pay particular attention to Adams’ hips, which he said could give him some keys to defending him.

Passing fancier

The Rams have the NFL’s fifth-ranked passing offense, and now Stafford’s favorite deep threat is probably returning at Carolina.

Tutu Atwell has missed the past four games with a hamstring injury, but the speedy big-play wideout should be back to stretch the field again. While Atwell rarely gets the ball, he still makes it a bit harder for defenses to defend Nacua and Adams.

“He’s an explosive player and can get beyond the defense,” Stafford said. “He’s a home-run threat anytime he’s on the field.”

Dowdle’s frustration

Panthers running back Rico Dowdle expressed his frustration over getting only six carries — despite averaging 6.3 yards per rush — against the 49ers by posting a confused emoji on his social media account.

“Just frustrated with the outcome of the game,” Dowdle explained of his emoji. “I thought we had an opportunity to run the ball more. Coach addressed it with the team. … He talked to me this morning about it. We’ve got to run the ball for us to have our best chance and things like that.”

Dowdle has been a key reason the Panthers have been able to climb back in the hunt for the NFC South title chase and needs 129 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the second straight season.

Cornerback shuffle

The Rams’ secondary has improved during their winning streak, but its personnel has been stretched thin since versatile defensive back Quentin Lake injured his elbow two weeks ago. Ahkello Witherspoon, an opening-week starter, is expected to return Sunday after a nine-game absence with an injured shoulder blade, creating several options for defensive coordinator Chris Shula to cover Lake’s typical job at slot corner.

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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.