Key matchups for Panthers vs. Rams in Week 13

Following a letdown against the San Francisco 49ers this past Monday night, the Carolina Panthers will get another crack at a tough NFC West opponent. And this time, it'll be the conference-leading Los Angeles Rams coming to town for Week 13.

On the bright side, the Panthers have been successful in this type of heavy underdog role before—like in their Week 9 triumph over the Green Bay Packers. So all hope for Sunday isn't completely lost.

But can they shock the NFL world again?

Here are three key matchups that could help Carolina pull off another big upset . . .

Panthers HC Dave Canales and QB Bryce Young vs. Rams' pass defense

This matchup may prove to be the greatest hurdle for the Panthers, who haven't been able to establish a reliable passing game.

Some blame could fall on Canales, especially after failing to find a balance in the Week 12 defeat. The second-year head coach and play-caller dialed up just nine runs for his backfield, helping lead to an out-of-sync offensive outing.

And some blame could fall on Young. The former No. 1 overall pick wasn't particularly sharp in Santa Clara, even after his record-breaking 448-yard passing day the week prior.

They'll be faced with throwing around a Rams secondary that's been gaining steam. The cornerback room has hosted emergent campaigns for Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and will be getting back Ahkello Witherspoon from a shoulder injury.

Panthers RBs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard vs. Rams' run defense

The Rams have a quality run defense, one that ranks fifth in EPA per rush allowed and has allowed the sixth-fewest runs of 10 yards or more. But, as the film shows, the unit can be susceptible to power and gap concepts.

Canales, unlike last week, must get Dowdle and Hubbard going. With the former coming in as one of the league's most productive rushers and the latter looking healthier by the game, the Panthers could rediscover the ground-and-pound formula that sparked their early-season success.

An effective rushing attack would give Carolina, at least, a fighting chance. That would not only revive their offensive identity, but also enact a bit of defense by playing keep-away from Los Angeles' high-powered passing game.

Panthers' run defense vs. Rams RBs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum

Finding a major weakness on this Rams roster is a difficult task—as they're one of, if not the most well-rounded team in football. Their run game, however, hasn't been as consistent as the rest of their approach.

Los Angeles may be seventh in rushing success rate this season—but they aren't incredibly physical in the trenches, nor do they have a legitimate power attack to dominate Carolina at the line of scrimmage. The Rams run inside the tackle at the second-highest rate in the NFL (55.7 percent), according to NFL Pro.

So the Panthers must lean on their big-bodied defensive linemen—Derrick Brown, A'Shawn Robinson, and Bobby Brown III—to shut down the trenches.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers vs, Rams 2025: Key matchups for Week 13