CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers might not have gotten it done Saturday night.

But they'll leave Bank of America Stadium knowing they belong on this big stage.

The Panthers fell 34-31 to the Rams in their playoff opener, a game they led in the fourth quarter, a game they'll now know they deserve to be in.

The Rams, a team with a Super Bowl trophy in the case, and some of their formers in this locker room, came back to take the lead twice in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers answered, with Bryce Young hitting Jalen Coker for a go-ahead score, but Stafford hit tight end Colby Parkinson for the game-winner with 38 seconds left.

But that's after the Panthers stood toe-to-toe throughout the day, answering throughout.

Los Angeles scored a couple of short-field touchdowns off turnovers (one on downs, and off a Young interception) early, when it looked like they might not let this one be as close as the regular season meeting.

But the Panthers fell back on guys they know they can count on, with veteran running back Chuba Hubbard scoring a couple of touchdowns, and Young making plays downfield over and over.

The explosive plays that were missing for much of the last month were back, with Young hitting Coker and Tetairoa McMillan repeatedly.

Coker had nine catches for 134 yards, continuing to emerge as a threat opposite McMillan.

Offensive line injuries complicate things

The Panthers' offense suffered a blow early in the game when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu left the game with a knee injury and did not return, and right guard Robert Hunt left with a pectoral injury, though he returned to play the second half.

Ekwonu went down awkwardly on a play he was also called for holding on (the penalty was declined because of a sack), and he was helped to the blue medical tent. Moments later, he headed to the locker room.

Veteran backup Yosh Nijman, who started at both tackle spots this year, replaced Ekwonu.

Canales said the injury was a "significant" one, which will be an issue this offseason.

Hunt wasn't able to finish the first half of his return game.

He went on IR after tearing a biceps tendon in Week 2. He was replaced by veteran Austin Corbett, who started at all three interior positions this season.

The Panthers offensive line has been and should be a strength of the team moving forward, and the offseason is long, but those injury questions will cloud things until we know more.