The mantra in the NFL playoffs is simply, “survive and advance,” regardless of whether or not you pass the eye test doing so.
On the road as heavy favorites, the Los Angeles Rams simply survived their own mistakes. Sean McVay’s team will have plenty to clean up before the divisional round, but a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Colby Parkinson in the final minute saved the day for L.A.
OMG STAFFORD TO PARKINSON FOR THE LEAD!
LARvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qLSKKdmoBO— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026
For Stafford, performing under that kind of pressure was nothing new.
Here’s a look at how Stafford added to his legacy with a 54th game-winning drive.
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
Matthew Stafford game-winning drives
Stafford leads all active quarterbacks with 50 career game-winning drives in the regular season and a combined 54 between the regular season and playoffs.
Here’s a breakdown of his game-winning drives by season:
| Season | Reg. season | Playoffs |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 |
Stafford only had one game-winning drive in the regular season, partly because the Rams controlled so many games, but he added another when it mattered most in Carolina.
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Matthew Stafford playoff game-winning drives
Saturday’s game might have made Rams fans question whether Stafford and L.A. can go all the way to the Super Bowl, but it’s easy to forget their championship four years ago didn’t exactly come easily.
Stafford led a game-winning drive in three of the Rams’ four playoff wins in 2021, doing so in all but their wild-card round win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Here’s a look at each of Stafford’s game-winning drives in the playoffs:
| Season | Round | Opponent | Score before GWD |
| 2021 | Divisional | Buccaneers | Tied 27-27 |
| 2021 | NFC Championship | 49ers | Tied 17-17 |
| 2021 | Super Bowl | Bengals | Trailing 20-16 |
| 2025 | Wild-card | Panthers | Trailing 31-27 |
Stafford’s two game-winning drives while trailing in the playoffs came in Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals and on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers.
MORE: Who will the Rams play next?
Most game-winning drives in NFL history
Here’s a look at each quarterback with at least 40 regular season game-winning drives in NFL history:
| QB | GWD |
| Tom Brady | 58 |
| Peyton Manning | 54 |
| Drew Brees | 53 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 53 |
| Matthew Stafford | 50 |
| Dan Marino | 47 |
| Matt Ryan | 46 |
| Brett Favre | 43 |
| John Elway | 40 |
| Russell Wilson | 40 |
On a list littered with Hall of Famers and Super Bowl winners, Stafford is one of five players in NFL history with at least 50 game-winning drives in the regular season, and he could still make a run at Tom Brady’s all-time record if he plays multiple seasons after 2025.
