The Los Angeles Rams’ slide reached a new low Sunday as Arizona stunned them 18-16 at SoFi Stadium, dropping the preseason Super Bowl favorite to last place in the NFC West after six weeks.
Los Angeles entered as a 12.5-point favorite against a Cardinals team that had won only once, but a string of giveaways, penalties, special-teams trouble and another injury at kicker prevented the Rams from taking control. Arizona did not score a touchdown, relying instead on field goals before Chad Ryland drilled a 43-yard winner as time expired.
“We’re not going to win games if we keep hurting ourselves,” Rams coach Sean McVay said after the loss. He pointed to repeated offensive mistakes, saying the defense had done enough to give the team a chance but that Los Angeles repeatedly erased its own momentum.
Rams fail to capitalize on defensive stops
The Rams’ defense repeatedly forced Arizona to settle for kicks, yet the offense could not consistently turn those stops into points. Los Angeles never led by more than three points and spent only 49 seconds in front during the second half.
Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 33 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, while Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for 92 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Those numbers did not reflect how often the Rams stalled before reaching scoring range.
Quentin Lake gave Los Angeles an early opportunity with an interception that put the offense at the Arizona 32-yard line. The Rams gained just six yards and settled for Blake Grupe’s 44-yard field goal.
Arizona’s Devin Duvernay then returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards. Grupe injured his knee while trying to make the tackle, creating another problem for a kicking unit that had already moved on from Harrison Mevis. Mevis had made five of nine field-goal attempts before his own injury.
With Grupe unavailable, the Rams missed a two-point attempt after their first touchdown. Punter Ethan Evans later handled the extra point after Los Angeles’ final touchdown.
Late mistakes open door for Arizona
McVay’s offense also failed on fourth-and-1 from the Cardinals’ 27-yard line, turning the ball over on downs during the Rams’ only possession of the third quarter.
Early in the fourth, Stafford lost control of the ball while trying to escape pressure, though he recovered it himself. On the following play, Tyler Higbee caught a pass and fumbled away possession.
The Rams had another chance on fourth-and-3, but offensive lineman Warren McClendon’s false start moved the offense back five yards. Stafford’s fourth-and-8 checkdown throw to Williams then fell incomplete.
Los Angeles finally appeared to have found its answer late, driving 91 yards in eight plays for a touchdown and taking the lead after Evans converted the kick. But the defense could not keep Arizona away from field-goal range with 47 seconds remaining.
Jacoby Brissett hit Jalen Brooks for 21 yards on the Cardinals’ first snap of the final drive. Cornerback Josh Wallace then drew an unnecessary roughness penalty, adding 15 more yards and moving Arizona to the Rams’ 29. The Cardinals ran down the clock before Ryland’s decisive field goal.
McVay searching for answers
McVay said the Rams have not identified a single reason for the recurring self-inflicted problems.
“Different people have had their moments,” he said. “We keep emphasizing it, and we have to get it corrected. I don’t have the answer right now, because if I did, it would already be fixed.”
The defeat differed from Los Angeles’ earlier losses to the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, teams regarded as legitimate contenders. Arizona had looked like a chance for the Rams to reset their season. Instead, it became another damaging setback.
Asked whether the expectations surrounding the team could be affecting its play, McVay dismissed that as a concern.
“I’m not focused on that,” McVay said. “We simply are not playing well enough overall. Today was not good enough.”
With the season approaching its midpoint, the Rams must quickly eliminate the errors that have turned a highly touted roster into one of the NFC West’s biggest early-season disappointments.
