INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes Sunday to finish the regular season leading the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns for the first time in his 17-year career, but the Los Angeles Rams needed every one of them to hold off the scrappy Arizona Cardinals 37-20 at SoFi Stadium.
The victory secured the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs for Los Angeles (12-5), but only after Arizona briefly took a fourth-quarter lead and exposed defensive issues the Rams will need to address before facing Carolina in the wild card round.
Stafford completed 25 of 40 passes for 259 yards without an interception, capping a season in which he threw 46 touchdowns and accumulated 4,707 passing yards. The performance moved him past Dan Marino into seventh place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown passes list.
“Kind of put our minds to it,” Stafford said when asked about the team’s response after falling behind 20-16 in the third quarter.
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Cardinals Strike First, Rams Answer
Arizona (3-14) opened scoring on a 45-yard Chad Ryland field goal, matching Harrison Mevis’ 34-yarder for the Rams. The teams traded field goals again in the second quarter before Los Angeles grabbed momentum with a 2-yard Puka Nacua touchdown reception just before halftime.
Nacua’s one-handed grab highlighted his 10-reception, 76-yard performance and gave the Rams a 16-6 advantage heading into the locker room.
Rams Top Performers | Stats |
|---|---|
Matthew Stafford | 25/40, 259 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT |
Puka Nacua | 10 rec, 76 yards, 1 TD |
Tyler Higbee | 5 rec, 91 yards, 1 TD |
Colby Parkinson | 4 rec, 36 yards, 2 TD |
Kyren Williams | 12 car, 60 yards; 3 rec, 21 yards |
The Cardinals refused to fold. Punter Matt Haack connected with Emari Demercado on a 28-yard fake punt completion early in the third quarter, and Jacoby Brissett immediately found Michael Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown strike.
Wilson finished with 99 yards on five receptions, surpassing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Brissett, starting his 12th consecutive game while Kyler Murray recovered from a foot injury, completed 22 of 31 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
“Obviously came up a little short, but I’m pretty sure they probably came in here and thought they were gonna roll us and get ready for the playoffs,” Brissett said. “And no, we gave them a run for their money.”
Fourth Quarter Explosion
Josiah Deguara’s 7-yard touchdown reception gave Arizona a 20-16 lead with 3:51 remaining in the third quarter, sending murmurs through the crowd of 72,004 at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams responded with three consecutive scoring drives. Stafford found Colby Parkinson for a 21-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left in the third, then connected with Tyler Higbee for 22 yards early in the fourth. Parkinson’s second score, a 1-yard reception with 4:15 remaining, sealed the outcome.
Cardinals Top Performers | Stats |
|---|---|
Jacoby Brissett | 22/31, 243 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
Trey McBride | 7 rec, 65 yards |
Michael Wilson | 5 rec, 99 yards, 1 TD |
Emari Demercado | 2 car, 29 yards; 1 rec, 28 yards |
Josh Sweat | 1 sack, 2 tackles |
Parkinson’s two touchdowns gave him eight for the season, setting a Rams franchise record for a tight end in a single year.
Higbee’s return from a six-game injury absence provided another offensive weapon. The 10-year veteran recorded his first touchdown since Nov. 2, giving Los Angeles multiple tight end threats heading into the postseason.
McBride Extends Record, Cardinals Make History
Trey McBride’s seven receptions extended his NFL single-season record for a tight end to 126 catches, though his streak of 16 consecutive games with at least five receptions ended Sunday. The performance capped a Pro Bowl campaign for the third-year tight end.
The loss marked Arizona’s ninth straight defeat and 14th of the season, the most losses in a single year since the franchise began in Chicago in 1920. Head coach Jonathan Gannon fell to 15-36 in three seasons, with his future uncertain heading into the offseason.
Safety Budda Baker led the Cardinals defense with nine tackles after returning from a concussion that cost him the previous week. Jalen Thompson added 10 stops, but the unit allowed 402 total yards.
Defensive Struggles Continue
Los Angeles recorded six sacks, with Desjuan Johnson leading the way with two. Jared Verse, Byron Young, Braden Fiske and Josaiah Stewart each added one. Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Brissett in the second half.
Despite the sack total, the Rams allowed Arizona to convert a fake punt and sustain multiple long drives. Los Angeles also lost special teams standout Shaun Dolac and wide receiver Jordan Whittington to knee injuries.
“I like where we’re at right now,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “Now we move forward, and what a great opportunity we’ve got to go to Carolina and see what the hell we can do.”
Playoff Picture Set
The win sets up a rematch with Carolina, where the Rams lost 31-28 on Nov. 30. Stafford will look to continue his late-career resurgence after finishing with a 109.2 passer rating, the highest mark of his career.
Nacua finished the regular season with an NFL-leading 129 receptions, while Williams rushed for 1,192 yards and 10 touchdowns despite sharing carries with Blake Corum throughout the year.
For Arizona, the offseason brings questions about Murray’s future, Gannon’s status, and the direction of a franchise holding the third overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Cardinals haven’t won since Nov. 9 and will spend the next month watching a playoff tournament that doesn’t include them.
Sunday’s Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats told the story of two teams heading in opposite directions, one chasing a championship and the other searching for answers.
