Cardinals’ defensive dominance and Bam Knight’s spark stun the Rams, 18-16, in Los Angeles

The Cardinals answered a major run-game question on the road at SoFi Stadium by leaning into a defensive-and-special-teams blueprint that held the Rams in check and produced an 18-16 win on Sunday, according to the team’s game recap.

Jeremiyah Love was out, and Tyler Allgeier was listed as the lead running back in Arizona’s offensive plan. Bam Knight still found his way into the rotation and delivered 80 rushing yards on 15 carries, even as full-body cramps limited him during much of the second half.

Arizona’s results were uneven in the run game, the recap notes, with Allgeier finishing 38 yards on 18 carries. But the team also credits Allgeier with ball security, describing him as a back who “literally never loses a fumble” late in the game.

Defensively, the Cardinals made the key thematic difference. The recap describes a unit that at no point allowed Los Angeles to truly “break loose,” and it highlights that Puka Nacua was mostly contained while Josh Sweat produced a standout pass-rush burst including a sack of Matthew Stafford.

Special teams became a deciding layer in a one-score game. Arizona kicker Chad Ryland went 6-for-6 on field goals, and the team recap ties the margin to those makes, while also noting Rams kicker Blake Grupe was eliminated from the game after being forced into a tackle sequence connected to a Devin Duvernay kickoff return.

The recap also points to a back-breaking defensive play on a Rams two-point try: Sweat’s blindside sack led to a fumble that L.J. Collier recovered and returned to the other end zone, effectively swinging points at the exact moment Los Angeles was trying to manage the score late.

For Arizona, Knight’s role is described as week-to-week behind Love. The team’s recap frames the victory as proof of what Arizona can do when it has to adjust personnel, even if Knight expects to revert to a third-back role when Love returns.