Rams vs. Cardinals: Can Los Angeles mount a late rally and steal the win?

No. Trailing most of the second half, the Rams scored late, but a penalty-fueled Cardinals drive ended with a game-winning field goal for Arizona in Inglewood.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The central question was whether Los Angeles could answer Arizona late enough to overcome the game’s critical mistakes. The Rams got within one on a late touchdown drive, but the Cardinals finished the job with a 43-yard field goal as time expired, winning 18-16 at SoFi Stadium.

Los Angeles trailed 15-9 with under three minutes remaining when quarterback Matthew Stafford led a go-ahead drive. Stafford’s 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson put the Rams in front 16-15 with 47 seconds left, and punter Ethan Evans converted the extra point after kicker Blake Grupe exited the game early with a knee injury.

Grupe’s departure shaped the finish. The Rams had already been using Evans for kicking because Grupe was downgraded to out early in the fourth quarter after injuring his knee while tackling Cardinals returner Devin Duvernay on the kickoff following Grupe’s first-quarter field goal.

After Los Angeles took the lead, Arizona got the ball back and moved into field-goal range. Jacoby Brissett completed a 21-yard pass to wide receiver Jalen Brooks, and an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Rams added 15 yards on the play, helping the Cardinals set up their final attempt.

The final drive ended with a 43-yard field goal by Chad Ryland as time expired. Earlier in the game, the Rams held leads in the opening quarter and second quarter, but missed chances, including turnovers and a turnaround on downs on a late third-quarter possession, kept them from putting the game away.

Why It Matters

The loss left the Rams at 2-4, while the Cardinals improved to 2-4, tightening a mid-season standings picture where point-margin swings can matter.
Stafford’s late-drive production kept Los Angeles in position until the final seconds, but penalties and special-teams disruption defined the closing moments.
The game highlighted the impact of kicker availability, with Evans performing kicking duties after Grupe’s injury.
Arizona’s ability to turn one late completion plus a penalty into a walk-off field goal reinforced that the matchup was decided by execution in crunch time rather than by scoring volume.

Sources

Key Facts

Arizona defeated Los Angeles 18-16 at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 18, 2026.
Stafford’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson gave the Rams a 16-15 lead with 47 seconds left.
Blake Grupe left early with a knee injury, forcing Ethan Evans to handle the extra point late in the game.
Arizona’s final touchdown drive did not end with a score, but a 21-yard Brissett-to-Jalen Brooks completion and an unnecessary roughness penalty set up a 43-yard Ryland field goal at the end of the game.