The Arizona Cardinals (2-4) stunned the Los Angeles Rams (2-4) 18-16 at SoFi Stadium on October 18, 2026, as Chad Ryland made all six of his field-goal attempts, including a walk-off 43-yarder, to secure Arizona’s first victory since Week 1.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
| LAR | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
Mike LaFleur returned to Los Angeles facing his former boss, Sean McVay, and somehow left with a victory despite his Cardinals never scoring a touchdown. Without injured rookie Jeremiyah Love, Arizona leaned on Bam Knight, who rushed for 80 yards, while Jacoby Brissett completed 24 of 35 passes for 218 yards and an interception. Trey McBride caught seven passes for 53 yards, with Kendrick Bourne adding 47, but repeated red-zone failures left everything on Chad Ryland’s shoulders. The kicker delivered six field goals, helping Arizona maintain a 15-9 fourth-quarter lead. After Los Angeles finally moved ahead with 47 seconds remaining, a controversial unnecessary-roughness penalty on Josh Wallace helped Arizona reach field-goal range. Ryland’s 43-yard walk-off winner secured the upset, while Josh Sweat and Budda Baker helped anchor a defense that held the Rams to 286 total yards.
Los Angeles somehow wasted a defensive performance that prevented Arizona from reaching the end zone even once. Quentin Lake intercepted Brissett, and the Rams held firm despite missing Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 33 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Blake Corum and Colby Parkinson, while Puka Nacua contributed six catches for 80 yards. However, the offense struggled for most of the afternoon, and Kyren Williams received just 10 carries despite averaging five yards per attempt. Special teams brought more headaches when newly signed kicker Blake Grupe suffered a knee injury, forcing punter Ethan Evans into kicking duties. Evans converted the late go-ahead extra point, but Los Angeles couldn’t protect its lead. Now 2-4, the Rams’ supposed Super Bowl campaign is beginning to look like a season slipping away.
Team Stats
| Stat | Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 18 | 16 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 338 | 286 |
| Passing Yards | 218 | 194 |
| Rushing Yards | 120 | 92 |
| Total Plays | 70 | 56 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| First Downs | 22 | 19 |
| Third Downs | 5-15 | 4-10 |
| Third-Down % | 33.3% | 40.0% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| Passing TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 3 |
| Penalties | 5 | 4 |
| Penalty Yards | 51 | 31 |
| Time of Possession | 34:52 | 25:08 |
Passing
Arizona Cardinals
- Jacoby Brissett — 24/35, 68.6%, 218 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, 6.2 YPA, 0 SACK, 73.3 RTG
Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford — 25/33, 75.8%, 222 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT, 6.7 YPA, 3 SACK, 113.4 RTG
Rushing
Arizona Cardinals
- Bam Knight — 15 CAR, 80 YDS, 5.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 31, 1 FUM
- Tyler Allgeier — 18 CAR, 38 YDS, 2.1 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 7
Los Angeles Rams
- Kyren Williams — 10 CAR, 50 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14
- Blake Corum — 9 CAR, 42 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
Receiving
Arizona Cardinals
- Trey McBride — 7 REC, 9 TGT, 53 YDS, 7.6 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 26
- Kendrick Bourne — 5 REC, 8 TGT, 47 YDS, 9.4 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 15
- Michael Wilson — 4 REC, 7 TGT, 32 YDS, 8.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 12
- Jalen Brooks — 2 REC, 3 TGT, 30 YDS, 15.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 21
- Elijah Higgins — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 28 YDS, 9.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
Los Angeles Rams
- Puka Nacua — 6 REC, 7 TGT, 80 YDS, 13.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 43
- Davante Adams — 3 REC, 4 TGT, 39 YDS, 13.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 16
- Colby Parkinson — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 31 YDS, 6.2 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 14
- Tyler Higbee — 4 REC, 4 TGT, 22 YDS, 5.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 7
- Blake Corum — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 18 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 15
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 9:41 | Los Angeles Rams | Blake Grupe 44-yard field goal | ARI 0, LAR 3 |
| Q1 | 5:37 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 34-yard field goal | ARI 3, LAR 3 |
| Q2 | 14:51 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 30-yard field goal | ARI 6, LAR 3 |
| Q2 | 8:23 | Los Angeles Rams | Blake Corum 15-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (two-point pass failed) | ARI 6, LAR 9 |
| Q2 | 0:46 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 22-yard field goal | ARI 9, LAR 9 |
| Q3 | 6:25 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 38-yard field goal | ARI 12, LAR 9 |
| Q4 | 9:28 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 27-yard field goal | ARI 15, LAR 9 |
| Q4 | 0:47 | Los Angeles Rams | Colby Parkinson 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Ethan Evans kick) | ARI 15, LAR 16 |
| Q4 | 0:00 | Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland 43-yard field goal | ARI 18, LAR 16 |
Defense
Arizona Cardinals
- Budda Baker — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH, 1 PD
- Josh Sweat — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Mack Wilson Sr. — 9 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jack Gibbens — 7 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Garrett Williams — 6 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Max Melton — 6 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Denzel Burke — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 FR
- Dante Stills — 2 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Kalen King — 1 TOT, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Dadrion Taylor-Demerson — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO
Los Angeles Rams
- Quentin Lake — 7 TOT, 6 SOLO, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Josh Wallace — 8 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL, 2 PD
- Byron Young — 6 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 2 QBH
- Nate Landman — 10 TOT, 6 SOLO
- Kam Curl — 8 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Jaylen Watson — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Braden Fiske — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 2 QBH
- Aaron Donald — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH
- Josaiah Stewart — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Kamren Kinchens — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO
Kick Returns
Arizona Cardinals
- Devin Duvernay — 1 KR, 40 YDS, 40.0 AVG, LONG 40, 0 TD
Los Angeles Rams
- Alex Bachman — 2 KR, 48 YDS, 24.0 AVG, LONG 25, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Arizona Cardinals
- Devin Duvernay — 1 PR, 6 YDS, 6.0 AVG, LONG 6, 0 TD
Los Angeles Rams
- Alex Bachman — 2 PR, 4 YDS, 2.0 AVG, LONG 4, 0 TD
