INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chad Ryland drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired Sunday afternoon, lifting the Arizona Cardinals to a dramatic 18-16 upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
The walk-off kick capped a 6-for-6 performance by Ryland and halted Arizona’s four-game losing streak. The New York Post and ClutchPoints reported the final score as 18-16, while Sports Illustrated noted in its game summary that Arizona won 16-15 before listing six successful field goals by Ryland, which accounted for all 18 of Arizona’s points.
Arizona, which improved to 2-4, snapped an eight-game skid against NFC West opponents despite failing to find the end zone on five red-zone trips. Ryland carried the scoring load with field goals from 34, 30, 22, 38, 27 and 43 yards, according to Sports Illustrated.
Late Drama at SoFi Stadium
The Rams had seemingly pulled off a late comeback when quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with Colby Parkinson on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 47 seconds remaining. Punter Ethan Evans then successfully converted an extra point, giving Los Angeles a 16-15 advantage, the Post reported.
However, the Cardinals responded immediately. Aided by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Rams cornerback Josh Wallace, Arizona quickly crossed into scoring range, setting up Ryland’s decisive kick as the clock hit zero.
The loss was the second straight walk-off defeat for Los Angeles, which fell to 2-4 on the year and dropped into last place in the NFC West.
“We are what our record is,” Stafford said during his postgame press conference, according to the Post. “Football is a game of execution when you boil things down to it. … And we’re just not doing that on a consistent enough basis right now.”
Rams coach Sean McVay echoed that sentiment, warning reporters that his squad will continue to struggle unless they eliminate self-inflicted mistakes. “We won’t win a game unless we figure out how to not beat ourselves,” McVay said, according to the Post.
Frustration Inside the Rams Locker Room
Tensions flared over offensive usage following the defeat. Running back Kyren Williams voiced displeasure after logging a season-low 13 touches, finishing with 10 rushes for 50 yards and three receptions for 17 yards, ClutchPoints reported.
When asked by reporter Sarah Barshop why Los Angeles struggled to maintain energy from drive to drive, Williams offered a blunt assessment.
“Can’t tell you, bro. Probably because I’m not out there,” Williams said, as quoted by ClutchPoints.
Stafford finished 25 of 33 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, according to ClutchPoints, but the offense stalled repeatedly against an aggressive Cardinals defense led by coordinator Nick Rallis. Arizona held the Rams to 4-for-10 on third-down attempts and stopped them on both fourth-down tries, while linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. paced the Cardinals in tackles, Sports Illustrated reported.
Roster Adjustments Pay Off for Arizona
Arizona leaned heavily on depth after trading wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans the previous week, according to Sports Illustrated. Veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne caught five passes for 47 yards, while running back Bam Knight rushed for 80 yards on an average of 5.3 yards per carry in place of injured starter Jeremiyah Love.
Los Angeles played without injured defensive standout Myles Garrett and failed to record a single sack, Sports Illustrated reported. Blake Corum added nine carries for 42 yards and caught an 18-yard touchdown for the Rams, while Puka Nacua led all receivers with six catches for 80 yards.
The Cardinals look to build on their momentum when they host the Denver Broncos next week. The Rams will attempt to steady their season on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 25.
