By Jourdan Rodrigue, Doug Haller and Tobias Bass
The Los Angeles Rams are on the verge of securing a postseason berth and the NFC West crown after a 13-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.
The Rams (10-6) have won five straight games despite scoring a combined 44 points over their last three contests, also scraping by the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. But Los Angeles’ defense has kept the team in the playoff hunt (in three weeks, the Rams have allowed 24 points, with a defensive-driven effort again marking Saturday’s win).
Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 17 of 32 passes for 189 yards and no touchdowns. The Rams’ lone touchdown came on a 1-yard run from running back Kyren Williams late in the second quarter.
Star receiver Puka Nacua hit the century mark with 10 catches for 129 yards, while Cooper Kupp had a quiet night, catching one pass for 29 yards.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, had plenty of opportunities to win, but two late fourth-quarter interceptions from Rams rookie safety Kamren Kinchens and veteran corner Ahkello Witherspoon helped seal the game.
While the victory gives the Rams control over the division, they still need help to clinch the title, specifically with a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks. Los Angeles needs a combined 2.5 or more wins from the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns for the strength-of-victory tiebreaker.
According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff projections tool, the Rams had an 11 percent chance to make the playoffs heading into Week 6 after a 1-4 start. It’s up to more than 99 percent after winning nine of their last 11 games. This is the first time the Rams have won five straight games since the 2021 season when they won the Super Bowl.
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Defensive plays make the difference
Two things are true about the later moments of Saturday’s win against Arizona. No. 1, rookie safety Kinchens should have batted a deep throw by Kyler Murray on fourth and 10 away, instead of intercepting it and sliding down. No. 2, the Rams’ offense was hardly capable of stringing together a put-away offensive drive on the corresponding long field, nor did they look capable of sustaining drives all game. They gave the ball back to Arizona after just three plays, and one second north of the 2-minute warning down four points. Arizona quickly drove down the field.
Luckily, veteran cornerback Witherspoon was in position to slide under a Murray pass intended for Trey McBride from the Los Angeles 5-yard line, that otherwise would have been a go-ahead touchdown. Witherspoon’s interception was his first of the season. — Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams senior writer
Los Angeles’ offense continues to struggle
The Rams’ offense has struggled with slow starts and stop-start offensive drives for most of the year, regardless of the health of their roster. Saturday, they had a 13th first quarter without a touchdown this season and an 11th shutout in the first quarter, this time at the hands of Arizona’s defense.
By the time they got the ball for their first possession of the fourth quarter, up 10-9 with 14 minutes to play, they only had 186 total yards of offense. Nacua accounted for most of those yards, while everybody else combined had 85. — Rodrigue
Rams have a rising star
Rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske has emerged as a rising star despite entering the season as “the player drafted in tandem with first-round pick Jared Verse (teammates at Florida State).”
Fiske’s sack in the second quarter on Saturday put him at a team-high eight sacks on the season (Kobie Turner pulled even with Fiske with a fourth-quarter sack), the second-most for a rookie behind former great Aaron Donald (nine) and Turner (nine). — Rodrigue
Late-game woes sink Cardinals
Among the NFC’s hotter teams, the Rams were not at their best. Beat up, playing without their starting tackles and losing running back James Conner for most of the night, the Cardinals still had a golden chance. They could not take advantage.
Under pressure for most of the night, quarterback Kyler Murray was fine, finding nine receivers for completions. McBride caught his first touchdown pass of the season, an astonishing development for a tight end who entered the contest with 92 receptions. He also went over 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Marvin Harrison Jr. played one of his better games with six catches for 96 yards.
But throughout this late-season collapse, during which Arizona has lost five of six, the Cardinals have lacked a difference-maker. Someone who steps up and makes a defining play during a final moment. No, it’s not easy with the offensive line down three Week 1 starters. But good teams find a way.
Trailing 13-9 in the final six minutes, the Cardinals had two chances to take the lead. On the first, Murray threw a fourth-down, throw-it-up-and-hope-for-the-best interception. On the second, the Cardinals drove deep into the red zone, giving themselves a chance.
But on first-and-goal from the Los Angeles 5, Murray fired a quick pass that McBride was not quite ready for. The ball deflected off McBride and was picked off. It was a disappointing end for a team limping toward the finish line. — Doug Haller, Arizona senior writer
Required reading
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
