It wasn’t pretty, but the Los Angeles Rams are still hot.
The Rams won their fifth straight game and ninth in their last 11 games, taking home a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.
It was slow and steady winning the race, and no points were scored in the first quarter, but a Kyren Williams touchdown and Joshua Karly field goal in the second put the Rams up 10-0 at the half.
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Los Angeles Rams’ No. 9 Matthew Stafford throws a pass during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on December 28, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)
However, in the third quarter, Trey McBride finally got on the board, scoring his first touchdown of the season, and even he couldn’t help but thank the heavens. However, the PAT was blocked, which would affect Arizona.
Chad Ryland scored a field goal in the fourth, but because of the missed extra point, they were still down by one. Karly added a field goal of his own to put Los Angeles up 13-9, and the Cardinals offense, which struggled to score all night, was forced to need a touchdown.
With this contest already having nine punts, Kyler Murray looked for Marvin Harrison Jr. in the end zone, but was intercepted. However, the Rams couldn’t get a first down and the Cardinals had one more chance with 2:01 left and two timeouts.
Xavier Smith, number 19 of the Los Angeles Rams, reacts during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on December 28, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Ronald MartÃnez/Getty Images)
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Suddenly, the Cardinals pulled together and drove to the opponent’s 5-yard line, but Murray threw another interception that was out of McBride’s hands in the end zone and caught a dive from Ahkello Witherspoon to almost finish it.
It was pretty sloppy for both offenses; Stafford completed just 17 of 32 passes for 189 yards and didn’t throw a touchdown, but it was enough. Of those yards, 129 went to Puka Nacua. Murray, meanwhile, was 33 of 48 for 321 yards, but his lone touchdown and two costly turnovers would prove too much for the other numbers to overcome.
Braden Fiske, #55 of the Los Angeles Rams, celebrates a sack with Byron Young, #0, during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on December 28, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)
The Rams could clinch the NFC West on Sunday, but they need quite a few things to happen. At the end of the day, they control their own destiny and will face the Seattle Seahawks in the season finale, which could be for the division title.
