Rams and Cardinals played on a football field for the first time since 1948 when both franchises were located in St. Louis, Missouri—an iconic moment highlighted in Los Angeles Rams Vs Arizona Cardinals Match Player Stats, with the Rams coming away victorious by an 18–0 score.
The win marked Sean McVay and Les Snead as head coach and general manager achieving 100 wins – making them the third-winningest duo in NFL history.
| Date | Winner | Score | Key Player Performances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Jan 2026 | Los Angeles Rams | 37–20 | Matthew Stafford: 4 TD passes; strong offensive finish (ESPN.com) |
| 07 Dec 2025 | Los Angeles Rams | 45–17 | Stafford & Puka Nacua dominated; explosive offense |
| 28 Dec 2024 | Los Angeles Rams | 13–9 | Defensive battle; low-scoring game |
| 15 Sep 2024 | Arizona Cardinals | 41–10 | Kyler Murray & Marvin Harrison Jr.: standout performance (ESPN.com) |
| 26 Nov 2023 | Los Angeles Rams | 37–14 | Balanced offense; strong passing game |
Quarterbacks
The Rams and Cardinals are two of the longest-tenured franchises of the NFL. The Rams joined as an expansion team in 1936 while the Cardinals entered as charter franchise in 1921 in what became known as the National Football Conference (NFC).
Over 96 meetings (including 2 postseason matches), these two have met twice with 53 victories going to Rams while 41 victories went to Cardinals with both sides winning 43 times each time with two ties between them as well.
When they first met during the 1975 season in a Divisional Round game – which would become their inaugural playoff appearance of four consecutive – both franchises quickly found themselves outgunned by one another’s superior defense; Cardinals would only score one touchdown during the entire first half; Rams won 3 turnovers and scored two defensive touchdowns!
After their loss to the Bears in their previous regular-season game, the Cardinals looked forward to rebounding against the Rams.
Unfortunately for them, however, Todd Gurley of the Rams put away their opponent in just the second quarter after taking advantage of short field and marching down it for a touchdown run of one yard from him. The game remained out of reach from then on out.
After halftime, the Rams continued their dominant play against the Cardinals as quarterback Jared Goff delivered two touchdown passes to wide receivers Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks before rookie running back Kyren Williams scored with an 2-yard touchdown run of his own – all contributing to their 34-7 win.
The Cardinals were unable to rally from behind after suffering their second consecutive home loss against the Rams, yet still showed much promise under general manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians.
Boasting an exceptional young core of talent players, the Cardinals remain competitive in the NFC West with each season passing. Their biggest challenge will be avoiding another losing season like they experienced in 2022 while simultaneously finding ways to replace quarterback Carson Palmer who has since announced his retirement.
Wide Receivers
The Rams’ resurgent offense produced a season-high 423 yards against the Cardinals, highlighted by quarterback Matthew Stafford’s three touchdown passes to wide receivers Tyler Higbee (five receptions, 91 yards), Colby Parkinson (4 receptions, 36 yards) and Puka Nacua (10 catches, 76 yards). It was the team’s 100th win under coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead as head coach-GM duo, 15th among active teams.
The game’s opening drive stalled in the red zone, and Los Angeles settled for a 34-yard field goal from kicker Harrison Mevis to take a 3-0 lead with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter. After a second-consecutive three-and-out from the Rams’ defense, Arizona drove downfield and got into scoring position on fourth down and goal. However, running back Josiah Deguara’s fumble recovery on the sack-fumble caused by defensive end Kobie Stewart thwarted that last-gasp effort.
Following the delay caused by a lightning storm, the Rams went ahead by double digits early in the third quarter with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Higbee. A 1-yard touchdown pass to Parkinson midway through the fourth quarter increased that lead to 20-16 and left L.A. comfortably in command.
Tight Ends
The Rams-Cardinals rivalry is one of the oldest in NFL history. Over 96 times – including two postseason contests – both teams have faced each other; 41 victories for Cardinals against 53 for Rams with 2 tie games between them; first meeting took place in 1938 when Rams joined as expansion team and were assigned to Western division, leading to two annual match-ups against Cardinals; Cleveland-based Rams moved to St Louis as part of an agreement between their league and NFL to prevent AFL team moving here; since 1948 they have not faced each other since.
Rivalry between these teams grew fiercer during the 1980s as both struggled to compete on a national stage. While the Cardinals finished this decade with 6-8 record, reflecting low expectations heading into each season; Rams’ overall record stood at 4-13 reflecting lower than anticipated results for each year of competition.
In their second meeting between these teams, the Cardinals led early and held onto a 17-3 advantage at halftime. Los Angeles then mounted an extended scoring drive, culminating with Stafford passing 21 yards to Colby Parkinson for a 21-yard touchdown to take an 18-16 advantage with 1:55 remaining; Josh Brissett being sacked prevented any attempt at comeback by Arizona.
After suffering their second loss against the Rams in 2023, the Cardinals struggled to find their footing again. Even with Carson Palmer gone and many starters gone from their lineup, Josh Rosen was an unlikely hero, replacing veteran Sam Bradford for most of the season and eventually leading them into playoffs each time but were ultimately defeated by Los Angeles Rams during postseason play.
Rosen’s presence enabled the Cardinals to build upon their strong foundation and return to postseason play in 2024, however the Rams won 18-0 against them in their Wild Card Round matchup of playoffs.
Running Backs
Running Backs are responsible for running plays on running plays and are usually the centerpiece of an offense’s rushing attack. A good running back must possess speed and power to make their way past several defenders while simultaneously reading their defense so he/she can avoid or cut corners as needed.
Running back is an integral position within the NFL, and there are various kinds of runners to fill this role. Some can run in open fields while others excel at breaking tackles and gaining yards with short runs. There are also power backs; larger and stronger than other running backs with brute strength used to break through defenses to gain yardage – Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton are examples of this kind of player.
Split backfield running backs form another popular formation. By aligning on either side of the quarterback in a shotgun formation, this formation makes it difficult for defensive players to focus their attention solely on one individual running back. Some teams even employ fullbacks who serve as blocking agents for running backs.
Most teams also feature a goal line back, who typically comes into short yardage situations near the end zone and relies heavily on short yards gained with push or muscle to gain enough yards for first down or touchdown. These power backs usually need only push through several defenders before getting going for yardage to advance on first down or score touchdown.
Los Angeles took an early lead with their next offensive series stalling in the redzone and Mevis’ 40-yard field goal, giving them a 6-3 advantage at 10:38 of the second quarter. Arizona responded with a scoring drive highlighted by Brissett to Parkinson passing for three yards to set up their 3-yard touchdown, only for their last-ditch comeback attempt to be foiled by an interception; Los Angeles then extended their winning streak to four games and secured No. 5 seed status in the NFC playoffs with this victory!
