Jason Owens Staff writer Mon, October 19, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this story The Los Angeles Rams entered the season as favorites to win the Super Bowl. Through six weeks of the NFL season, they look like anything but, and are in danger of missing the playoffs.
The Rams dropped to 2-4 on Sunday with a stunning 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals that drops them well out of the race in the NFC West, and leaves them with an uphill battle to get into wild-card contention.
Like the Rams' Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos , this one was not without officiating controversy.
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After trailing for most of the game, the Rams drove 86 yards on eight plays to secure a 16-15 lead with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. The Cardinals started their ensuing possession at their own 35-yard line following a touchback.
A 21-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett to Jalen Brooks on the first play of the drive moved the ball across midfield, and a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on the hit added 15 yards to the gain.
Rams cornerback Josh Wallace was in zone coverage on the play and waiting to make a hit on Brooks after the receiver leapt in the air to make the catch.
As Brooks landed, his helmet made grazing contact with Wallace's shoulder pad. Wallace leaned in to make the hit, but contact was minimal. The call of a personal foul was questionable at best.
That play and penalty set the Cardinals up with 1st-and-10 at the Los Angeles 29-yard line. It ultimately set Chad Ryland up for a 43-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
It added up to another tough-luck loss for the Rams, but they didn't look good throughout Sunday's game.
An offense that entered Sunday leading the NFL in yards per game was ineffective against a Cardinals defense that entered the game ranked 26th in the league.
With left tackle Alaric Jackson suspended due to his postgame punch of Bradley Chubb last week, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was under pressure early and often, and the Rams struggled to gain any traction in the passing game until their late drive to take the 16-15 lead.
Mathew Stafford was under pressure throughout Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals sacked Stafford three times and hit him five more. He was under consistent pressure even when he wasn't getting hit. The result was a Rams offense that managed just one touchdown and nine points through the game's first 59-plus minutes.
The Rams had 107 yards at halftime and finished with 286 for the game.
That final tally and Stafford's final stat line (25 of 33, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) were salvaged by the late 86-yard touchdown drive that featured completions of 16 and 43 yards from Stafford to Puka Nacua. Tight end Colby Parkinson stretched for a score on a short pass from Stafford to ensure that the drive to the red zone paid off.
But it wasn't enough to secure a Rams win.
In the end, the Rams didn't score enough points to beat an Arizona team that picked up its second win of the season. Now both teams are tied at the bottom of the NFC West at 2-4, well behind the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers, who play the Commanders on Monday Night Football. And the Cardinals have the edge in the standings thanks to the head-to-head win.
Making matters worse for the Rams, they leave the game with injury concerns on multiple fronts. All-Pro receiver Davante Adams came up limping on the game's final drive with what looked like a non-contact leg injury.
He did not return to the game. His status was unclear in the game's immediate aftermath.
And the Rams lost new kicker Blake Grupe to a knee injury in the first quarter, leaving them without a kicker and in precarious positions throughout the game. The Rams signed Grupe to replace Harrison Mevis, whom they cut after Monday's 37-34 loss to the Bills.
They went for two points and failed after a second-quarter touchdown to limit their lead to 9-6. They went for it on 4th-and-1 at the Arizona 27-yard line in the second half instead of attempting a game-tying 44-yard field goal. They failed to get the first down and turned the ball over on downs.
When they scored their late touchdown to tie the game at 15-15, punter Ethan Evans successfully kicked the extra point to momentarily give the Rams the lead.
The Rams have winnable upcoming games against Raiders, Chargers, Commanders and Cardinals again. But Sunday's game at home was also supposed to be winnable.
And while the loss was aided by a controversial penalty in the final seconds, it was poor play throughout the game from the Los Angeles offense that put the Rams in position to lose to begin with.
Source: Sports
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