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Chad Ryland drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, October 18, and the Arizona Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Rams 18-16, less than a minute after Los Angeles had grabbed its first lead since the second quarter.
Ryland was perfect on six attempts and scored every Arizona point. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Cardinals, who arrived as heavy underdogs, and it came in Mike LaFleur’s first meeting as a head coach with Sean McVay, his former boss. Both teams now sit at 2-4 in the NFC West, well behind 5-0 San Francisco.
How the game turned
The Rams lost their kicker within minutes. Blake Grupe, signed during the week, opened the scoring with a 44-yard field goal, then hurt his right knee making a tackle on the next kickoff and never returned. That cost Los Angeles a point right away: after Matthew Stafford hit Blake Corum for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter, the Rams went for two, and Stafford was sacked and fumbled on the try.
Ryland answered with a 34-yarder in the first quarter, then 30 and 22 yards in the second, and it was 9-9 at the break. His 38-yarder in the third quarter and a 27-yarder with 9:28 to play stretched Arizona’s edge to 15-9. The Cardinals reached the red zone five times and kicked a field goal every time.
The Arizona defense kept that margin alive. Cody Simon knocked the ball loose from Tyler Higbee deep in Cardinals territory with 7:47 left, and Los Angeles later came up empty on a fourth down. The Rams finished 0-for-2 on fourth down and were held to 286 yards, well short of the output that had them leading the league in total offense.
The final minute
Stafford still found a way. Puka Nacua caught three passes on the last Rams drive, the biggest a 42-yard gain, and Colby Parkinson was awarded a 6-yard touchdown on replay with 47 seconds remaining. Punter Ethan Evans, in his first career placekick, made the extra point for a 16-15 lead.
THE PAT IS GOOD BY ETHAN EVANS!!!!
Rams take the lead 16-15 with 47 seconds to go. pic.twitter.com/ga8cMgo8qF
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 18, 2026
It was not enough time. The Rams kicked the ball into the end zone, and Arizona started at its own 35. Jalen Brooks, who had let a potential first-down pass slip away minutes earlier, caught a 21-yard throw from Jacoby Brissett, and an unnecessary roughness foul on Josh Wallace added 15 more. Three snaps later, Ryland won it.
“Deep down, I thought we were going to win the game when we had 51 seconds,” LaFleur said.
LIVE: HC Mike LaFleur and QB Jacoby Brissett https://t.co/LY5cLBXlzM
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 18, 2026
The numbers
- Chad Ryland: 6 of 6 on field goals (34, 30, 22, 38, 27 and 43 yards), 18 points.
- Jacoby Brissett: 24 of 35 for 218 yards, one interception, by Quentin Lake; he was not sacked.
- Bam Knight: 15 carries for 80 yards, while playing through cramps in the second half; Tyler Allgeier added 38 yards on 18 carries.
- Trey McBride: 7 catches for 53 yards; Kendrick Bourne had 5 for 47.
- Matthew Stafford: 25 of 33 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, sacked three times; Budda Baker and Josh Sweat had a sack each.
- Puka Nacua: 6 catches for 80 yards. Kyren Williams ran 10 times for 50 yards and Corum 9 times for 42.
Arizona held the ball for 34:52 and ran 70 plays to the Rams’ 56. McVay offered no excuses afterward. “There’s just so many things that aren’t in alignment with what we need to be able to do,” he said.
Injuries
Davante Adams left late in the fourth quarter favoring his left knee, and McVay had no update on him or Grupe. The Rams played without cornerback Trent McDuffie. For Arizona, defensive tackle Walter Nolen III hurt his ankle in the second half, and running back Jeremiyah Love missed the game with an ankle injury.
What comes next
The Cardinals host the Denver Broncos on Sunday, October 25, at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Rams visit the Las Vegas Raiders the same afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET, with another decision at kicker to make before then.
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