Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams Match Player Stats: Stafford and Nacua Lead Rams to a 45-17 Beatdown

Arizona’s defense couldn’t find an answer for Matthew Stafford, and the Cardinals’ playoff hopes took another direct hit because of it. Every week without a real pass rush turns into another lopsided final score for a team that’s now lost nine of ten. The fix starts with understanding exactly where this game slipped away — and the box score tells that story in painful detail.

The Lead

The Los Angeles Rams thumped the Arizona Cardinals 45-17 on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, in front of 61,970 fans. Matthew Stafford threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, Puka Nacua caught two of them on his way to a 167-yard afternoon, and Blake Corum broke off a career-high 128 rushing yards and two scores as the Rams improved to 10-3 on the season.

Arizona actually struck first, with backup-turned-starter Jacoby Brissett hitting Michael Wilson on a 19-yard touchdown to open the scoring. But Los Angeles answered with 35 unanswered points across the next two-plus quarters, piling up 530 total yards on 7.9 yards per play while the Cardinals defense wilted against the run. Wilson finished with a strong statistical day of his own — 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns — but it wasn’t nearly enough to offset a Rams offense operating at full throttle. The loss dropped Arizona to 3-10 and extended a miserable stretch that has now seen the Cardinals get outscored by a combined 130-56 over their last three games.

Match Overview Table

Core Match Statistics Overview

The Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats sheet starts with a wide gap on the team level. Los Angeles out-gained Arizona by more than 200 yards and controlled the ball for over 10 extra minutes.

Rushing Efficiency

• The Rams ran for 249 yards at a staggering 6.9 yards per carry, a number that speaks to how little resistance Arizona’s front seven offered once the game opened up.
• Arizona managed only 51 yards on the ground, a total that made the Cardinals one-dimensional and predictable for most of the second half.

Explosive Passing Plays

• Stafford’s 9.1 yards per pass attempt reflected a steady stream of chunk plays, headlined by Nacua’s 31-yard and 28-yard touchdown grabs.
• Brissett still moved the ball through the air at 6.0 yards per attempt, but his lone interception came at a moment Arizona couldn’t afford it.

Ball Security and Turnovers

• Los Angeles played a clean, zero-turnover game, which let their offense stay aggressive without fear of a short field for Arizona.
• The Cardinals’ single giveaway was costly given how few possessions Arizona had once the Rams began controlling the clock.

Time of Possession and Tempo

• A 10-minute possession advantage let the Rams dictate tempo and kept Arizona’s defense on the field deep into the fourth quarter.
• Fewer offensive snaps for Arizona (61 total) meant fewer opportunities to establish any rhythm for Brissett and the passing attack.

Period-by-Period Analysis

• First Quarter: Brissett caught Arizona’s defense off guard by scripting an aggressive opening drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown strike to Michael Wilson, giving the Cardinals an early lead before Stafford answered right back to put Los Angeles in front.
• Second and Third Quarters: This stretch was the game. The Rams outscored Arizona 28-3 across the middle two quarters, with Nacua’s back-to-back touchdown catches and Corum’s 48-yard scoring run turning a competitive game into a rout.
• Fourth Quarter: With the outcome decided, Los Angeles eased off the gas while Arizona tacked on a garbage-time touchdown pass from Brissett to Wilson, his second scoring catch of the day.

Los Angeles Rams Player Statistics

Matthew Stafford (QB) — 22-of-31 passing, 281 yards, 3 TD Stafford was efficient and decisive all afternoon, spreading the ball around while connecting with Nacua for two scores. His 71% completion rate kept the Rams offense ahead of the chains on nearly every series.

Puka Nacua (WR) — 7 receptions, 167 yards, 2 TD Nacua was the biggest individual difference-maker in this Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats breakdown, averaging nearly 24 yards per catch and scoring on a pair of downfield connections with Stafford.

Blake Corum (RB) — 12 carries, 128 yards, 2 TD Corum set a new career high in rushing yards, highlighted by a 48-yard touchdown burst that broke the game open in the third quarter and forced Arizona to commit extra defenders to the box.

Arizona Cardinals Player Statistics

Jacoby Brissett (QB) — 25-of-44 passing, 271 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 4 carries, 22 rushing yards Brissett kept slinging the ball downfield even as the score got out of hand, finishing with respectable yardage but unable to sustain the hot start his opening drive promised.

Michael Wilson (WR) — 11 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TD Wilson was Arizona’s clear top offensive weapon, hauling in a team-high 11 catches and scoring on both ends of the game — the opening drive and the fourth-quarter finale.

Trey McBride (TE) — 5 receptions, 58 yards McBride’s five-catch afternoon extended his streak to 15 consecutive games with at least five receptions, tying Travis Kelce’s NFL record for a tight end even in a lopsided loss.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

Why the Rams Won

Explosive Rushing Attack

Corum’s career day paired with a 6.9 yards-per-carry average gave Los Angeles a run game Arizona simply had no answer for.

Big-Play Passing Combination

Stafford and Nacua connected for two scores on a combined 59 receiving yards on those plays alone, the kind of downfield production that turns close games into blowouts.

Zero Turnovers, Total Control

A clean game from Stafford and the Rams offense meant Arizona never got a short-field opportunity to climb back into it.

Why the Cardinals Lost

An Overmatched Ground Game

Arizona’s 51 rushing yards on the day left Brissett without a run-game complement, forcing the Cardinals into obvious passing situations that Los Angeles’ defense could tee off on.

Too Much Time Spent on Defense

With the Rams holding the ball for over 35 minutes, Arizona’s defense simply ran out of gas defending long, methodical drives in the second and third quarters.

Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Season Series and Rivalry Snapshot

The Rams have now won 15 of their past 18 meetings against the Cardinals, a stretch that includes a season sweep in 2025 by a combined score of 82-37.

Advanced Statistical Insights

Stafford’s touchdown-to-attempt ratio (3 TDs on just 31 attempts) reflects an offense that didn’t need high volume to be efficient — Los Angeles let its 6.9 yards-per-carry rushing average do the heavy lifting on early downs, which in turn opened up Nacua and the rest of the receiving corps on play-action.

Arizona’s numbers tell the opposite story: Brissett needed 44 attempts to produce 271 yards, a sign the Cardinals were forced into a pass-heavy, catch-up script almost from the opening quarter once the rushing attack stalled at 3.6 yards per carry.

Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the Rams

• The win pushed Los Angeles to 10-3 and reinforced their status as one of the NFC’s top contenders heading into the final stretch.
• Corum’s breakout rushing performance gives the Rams a legitimate complementary piece behind Kyren Williams in a suddenly deep backfield.

What This Means for the Cardinals

• Arizona’s run defense and run offense both need real offseason investment after surrendering 249 yards on the ground and generating only 51 of their own.
• The Cardinals dropped to 3-10 and will need to evaluate whether Brissett remains the long-term answer at quarterback even after several encouraging statistical outings.

Key Lessons

• A dominant rushing performance can single-handedly flip a game’s complexion, as Corum’s 128 yards proved.
• Explosive plays in the passing game matter more than raw completion volume — Stafford needed only 31 attempts to post 281 yards.
• Time of possession isn’t just a box-score footnote; it directly wore down Arizona’s defense over four quarters.
• A single turnover can be the difference in a game already tilted by yardage and tempo.
• Individual brilliance, like McBride’s record-tying reception streak, doesn’t always translate to team success without complementary football.
• Depth at running back (Corum behind Williams) can be the separator between a good offense and an elite one down the stretch.

FAQs

Who won the Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams game?

The Los Angeles Rams won 45-17 on December 7, 2025, at State Farm Stadium.

Who scored the most points individually in the match?

No single player scores points directly in football, but Matthew Stafford accounted for the most production with three passing touchdowns.

What were Puka Nacua’s stats in the game?

Nacua caught 7 passes for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns.

What were Jacoby Brissett’s stats for the Cardinals?

Brissett completed 25 of 44 passes for 271 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, adding 22 rushing yards on 4 carries.

How many rushing yards did Blake Corum have?

Corum rushed 12 times for a career-high 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Did Trey McBride have a notable performance despite the loss?

Yes — McBride’s 5 catches for 58 yards extended his streak to 15 straight games with at least five receptions, tying an NFL record for tight ends.

Conclusion

This Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats breakdown comes down to one clear theme: efficiency and balance beat individual flashes every time. Stafford’s economical passing, Corum’s career-best rushing day, and a clean turnover margin let Los Angeles control the entire game, while Arizona’s strong individual numbers from Wilson and McBride couldn’t offset a stalled run game and a defense worn down by time of possession.