Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Match Player Stats: Stafford’s Four-TD Night Leads Rams to Victory

Close your eyes and picture a Week 18 finale with playoff seeding on the line — that’s exactly the pressure Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense walked into against a desperate Cardinals team fighting to avoid a franchise-worst season. Fans searching for the full los angeles rams vs arizona cardinals match player stats want more than a final score; they want the box score details that explain how the game actually broke open. Below is the complete statistical breakdown, from quarter-by-quarter scoring to individual player stat lines for every key contributor.

The Lead

The Los Angeles Rams closed out their regular season with a 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. A crowd of 72,004 watched Matthew Stafford throw four touchdown passes without an interception, pushing the Rams to a 12-5 record while the Cardinals fell to 3-14 in a season that ended as the most losses in franchise history.

The game stayed tight into the third quarter, with Arizona actually grabbing a 20-16 lead behind a pair of Jacoby Brissett touchdown passes. But Los Angeles answered immediately, scoring the final 21 points of the game — a touchdown to close the third and two more in the fourth — to pull away for good. Stafford finished 25-of-40 for 259 yards, and Puka Nacua’s 10-catch performance pushed him past a franchise receiving milestone late in the year.

Match Overview Table

Core Match Statistics Overview

The los angeles rams vs arizona cardinals match player stats tell a story of steady offensive control by the Rams paired with costly Cardinals mistakes at the worst possible times.

Third Down Efficiency

• The Rams converted 9-of-16 third downs (56%), nearly double the Cardinals’ rate of 4-of-11 (36%).
• That gap alone accounts for why Los Angeles kept drives alive while Arizona’s offense stalled repeatedly in the second half.

Turnover Battle

• Arizona gave the ball away twice, including a Brissett fumble, while the Rams played a clean, zero-turnover game.
• A plus-two turnover margin gave Los Angeles extra possessions it didn’t need to earn on the field.

Ground Game Production

• The Rams doubled up the Cardinals on the ground, 146 rushing yards to 74, spreading carries between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
• Arizona’s leading rusher, Emari Demercado, managed only 29 yards on two attempts, forcing Brissett to carry more of the offensive load through the air.

Penalty Discipline

• Arizona was flagged six times for 45 yards compared to just four flags for 20 yards on Los Angeles.
• Extra penalty yardage compounded Arizona’s field-position problems on a day it could least afford them.

Period-by-Period Analysis

First Quarter

• Harrison Mevis opened the scoring with a 34-yard field goal for Los Angeles at the 11:07 mark.
• Chad Ryland answered for Arizona with a 45-yarder late in the quarter, tying things at 3-3.
• Both defenses controlled the opening frame, with neither offense finding the end zone.

Second Quarter

• Mevis added a 42-yard field goal to push Los Angeles ahead, then Ryland matched him with a 56-yarder for Arizona.
• Stafford connected with Nacua on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 left, giving the Rams their first lead of real substance, 13-6.
• Mevis closed the half with a field goal as time expired, sending Los Angeles into the locker room up 16-6.

Third Quarter

• Arizona flipped the game’s momentum fast, with Brissett hitting Michael Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 16-13.
• Brissett struck again on a 7-yard scoring toss to Josiah Deguara, giving the Cardinals a surprising 20-16 lead.
• Los Angeles responded before the quarter ended, with Stafford finding Colby Parkinson from 21 yards out to reclaim the lead at 23-20.

Fourth Quarter

• Tyler Higbee hauled in a 22-yard touchdown from Stafford early in the quarter to extend the Rams’ cushion to 30-20.
• Parkinson caught his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard score, to put the outcome out of reach at 37-20.
• Arizona’s offense went scoreless the entire quarter, unable to sustain drives against a Rams defense playing with a lead.

Los Angeles Rams Player Statistics

Matthew Stafford (QB): 25/40, 259 passing yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack taken, 114.5 passer rating. Stafford spread the ball to five different pass-catchers and threw touchdowns in three different quarters, never putting the ball in danger despite 40 dropbacks.

Puka Nacua (WR): 10 receptions on 11 targets for 76 yards and 1 touchdown, plus 24 rushing yards on two carries. Nacua was Stafford’s clear go-to option, and his 10-catch outing pushed him past Isaac Bruce for sole possession of second on the franchise’s single-season receptions list.

Tyler Higbee (TE): 5 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 6 targets. Higbee’s 22-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter was his first touchdown catch since early November, marking a strong return from a six-game injury absence.

Kyren Williams (RB) / Colby Parkinson (TE): Williams led all rushers with 60 yards on 12 carries and added 3 catches for 21 yards. Parkinson caught two touchdowns on just 4 receptions for 36 yards, turning limited volume into maximum production in the red zone.

Arizona Cardinals Player Statistics

Jacoby Brissett (QB): 22/31, 243 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 6 sacks taken, 101.9 passer rating, plus a lost fumble. Brissett threw for over 240 yards and briefly put Arizona ahead in the third quarter, but the interception and fumble erased much of that progress.

Michael Wilson (WR): 5 receptions on 8 targets for 99 yards and a touchdown, including a 43-yard scoring strike. Wilson was Arizona’s most explosive weapon, averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.

Trey McBride (TE): 7 receptions on 8 targets for 65 yards, no touchdowns. McBride’s workload extended his NFL single-season tight end reception record to 126 catches, even without finding the end zone in this particular game.

Emari Demercado (RB) / Josiah Deguara (TE): Demercado led Arizona’s ground game with only 29 yards on 2 carries and added a 28-yard reception. Deguara caught the Cardinals’ second touchdown, a 7-yard grab, on 2 targets.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

Why the Rams Won

Balanced Offensive Production

Los Angeles didn’t rely on one star performance. Stafford’s four touchdowns went to three separate targets, and the rushing attack split almost evenly between Williams and Corum, making the offense difficult to key on.

Zero Turnovers Against a Two-Turnover Opponent

A plus-two turnover margin handed Los Angeles extra possessions and better field position throughout the afternoon, a gap that mattered as much as any single big play.

Third-Down Execution

Converting 9-of-16 third downs let the Rams control the clock and kept Arizona’s defense on the field far longer than it wanted to be, wearing down a unit that had little depth to rotate in.

Red Zone Finishing

Parkinson’s two short touchdown catches showed a Rams offense that turned red-zone trips into points at a high rate, avoiding the field-goal settling that can stall momentum.

Why the Cardinals Lost

Turnovers at the Wrong Moments

Brissett’s interception and lost fumble came during stretches when Arizona had built real momentum, and both mistakes handed Los Angeles short fields it converted into points.

Heavy Dependence on Two Pass-Catchers

Wilson and McBride combined for 12 of Arizona’s receptions, but the rest of the receiving corps managed only modest contributions, leaving the offense without a reliable third option once the Rams defense adjusted.

Fourth-Quarter Offensive Collapse

Arizona was shut out in the final period, unable to answer after Los Angeles retook the lead in the third quarter, a sign of a unit that ran out of answers when it needed one most.

Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Season Series and Rivalry Breakdown

This win extended a run that started in 2024, continuing a stretch where the Rams have had the Cardinals’ number in a rivalry dating back to when both clubs called Chicago and the Midwest home.

Advanced Statistical Insights

Stafford’s touchdown-to-attempt ratio (4 TDs on 40 attempts, one score roughly every 10 throws) reflects red-zone precision more than volume passing. Compare that to Brissett, who needed a similar 31 attempts to generate only two scores, largely because Arizona’s red-zone possessions were shorter and less sustained. The efficiency gap widens further when factoring sacks: Brissett was brought down six times for 33 yards lost, compared to a single sack on Stafford, meaning Arizona’s offensive line issues directly limited scoring chances that a cleaner pocket might have produced.

Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the Rams

• Los Angeles closed the regular season at 12-5, positioning the team for a strong playoff seed heading into the postseason.
• Stafford’s zero-turnover, four-touchdown outing offers confidence in the passing attack entering win-or-go-home football.
• Puka Nacua’s continued target volume signals he remains the offense’s primary read regardless of opposing coverage.

What This Means for the Cardinals

• Arizona finished 3-14, the most losses in the history of a franchise dating back to 1920, forcing an offseason evaluation of the coaching staff and roster.
• Turnover discipline stands out as the most urgent fix, since red-zone and third-quarter miscues repeatedly erased offensive progress.
• Building a more reliable third receiving option beyond Wilson and McBride would ease the burden on Brissett going forward.

Key Lessons From the Game

• A clean turnover margin can outweigh a talent gap in games decided by field position.
• Third-down efficiency directly predicts time-of-possession advantages and late-game control.
• Spreading touchdown targets across multiple pass-catchers makes a passing attack harder to defend.
• Red-zone touchdown conversion, not just total yardage, decides close games.
• Offensive line protection numbers (sacks allowed) often explain scoring droughts better than raw passing yardage does.
• Depth at receiver matters once a top target gets doubled or bracketed late in games.

FAQs

Who won the Rams vs Cardinals game on January 4, 2026?

The Los Angeles Rams won 37-20 over the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

Who had the best stats in the Rams vs Cardinals match?

Matthew Stafford led all players with 259 passing yards and 4 touchdowns on 25-of-40 passing, while Puka Nacua paced all receivers with 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

What were Jacoby Brissett’s stats in the loss?

Brissett went 22-of-31 for 243 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a lost fumble.

How many touchdowns did Matthew Stafford throw?

Stafford threw four touchdown passes without an interception, connecting with Puka Nacua, Colby Parkinson (twice), and Tyler Higbee.

What was the attendance for the Rams vs Cardinals game?

A total of 72,004 fans attended the game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Did the Cardinals lead at any point in the game?

Yes. Arizona led 20-16 late in the third quarter after back-to-back touchdown passes from Jacoby Brissett before the Rams scored the final 21 points of the game.

Conclusion

The final los angeles rams vs arizona cardinals match player stats show a game decided by discipline rather than raw talent. Los Angeles protected the football, converted third downs at nearly double Arizona’s rate, and spread scoring opportunities across multiple playmakers, while the Cardinals’ turnovers and fourth-quarter scoring drought undid a genuinely competitive first three quarters. Efficiency and shared production carried the day over any single standout effort.