Inglewood, Calif. — Matthew Stafford led a late surge to steady the Los Angeles Rams and lock up the NFC’s No. 5 playoff seed, throwing for 259 yards and four touchdowns in a 37–20 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Stafford connected twice with Colby Parkinson for scores and orchestrated a decisive stretch after halftime, as the Rams (12–5) rebounded from a two-game skid to close the regular season. Los Angeles will travel to face NFC South champion Carolina (8–9) in next weekend’s wild-card matchup.
Tight end Tyler Higbee made a strong return from injury, catching five passes for 91 yards and a critical fourth-quarter touchdown. Puka Nacua also starred, hauling in 10 receptions for 76 yards and making a highlight-reel, one-handed touchdown grab just before halftime.
With the performance, Stafford moved past Dan Marino into seventh place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown pass list. He capped an MVP-caliber campaign by leading the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown throws—the second-highest single-season total ever by a quarterback age 37 or older.
Despite clinching a playoff berth weeks earlier, the Rams entered the finale looking to regain momentum after back-to-back road losses eliminated their chance at the NFC’s top seed. Head coach Sean McVay elected to play his starters, breaking from his usual approach in season finales, hoping to halt the slide.
The early results were uneven. Defensive lapses and special teams mistakes kept Arizona within striking distance, and the Rams even trailed in the third quarter. But once Stafford found his rhythm, Los Angeles rattled off 21 unanswered points to seize control and avoid another disappointing finish. The victory marked the third 12-win season of McVay’s nine-year tenure, a feat previously followed by Super Bowl appearances.
Arizona (3–14) received a solid outing from quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who threw for 243 yards and a touchdown. Michael Wilson caught a 43-yard scoring pass in the second half and finished with 99 receiving yards, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
Tight end Trey McBride continued his historic season, making seven catches to extend his NFL single-season record for a tight end to 126 receptions. Still, the Cardinals closed the year on a nine-game losing streak, losing 14 of their final 15 contests—the most defeats in a single season in franchise history.
Arizona briefly seized momentum after halftime with a pair of explosive plays. On fourth down, punter Matt Haack threw a 28-yard completion to Emari Demercado, followed immediately by Wilson’s touchdown catch. A later 76-yard drive ended with Josiah Deguara’s first touchdown reception since 2021, giving the Cardinals a 20–16 edge and drawing restless murmurs from the home crowd.
That deficit finally sparked the Rams. Parkinson hauled in a 21-yard catch-and-run touchdown, and Higbee followed shortly thereafter with his first score since early November. Parkinson later added a one-yard touchdown reception with just over four minutes remaining to seal the outcome.
**Injuries**
* **Cardinals:** Rookie cornerback Will Johnson and linebacker Channing Tindall each suffered knee injuries in the first half.
* **Rams:** Wide receiver Jordan Whittington exited in the first quarter after injuring his knee on a special teams play. Special teams standout Shaun Dolac also sustained a knee injury.
**Up Next**
* **Cardinals:** Arizona heads into the offseason facing major decisions regarding quarterback Kyler Murray, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the coaching staff, along with a high selection in the upcoming draft.
