NFL · WEEKEND RECAP · OCTOBER 18 GAMES
Six Field Goals Beat the Rams. The Last 47 Seconds Explain How.
Los Angeles finally took the lead late, then Arizona answered for an 18–16 win.
Final · October 18, 2026
Our analysis
Arizona never scored a touchdown. The Rams still lost.
Chad Ryland made six field goals in Sunday’s 18–16 Cardinals victory, including the 43-yard winner with no time left. Arizona finished 0-for-5 on red-zone touchdown opportunities, yet kept collecting enough points to remain in control of the scoreboard for much of the afternoon.
Los Angeles appeared to have rescued the game when Matthew Stafford hit Colby Parkinson for a six-yard touchdown with 47 seconds remaining. The extra point put the Rams ahead 16–15.
That lead didn’t survive Arizona’s last possession.
The Cardinals finished with 338 yards to the Rams’ 286. Stafford threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, but Los Angeles converted neither of its two fourth-down attempts.
The Rams kept Arizona out of the end zone. What they couldn’t do was turn that into a comfortable lead, or protect the one-point advantage they finally earned. One last field goal was enough.
Sources
Final statistics and scoring sequence verified October 19, 2026. Analysis draws on the game data.