Cardinals 11 vs. 34 Rams summary: scores, stats and highlights | NFL Playoffs
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are on to the next round of the playoffs after defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Stafford threw for 202 yards and had a total of three touchdowns in his first ever win in the postseason.
Rams take the rubber match
It was the third time the NFC West rivals matched up this year, with the previous two games being won by the road team. The Rams won the division meaning they would host the Cardinals, and Los Angeles made sure the trend of road teams winning the series came to a close in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rams defense came out hungry, stifling Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to open the game. Aaron Donald and company forced Arizona into four three and outs on their first four possessions.
Stafford didn’t have to do a whole lot in his first playoff win. The defense and the run game carried Los Angeles on Monday night. Sony Michel and Cam Akers combined for over 100 yards on the ground, while the defense held the Cardinals to 183 yards of total offense.
OBJ gets first ever playoff TD
Stafford led the opening touchdown drive of the night on LA’s second possession. The former Lions quarterback hit Odell Beckham Jr. on a four yard touchdown pass for the first score of the game, and OBJ’s first ever playoff touchdown.
The Rams quickly got the ball back after forcing the Cardinals into a three and out and five minutes later Stafford made it 14-0 with his first rushing touchdown since 2016 with a QB sneak at the goal line.
Long pick six put LA up three scores
Things went from bad to worse for the Cardinals on midway through the second quarter when Kyler Murray held on to the ball to long in the backfield and was almost sacked for a saftey. Instead Murray flipped the ball up in desperation and David Long Jr. picked it off and took it three yards into the endzone to make it 21-0 in the second quarter.
The Cardinals ended the first half with just 40 yards, while the Rams were cruising both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Los Angeles got the ball back at halftime and put any bit of doubt that still may have remained to rest with an eight play 75 yard touchdown drive that was finished off by Cooper Kupp. The league’s leading receiver made a 7 yard touchdown reception to push the lead to 28-0 and stamp the Rams place in the next round of the playoffs.
Rams rematch with Bucs in Tampa Bay next wee
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals would eventually score a touchdown on the next drive, but it was inconsequential as the Rams were already long gone by that time. A couple Matt Gay field goals added some insurance for the home side as they cruised to a comfortable victory over the Cardinals.
Monday night was the last game at Sofi Stadium this season because of the Rams loss to the 49ers in Week 18. Los Angeles will now travel across the country to take on the defending champion Tampa Bay Bucs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. LA got the better of Tampa Bay earlier in the season, beating the Bucs 34-24 at home.
Cardinals vs. Rams headlines:
-Rams on to divisional round after 34-11 win
-Baker stretchered off the field after collision with Akers
-Cardinals finally find the endzone with Conner rushing TD
-Long pick six gives Rams 21-0 1st half lead
-Stafford with first playoff rushing TD since 2011
-OBJ's first playoff TD gives Rams early lead
-Cardinals go three and out in first three drives
-Watt, out since Week 7, activated from IR
All Smiles for OBJ and Donte Deayon after the round one win
Von Miller with almost as good of an outfit as his performance on the field.
Aaron Donald was loving Sofi Stadium on Monday Night
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are on to the next round of the playoffs after defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Stafford threw for 202 yards and had a total of three touchdowns in his first ever win in the postseason.
Rams take the rubber match
It was the third time the NFC West rivals matched up this year, with the previous two games being won by the road team. The Rams won the division meaning they would host the Cardinals, and Los Angeles made sure the trend of road teams winning the series came to a close in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rams defense came out hungry, stifling Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to open the game. Aaron Donald and company forced Arizona into four three and outs on their first four possessions.
Stafford didn’t have to do a whole lot in his first playoff win. The defense and the run game carried Los Angeles on Monday night. Sony Michel and Cam Akers combined for over 100 yards on the ground, while the defense held the Cardinals to 183 yards of total offense.
OBJ gets first ever playoff TD
Stafford led the opening touchdown drive of the night on LA’s second possession. The former Lions quarterback hit Odell Beckham Jr. on a four yard touchdown pass for the first score of the game, and OBJ’s first ever playoff touchdown.
The Rams quickly got the ball back after forcing the Cardinals into a three and out and five minutes later Stafford made it 14-0 with his first rushing touchdown since 2016 with a QB sneak at the goal line.
Long pick six put LA up three scores
Things went from bad to worse for the Cardinals on midway through the second quarter when Kyler Murray held on to the ball to long in the backfield and was almost sacked for a saftey. Instead Murray flipped the ball up in desperation and David Long Jr. picked it off and took it three yards into the endzone to make it 21-0 in the second quarter.
The Cardinals ended the first half with just 40 yards, while the Rams were cruising both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Los Angeles got the ball back at halftime and put any bit of doubt that still may have remained to rest with an eight play 75 yard touchdown drive that was finished off by Cooper Kupp. The league’s leading receiver made a 7 yard touchdown reception to push the lead to 28-0 and stamp the Rams place in the next round of the playoffs.
Rams rematch with Bucs in Tampa Bay next wee
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals would eventually score a touchdown on the next drive, but it was inconsequential as the Rams were already long gone by that time. A couple Matt Gay field goals added some insurance for the home side as they cruised to a comfortable victory over the Cardinals.
Monday night was the last game at Sofi Stadium this season because of the Rams loss to the 49ers in Week 18. Los Angeles will now travel across the country to take on the defending champion Tampa Bay Bucs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. LA got the better of Tampa Bay earlier in the season, beating the Bucs 34-24 at home.
Kupp puts the game out of reach with a 7 yard TD recpetion
OBJ taking a page out of Matthew Stafford's book
Long pounces on the Murray mistake
Stafford with his first rushing TD in the payoffs in a decade
Miller with the sack and both mid season acquisitions were making plays early of for the Rams
OBJ with his first playoff TD ever got the scoring going for the Rams
IT'S ALL OVER FROM LA!!! THE RAMS ARE ON TO THE DIVISIONAL ROUND OF THE NFC PLAYOFFS AFTER A 34-11 VICTORY OVER THE CARDINALS.
Matthew Stafford will get his 1st playoff win of his career.
We are at the Two Minute Warning in LA, and the Rams are looking to end the game on this possession and start focusing on the Bucs
The Rams showed up today at home, shaking off that Week 18 loss to the Niners. That game pushed them down to the four seed which meas the Rams will have to go to Tampa Bay next week. The Rams gave the Bucs their first loss of the year in a 34-24 vicoty in LA.
FIELD GOAL RAMS!!!
The Rams drive comes to a close, but they did exaclty what they needed to do, run the clock down to under 5 minutes and capped off the drive with a field goal.
Gay's 46 yard FG is good to take the score to 34-11
Stafford hits Kupp again and Kupp makes some moves to poick up the first down and more. I talked about the Rams wanting to run the ball, but Stafford to Kupp is essentially like a long hand off.
Kupp over the middle picks up 29 on the catch and run, and the leagues best WR moves the chains with under 7 to go.
The Rams wil have to do what the Rams have done all night long, run the ball, run the clock with a few first down on this drive. A touchdown on this drive would put this game to bed, but the priority is winding the clock for the Rams.
FIELD GOAL CARDINALS!!!
Prater with a 55 yard field goal on 4th and 20. There is still plenty of time, but the Cardinals need a stop with 10:11 to go in the fourth quarter.
Baker is being taken from Sofi Stadium to the hospital after that collision with Akers. He did give the thumbs up before getting carted off the field which is a good sign
FIELD GOAL RAMS!!!
Gay's FG is good from 37 yards and the Rams lead 31-8
We are at the end of the third quarter. 15 minutes remain from Sofi Stadium
Buddah Baker came out of a heavy collision with Akers injured and the medical staff is going to have to cart him off the field.
Conner with a much needed score for the Cardinals.
TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS!!!
Finally the Cardinals find the endzone with a Conner two yard rushiing touchdown., and the two point conversion is good as Murray hits Wesley.
LA lead 28-8 with 4:11 to go in the third quarter.
Donald and Humphries get into a bit scuffle, and Donald gets flagged for the personal foul unnecessary roughness. and the Cardinals have 1st and Goal from the LA 7
Everywhere is 4 down territory for the Cardinals at the moment. Murray just picked up the 4th and 4 with his legs and the Cardinals are in Rams territory.
Stafford to Kupp to make it 28-0.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Stafford hits Kupp on the 7 yard TD pass and that might have just sealed this game for the Rams.
LA leads 28-0 and the Cardinals have shown no signs of life to make you think that they have a chance to come back in this game.
Stafford on the backwards pass to OBJ and he drops a dime into the hands of Akers for a 40 yard game.
We talk about Beckham's hands, but that throw was perfect. He must have been taking notes from Stafford.
The Rams have been in this situation before, think of the Niners game in Week 18 when they were up 17-0. They gave up that lead in the second half and lost in OT, so the Cardinals are not out of this game just yet.
We are underway in the third quarter! The Rams will receive to start the second half. Arizona needs a stop first and foremost, and then can worry about scoring once they have the ball.
Long jumps all over the Murray mistake.
Stafford on the QB sneak for the second touchdown of the night.
OBJ with his first playoff TD of his career.
The Rams have 180 yards of total yards. Stafford has 93 yards in the air while the Rams running game has 94 yards through two quarters.
The Cardinal have just 40 yards, and all of those yards came on a drive that started from the 1 yard line and ended with a Copeland INT.
The first half comes to a close and it was all Rams all the time. LA leads 21-0
The Rams go three and out, and the Cardinals will get the ball back with 37 seconds and three time outs. Do they dare risk it by going for a last first half score?
The Rams get the ball back with under to minutes to go from the own 42 yard line.
This has been quite a long half, with so many challenges and turnovers and injuries.
The Cardinals get the ball back with under 3 minutes, and they desperately need a score before the halftime break
Copeland in the right place at the right time after the screen pass was bobbled by Conner.
INTERCEPTION!!!
The Cardinals have their only productive drive of the night but short after Conner defelcts the screen pass up in the air and it's picked off by Copeland.
Murray showing a little bit of inexperience in the playoffs, and Long right there to pounce on the pick six
We have talked a lot about the Rams pressure, but that pick six falls on the shoulers of Kyler Murray. He held on to the ball for an eternity and trying to save a saftey gave up a pick six.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Long with the pick six after Murray was almost sacked in the backfield flipped the ball up in desperation, and Long jumps on the lofted ball and takes it 4 yard into the endzone.
Rams lead 21-0 and the Cardinals are still in negative yards.
After review the refs determine it was an incomplete pass, and the Cardinals have 3rd and 7 from inside their own five yard line.
Murray hits Green, down the right sideline, but he is crushed on the sideline and the ball popped out. IT was called a catch but the Rams will challenge.
Don't think Green had control long enough for it to be a catch, but we'll see how the refs see it.
Akers with a drop down the sideline and that's the first incompletion of Stafford's night. The pass was a bit behind the running back, but that should have been caught and that would have been a big gain.
The Rams in the Cardinals at the one yard line after the punt, and the Cardinals who haven't been able to move the ball now will have to go 99 yards for the touchdown.
Stafford has been getting in the mix with the run game, depite having an injured toe he looks pretty agile.
Stafford with his first rushing touchdown since 2016. Rams lead 14-0
After the first down sack that put Arizona behind the chains, the Cardinals go three and out for the fourth time in four drives.
Donald gets a sack on Murray, and poor Kyler is getting no time in the back field. At the moment the Rams are teeing off on the Cardinals QB.
Here comes Kyler and the Cardinals, who have -3 yards off total offense in their first three drives.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
After review the ref determines that Stafford was over the goal line and the Rams lead by a couple touchdowns.
LA are up 14-0 with 12 minutes left in the half.
LA will challenge the last play, as Sean McVay believes Stafford was over the goal line.
Stafford tries the QB sneak on two straight plays and that will bring up 4th down.
After review the ball will be marked down just short of the goal line.
Michel looked to have punched it in from two yards out, but the replay shows he might have beem stopped short on 1st and Goal. Review coming up from Sofi.
Staffotd hits OBJ down the sideline for a 31 yard gain and the Rams are inside the ARI 5.
The first quarter comes to a close with the Rams up 7-0, and look in control after 15 minutes.
Stafford hits Higbee for a pick up of 14 and the Rams QB1 is 5/5 to start the night. A lot of that success can be attributed to the Rams run game, keeping the Cardinals on their toes.
Akers picks up another big chunk to start the drive, and the Cardinals can not stop the Rams run game. MIchel has 36 yards and Akers has 30 yards in the first quarter.
OBJ dragging in the first touchdown of the game, and his first ever playoff touchdown.
The Cardinals, who haven't been getting much production on the offensive end go with some trickery, but an illegal forward pass scratches the first down, and will bring up a third straight punt for the Cardinals who have gone three and out on their opening three drives.
Miller with the sack!!! So in the last few plays OBJ scores a touchdown and Miller gets a sack. I'd say the Rams front office hit the nail on the head with their midseason acquisitions.
We aren't to used to seeing those kinds of drives from LA. They used the ground and pound to get into the redzone, using plenty of clock and then capping it off with the Stafford TD pass.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Lofted up in the endzone and dragged down by Beckham Jr. for the 4 yard TD pass!!! That's OBJ's first ever playoff touchdown.
LA takes the 7-0 lead with 3:50 to go in the first quarter.
The Rams using the ground game to get inside the 25, that time it was Stafford on the QB sneak on 3rd and 1 to keep the drive alive. LA already have 52 yards rushing.
Great field postition for the Rams, who will start their second drive from their own 48 yard line.
Second straight three and out for the Cardinals, and the Rams are showing Murrzy that he is going to be under pressure for a good portion of this game. Murray had `Moore open down field, but missed his WR because of the rush by the LA D line.
Nothing doing for the Rams after that long Michel run to start the drive. Stafford is sacked by Golden on 3rd down and both teams exchange punts on the opening drives of the night
Sony Michel up the gut for a gain of 35 yards on the first Rams play from scrimmage. Quite a start for the Rams, who will be very tough to stop if the running game shows up tonight.
Here comes Matt Stafford, looking for his first playoff win ever. He is 0-3 in the post season coming into tonight.
The Rams defense forces the Cardinals into a three and out in the opening drive of the night.
Kyler Murray and the Caridnals take the field, he averaged 325 yards passing and 50 rushing yards in the previous two games against the Rams this season.
Here we go!! We are underway from LA with the Cardinals receiving the ball first after LA won the toss and differed.
All eyes on La La Land for the Wild Card matchup.
We are 10 minutes away from game time at Sofi Stadium.
LA pulling up showing the Wild Card drip
The Rams proved they were all in this year, brining Matt Stafford to LA in the preseason
Cardinals looking to turn the tables
Kyler Murray coming in to Sofi Staium looking all buisness
Familiar foes facing off in the first round of the playoffs
Watt back for Cards
Good news for Arizona coming into tonight’s game. J.J. Watt has been activated from the IR list and is set to make a comeback for the first time since Week 7. Watt tore his labrum, bicep and rotator cuff and also dislocated his shoulder. It was thought he would miss the rest of the season, but Watt has recovered quicker than expected and could give the Cardinals a big boost.
Cardinals struggle to close season
The Arizona Cardinals backed into the playoffs having lost six of their final ten after starting the season 7-0. They come into tonight having lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the final Week of the regular season. The loss was the Cardinals fourth in their final five games.
Rams win five of last six to take title in NFC West
The Rams won five of their last six games to seal the NFC West and secure a home game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They come into tonight’s game on the heels of an overtime loss to division rival the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams blew a 17-0 lead to the Niners in the second half of the Week 18 game, and were eventually taken down by a field goal in overtime.
Rubber match in the NFC West
Hello everyone and welcome to Los Angeles where the Rams will take on the Arizona Cardinals for the third time this season. Both previous matches were won by the road teams which could spell trouble for the Rams tonight.
Cardinals vs. Rams
The Arizona Cardinals head to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams for a Wild Card matchup in the NFC Playoffs. AS English will have you up to the minute with live coverage, stats, scores and analysis from Sofi Stadium.