Arizona game…tweets, plays, highlights, commentary

from Nate Atkins: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6940322/2026/01/04/cardinals-rams-score-result-takeaways-nfl-week-18/

This wasn’t the Rams’ best, but it was better

Immediately after last week’s 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football,” Rams coach Sean McVay said his starters would play in this game regardless of what it meant for seeding. He knew his team needed to play better and build some kind of cohesive momentum before its season would be on the line in the playoffs. And at that point, six straight quarters had brought the opposite for what was recently the league’s Super Bowl favorite.

Sunday against Arizona wasn’t exactly a traditional bounce-back. The Rams launched just one touchdown drive in the first half and then gave up a 14-0 run to find themselves trailing near the end of the third. But, as it has at times this season, the offense turned it up with a strong mix of balance, with Kyren Williams gashing the defense up the middle and Stafford finding tight ends time and again along the sidelines to cap off three long scoring drives.

Stafford got back to playing clean and throwing touchdowns, with four scoring tosses. The defense got back to limiting explosives in the run game and forcing turnovers, with an interception by Ahkello Witherspoon and a strip-sack by Josiah Stewart that Kobie Turner recovered to set up a field goal. They also recorded six sacks.

The Cardinals came in on an eight-game losing streak and were without quarterback Kyler Murray and top wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. This was a game the Rams needed to win and win comfortably. Ultimately, they did that, even if the pass coverage and offensive line play left something to be desired.

But with wide receiver Davante Adams and safety Quentin Lake ready to come back for a wild-card trip to Carolina, a little bit of momentum is good to have. Next week will be both a test and a chance to launch that forward with a mostly healthy roster. — Nate Atkins, Rams beat writer

Wyatt Miller@wymill07
Tyler Higbee is catching contested seam balls, taking a big hit and dancing after?

Yeah, he’s back.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Win No. 100 for Sean McVay, joining HOF Curly Lambeau & HOF George Halas as the only head coaches in NFL history with 100 wins prior to age 40

J.B. Long@JB_Long
9th time in franchise history the Rams have finished the regular season with 12+ wins.

Rams win the NFL scoring title at 30.5 ppg. First time since 2017 (Sean McVay’s debut season). Ninth season in franchise history in which the Rams have averaged at least 30ppg – no other franchise has even seven such seasons.

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
The Rams have won at least 12 games in a season for the 3rd time in Sean McVay’s 9 years in charge. The first 2 times they did it, they made it to the Super Bowl.