Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Ryland's six field goals lift Cardinals past Rams 18–16 after a 47-second reversal
Arizona never reached the end zone, but a 43-yard kick at the final whistle overturned the Rams' late lead at SoFi Stadium.
Chad Ryland made six field goals, the last from 43 yards as time expired, to give the Arizona Cardinals an 18–16 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 18. Arizona scored all its points through field goals and left SoFi Stadium with a 2–4 record; the Rams also fell to 2–4.
Los Angeles had taken a 16–15 lead with 47 seconds remaining after Matthew Stafford's touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson and punter Ethan Evans' extra point. Arizona's immediate response turned what looked like a late escape for the Rams into a two-point defeat.
A late lead lasted less than a minute
The Rams trailed 15–9 before Stafford found Parkinson for the late touchdown. That six-point play tied the score, and Evans' successful extra point supplied the one-point advantage. There were still 47 seconds for Arizona to answer.
A 21-yard pass and a 15-yard penalty on the same play moved the Cardinals 36 yards in field position. Penalty yards are not passing yards, and Ryland's eventual 43-yard kick describes the kick's distance, not the length of the drive. His last attempt changed the score from 16–15 Rams to 18–16 Cardinals.
Six field goals outweighed two touchdowns
Arizona's arithmetic was simple: six field goals worth three points each produced 18, with no touchdown. The fourth kick, from 38 yards, made it 12–9 in the third quarter; the fifth, from 27, extended the lead to 15–9 before the final exchange.
Los Angeles scored two touchdowns for 12 points, Grupe's field goal for three and Evans' extra point for one, totaling 16. Its two-point attempt after Stafford's earlier 15-yard touchdown pass to Blake Corum failed. The final margin follows from those scoring events rather than the touchdown count alone.
Evans took over after Grupe's injury
Grupe made a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter, then injured his knee while making a tackle on the following kickoff. He did not return, leaving the Rams to adjust their placekicking arrangements.
Evans, normally the punter, converted the extra point after Parkinson's touchdown. That kick did give Los Angeles the lead, but it did not settle the game. The injury and change of kicker are confirmed circumstances; they do not establish that the injury alone caused the defeat.
The second half supplied the two-point difference
The 9–9 halftime score means Arizona added nine points after the break and Los Angeles seven. Arizona's second-half scoring consisted of Ryland's fourth, fifth and sixth field goals; the Rams' seven came from the late touchdown and extra point.
Brissett finished with 218 passing yards, compared with Stafford's 222 and two touchdown passes. The Rams managed 286 total offensive yards, according to the Associated Press. Neither the close passing totals nor the two Los Angeles touchdowns replaced the decisive scoreboard result: both teams ended at 2–4.
