NFLBALLS

A Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals game is one of the oldest fixtures in the NFL. These two franchises first met in 1937, back when the Cardinals played in Chicago and the Rams in Cleveland, and they have now played 96 times. The Rams lead the series 53-41-2, and today they get another chance to add to it. Sunday, October 18, 2026, Week 6 of the NFL season, brings the NFC West rivals to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. PT) on FOX.

Los Angeles walks in at 2-3 after a wild 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo on Monday Night Football, a game that ended with a blocked field goal. Arizona sits at 1-4 and has lost four straight since opening the year with a win over the Chargers. The Cardinals also traded Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston last week. The Rams are 12.5-point favorites, the biggest spread on the Week 6 board, and the total sits at 51.5.

So here is everything that matters before kickoff: where each team stands, the full head-to-head history, a breakdown of the last meeting, the best players to watch, injury news, the betting angle, and a final score prediction. Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals matches have leaned one way for most of the last decade, but a 2-3 team coming off a heartbreaker has plenty to prove. If you can’t watch live, Rams vs Cardinals highlights will be easy to find right after the final whistle.

Los Angeles Rams: Stafford Keeps Throwing, the Kicking Game Keeps Costing Them

The Rams opened 2026 as one of the favorites to win it all. Matthew Stafford was the reigning MVP after throwing 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards last season, and Los Angeles had reached the NFC Championship Game in Seattle. This fall has been messier. The Rams are under .500 after five games for the fourth time in five seasons, and almost every loss comes back to turnovers, penalties, and special teams.

The season started in Melbourne, where San Francisco won 27-7 after the Rams landed only 28 hours before kickoff. They bounced back with a 28-6 win over the Giants, lost 30-26 at Denver, and won 24-20 at Philadelphia. Then came the Bills. Stafford went 40 of 54 for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and Puka Nacua caught a career-high 17 passes. But kicker Harrison Mevis missed two field goals, including the overtime try that Buffalo blocked, and Tyler Bass won it from 45 yards. Mevis has been waived, and Blake Grupe makes his Rams debut today.

What Makes Los Angeles’s Offense Tick

• Matthew Stafford has 1,572 passing yards and nine touchdowns through five games, and he is coming off his fourth straight game with at least 300 yards, the longest such streak of his career
• Puka Nacua has 31 catches for 337 yards, drew 24 targets against Buffalo, the most by any player in a game since 2009, and has topped 100 yards in each of his last two games
• Davante Adams has 27 catches for 441 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores on Monday night
• Kyren Williams has 343 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns, with Blake Corum waiting as the change-of-pace runner

The defense has been the steadier side. Aaron Donald has returned from retirement and played a season-high 43 snaps against the Bills. Los Angeles has held its last two opponents to a combined 2-for-19 on third down, has outgained opponents by 696 yards (the best margin in the league), and has been the best defense in football against tight ends, which matters against Trey McBride.

Los Angeles Rams Snapshot

Detail	Los Angeles Rams
Division	NFC West
Head coach	Sean McVay (10th season)
Starting QB	Matthew Stafford
Home field	SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Recent form	2-3 to start 2026
2026 results	Lost to 49ers 27-7 (Wk 1), beat Giants 28-6 (Wk 2), lost at Broncos 30-26 (Wk 3), beat Eagles 24-20 (Wk 4), lost to Bills 37-34 in OT (Wk 5)
Key injuries	LT Alaric Jackson (suspended), CB Trent McDuffie (questionable), S Kam Curl (questionable)

Looking at the Los Angeles Rams standings, 2-3 puts them well behind a 5-0 San Francisco team in the NFC West. A loss today would drop Los Angeles into a tie for last place in the division. The upcoming Los Angeles Rams games are kind, though: Arizona twice, the Raiders, the Chargers, and the Commanders before the Week 11 bye.

Arizona Cardinals: A Rebuild Under Mike LaFleur Hits a Wall

The Cardinals started the Mike LaFleur era with a surprise, beating the Chargers 26-14 at SoFi Stadium in Week 1 as nine-point underdogs. It has been a long slide since. Seattle won 31-7 in Glendale, San Francisco survived a late Arizona rally 36-30, the Giants won a game in which Jacoby Brissett threw three interceptions, and Detroit won 45-21 last Sunday, the same afternoon Arizona finalized the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade with Houston for 2027 draft picks.

The defense is the biggest issue. Arizona has allowed at least 30 points in four straight games and gives up an NFL-worst 32.4 per game. It pressures the quarterback on just 30.3 percent of dropbacks, the second-lowest rate in the league, and only 21.7 percent on third downs, the lowest in football. That is exactly what a Stafford-led offense wants to see.

The offense has its own limits. Arizona has produced an explosive play on only 32 percent of its drives, the lowest rate by any offense in a season since 2017. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick, is out today with an ankle injury. Brissett has 1,110 passing yards, 10 total touchdowns, and five interceptions, and LaFleur says the quarterback is not the problem.

What Makes Arizona’s Offense Tick

• Trey McBride leads the league with 42 receptions and 308 yards, and he is the only player with at least seven catches in all five games this season
• Jacoby Brissett has kept the offense moving with 1,110 passing yards and 62 rushing yards, and he ran in a score against San Francisco
• Michael Wilson is now the top wideout after the Harrison trade, and he caught three touchdowns in two games against the Rams last season
• Teagan Quitoriano and the tight end group scored three times in a single game against Detroit, a first in franchise history

Arizona Cardinals Snapshot

Detail	Arizona Cardinals
Division	NFC West
Head coach	Mike LaFleur (1st season)
Starting QB	Jacoby Brissett
Home field	State Farm Stadium, Glendale
Recent form	1-4 to start 2026, four straight losses
2026 results	Beat Chargers 26-14 (Wk 1), lost to Seahawks 31-7 (Wk 2), lost at 49ers 36-30 (Wk 3), lost at Giants (Wk 4), lost to Lions 45-21 (Wk 5)
Key injuries	RB Jeremiyah Love (out), S Andrew Wingard (out), S Wydett Williams Jr. (out), S Budda Baker (questionable), LB Zaven Collins (questionable)

The Arizona Cardinals standings are about as tough as they look. At 1-4, the Cardinals trail every team in the NFC West, and they went 0-6 against division opponents a year ago. Today is their third road game in four weeks, and the Arizona Cardinals schedule does not ease up, with Denver, Dallas, and Seattle still to come before they host the Rams on November 15.

NFL Schedule This Week

Today’s game is part of the late-afternoon window on FOX. The Rams are playing their second straight home game, while Arizona is on its third road trip in four weeks. For the Los Angeles Rams games ahead, Las Vegas comes next, and the Arizona Cardinals games ahead start with a home date against Denver.

Team	Next Matchup	Date	Location
Los Angeles Rams	at Las Vegas Raiders	Sunday, Oct. 25 (4:25 p.m. ET)	Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles Rams	vs. Los Angeles Chargers	Sunday, Nov. 1 (4:05 p.m. ET)	Inglewood, CA
Arizona Cardinals	vs. Denver Broncos	Sunday, Oct. 25 (4:05 p.m. ET)	Glendale, AZ
Arizona Cardinals	at Dallas Cowboys	Sunday, Nov. 1 (1:00 p.m. ET)	Arlington, TX

Head-to-Head History: The Full Timeline

Los Angeles holds the edge in the all-time series, and the Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals matches of the last ten years have gone to the Rams eight times. The Rams have won the last three meetings and are 16-3 against Arizona under Sean McVay, including a playoff win on the way to Super Bowl LVI.

Date	Winner	Location	Score	Notes
01/04/2026	Rams	Inglewood	37-20	Win locked up the NFC’s No. 5 seed
12/07/2025	Rams	Glendale	45-17	Blake Corum ran for 128 yards and two scores
12/28/2024	Rams	Inglewood	13-9	Low-scoring Saturday grind
09/15/2024	Cardinals	Glendale	41-10	Among the worst losses of McVay’s tenure
11/26/2023	Rams	Glendale	37-14	Rams pull away on the road
10/15/2023	Rams	Inglewood	26-9	Comfortable home win
11/13/2022	Cardinals	Inglewood	27-17	Arizona wins at SoFi
09/25/2022	Rams	Glendale	20-12	Rams survive in the desert
01/17/2022	Rams	Inglewood	34-11	NFC Wild Card on the Super Bowl run
12/13/2021	Rams	Glendale	30-23	Eight-point road win

The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals stats across the full series favor Los Angeles 53-41-2, and the recent Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals matches have been even more lopsided than the overall record suggests.

A Few Things Worth Pointing Out

• The Rams won both playoff meetings, 35-23 in 1975 and 34-11 in the 2021 Wild Card round
• Los Angeles has won eight of the last ten meetings
• Arizona’s lone wins in that stretch came in September 2024 and November 2022
• The Cardinals’ longest win streak in the series is eight games (2006-2010), the same as the Rams’ run from 2017 to 2021
• Today is the first meeting between McVay and Mike LaFleur as head coaches

Cardinals vs Rams Mythology: Horns and Feathers With Ancient Roots

There is a fun side note buried in this matchup. Cardinals vs Rams mythology reaches back thousands of years, because the ram was one of the most powerful symbols in the ancient world. In Greek myth, a golden-fleeced ram carried two children to safety, and its fleece became the prize Jason chased with the Argonauts. The ram also became the constellation Aries. In Egypt, the creator god Khnum was shown with a ram’s head.

The cardinal has a quieter folklore. In many traditions the bright red bird is seen as a messenger or a symbol of vitality. The franchise itself was named for a color, because the original Chicago team bought used jerseys that had faded to what owner Chris O’Brien called “cardinal red.” The Rams took their name in Cleveland in 1937. Nobody in the scheduling office was thinking about any of that, but the Cardinals vs Rams mythology makes for a nice coincidence between two of the league’s oldest franchises.

Three Eras of the Rivalry

Era 1: Two Old Franchises Meet (1937-1990s) The Cardinals won the first game 6-0 in 1937 and took both meetings in 1946 and 1947, the year Chicago won its last NFL title. The Rams controlled parts of the 1970s and 80s, including a 21-0 shutout in 1979.

Era 2: Arizona’s Run (2006-2016) The Cardinals won eight straight from 2006 to 2010, and their largest win in the series, 44-6, came on January 1, 2017.

Era 3: The McVay Years (2017-Present) The Rams won eight straight after McVay arrived. The Cardinals snapped the streak with a 37-20 win in October 2021, but Los Angeles answered in the Wild Card round and has won eight of the last ten meetings, including the last three.

The Last Time These Two Teams Met: Rams 37, Cardinals 20 (Jan. 4, 2026)

Today’s game is still unplayed, so the 2025 regular-season finale remains the best snapshot of how this series looks right now. Los Angeles needed the win to lock up the No. 5 seed in the NFC, and it got it. Stafford threw for 259 yards and four touchdowns, and the Rams defense forced a turnover early when outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart stripped the ball and defensive end Kobie Turner recovered it. Desjuan Johnson led the team with two sacks, and four other Rams also got to the quarterback.

Passing Leaders

• Matthew Stafford (LAR): 259 yards, 4 TD

Receiving Leaders

• Tyler Higbee (LAR): 91 yards, 1 TD
• Puka Nacua (LAR): 76 yards, 1 TD
• Colby Parkinson (LAR): 36 yards, 2 TD

Defensive Leaders

• Desjuan Johnson (LAR): 2 sacks
• Jaylen McCollough (LAR): 7 tackles
• Josaiah Stewart (LAR): forced fumble

That game followed a 45-17 Rams win in Glendale in December, when Blake Corum ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Wilson, now Arizona’s top receiver, caught three touchdown passes across the two games. The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals stats from that game still hold some value, but both rosters have changed since then: the Cardinals have a new head coach and a first-round running back, and the Rams have added Myles Garrett and brought back Aaron Donald.

Where Both Teams Stand Entering Today’s Game

Five weeks in, the numbers show two teams going in opposite directions even though Los Angeles has the worse record. The Rams are in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency, while the Cardinals sit near the bottom in scoring defense and explosive plays. The simplest way to frame this Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals match player stats snapshot is this: if the Rams protect the ball and clean up special teams, the talent gap should decide the game.

Stat	Los Angeles Rams	Arizona Cardinals
Record	2-3	1-4
Starting QB	Matthew Stafford: 1,572 yds, 9 TD, 6 INT	Jacoby Brissett: 1,110 yds, 10 total TD, 5 INT
Top receiver	Davante Adams: 27 rec, 441 yds, 4 TD	Trey McBride: 42 rec, 308 yds, 3 TD
Top rusher	Kyren Williams: 343 yds	Jeremiyah Love: 245 yds (out)
Defensive standout	Nate Landman: 40 tackles, 2 forced fumbles	Budda Baker: 36 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Yardage margin	+696 (best in the NFL)	Struggling: allows 32.4 ppg (worst in NFL)
Betting line	Rams -12.5	Cardinals +12.5
Implied team total	32.0	19.5

The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals stats point to a protection story. The Rams have a top-three quarterback pressure rate, while Arizona has the second-lowest in football. That is a big edge for a Stafford offense that has thrown for 300-plus yards four games in a row, even with a backup left tackle.

Best Top Players to Watch

Both rosters have difference-makers, so the Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals matches always come down to which stars show up. The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals match player stats through five weeks point to these names as the ones worth circling.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles. The reigning MVP has four straight 300-yard games and sits five touchdown passes shy of Roman Gabriel’s franchise record of 154. Arizona’s secondary is thin, and this may be his best matchup of the season.

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles. Nacua needs three catches to pass Michael Thomas for the most receptions by any player in his first 50 NFL games. He had 17 catches on Monday night and has 100 yards in back-to-back games.

Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles. Four touchdowns already, two of them against Buffalo. With Nacua drawing so much attention, Adams keeps getting the one-on-one matchups he likes.

Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles. Five total touchdowns in five games. If the Rams lead early, Williams will be in position to close drives.

Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles. Donald says the game is starting to slow down for him, and his first sack of the season was called back by a penalty against the Bills. Arizona just put guard Isaiah Adams on injured reserve, which could open a lane.

Top Players to Watch

Trey McBride, TE, Arizona. The league leader in receptions and the only reliable passing target left. He will likely see Nate Landman and Quentin Lake, and the Rams have allowed the fewest tight end yards in the league.

Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona. Brissett has played steadily, but he faces a defense that ranks third in pressure rate. If the Cardinals fall behind, he will be throwing 40-plus times again.

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona. The most-targeted wideout on the roster now has the lead role after Harrison’s departure, and his three touchdowns against the Rams last season make him an easy name to circle.

Budda Baker, S, Arizona. Baker has 2.5 sacks and 36 tackles, but he is questionable. Arizona’s safety group is already down Andrew Wingard and Wydett Williams Jr., so his status matters.

Coaching Matchup: McVay vs. LaFleur

Sean McVay and Mike LaFleur have never faced each other as head coaches, and this is a meeting between a mentor and a former assistant. McVay is 5-8 all-time against his former coordinators, but five of those losses came against Matt LaFleur.

Factor	Los Angeles (McVay)	Arizona (LaFleur)
Experience level	10th season, Super Bowl LVI champion	1st season, 1-4 start
Record vs. opponent	16-3 against Arizona	First meeting as a head coach
Quarterback situation	Matthew Stafford, reigning MVP	Jacoby Brissett, backed by Carson Beck
Offensive identity	Pass-heavy, built around Nacua and Adams	Tight-end-heavy, using three-TE sets
Defensive concern	Kicking game, penalties, special teams	Lowest pressure rate and worst scoring defense
Program status	Contender trying to fix small mistakes	Rebuilding team searching for answers

McVay has said the Rams cannot let the Bills beat them twice, and LaFleur says he has too many other things to fix to think about a quarterback change.

Betting Angle: What the Odds Say

The line for today’s game opened with Los Angeles favored by 13.5 points and has settled at 12.5. The total opened at 47.5 at some books and has climbed to 51.5. On the moneyline, the Rams opened around -667 with Arizona at +457, and the implied scoring is about 32 points for Los Angeles and 19.5 for Arizona.

The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals matches have been lopsided against the spread too. The Rams are 7-3 against the number in their last ten games against Arizona and 15-4 in the McVay era. The Cardinals have lost four straight and failed to cover in three of them, and Los Angeles has gone over in four straight games against teams with losing records. Anyone leaning on Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals match player stats should weight the pressure rates heavily.

Prediction: Rams 34, Cardinals 17

This one should be a get-right game for the Rams, and the Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals match player stats from the first five weeks back that up. Arizona has the league’s worst scoring defense, almost no pass rush, and a thin secondary, and it is missing Love in the backfield. Stafford and Nacua should find plenty of room.

The Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals stats on penalties and special teams show the risks for Los Angeles are self-inflicted. Alaric Jackson is suspended, so David Quessenberry makes his first start at left tackle since 2023, and Grupe is a new kicker. Penalties and special teams mistakes have shown up in every game. If Los Angeles avoids them, this should be decided by halftime.

Arizona can make it interesting if Brissett stays clean and McBride dominates underneath, but the Cardinals have too many holes. Every analyst at NFL.com, SI, and ESPN picked the Rams, and most score predictions land between 31-16 and 34-17. A final score of 34-17 fits that range nicely.

Where to Watch Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals

• TV: FOX, with Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Greg Olsen (analyst), and Pam Oliver (sideline)
• Streaming: NFL+ lets fans watch local games on a phone or tablet
• Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. PT) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood
• Weather: Indoors, so conditions will not play a role
• Rams radio: ESPN 710 AM with J.B. Long, Maurice Jones-Drew, and D’Marco Farr
• Satellite radio: SiriusXM channel 194

The short answer on where to watch Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals is FOX, and a full set of Rams vs Cardinals highlights will be posted on NFL.com and the league’s social channels shortly after the game ends.

What’s Next for Both Teams

Los Angeles has a soft stretch coming up. The Rams visit the Raiders next Sunday, host the Chargers on November 1, and travel to Washington on November 8 before returning to Arizona on November 15 and then a Week 11 bye. A win today would put them at 3-3, and the Los Angeles Rams standings will look very different at 3-3 than at 2-4. The next few Los Angeles Rams games will show whether the special teams problems are fixable.

Arizona’s road gets no easier. The Cardinals host Denver next week, visit Dallas on November 1, and then play at Seattle before welcoming the Rams to Glendale. Another loss would drop them to 1-5, and the Arizona Cardinals standings would look even worse. The Arizona Cardinals schedule and the Arizona Cardinals games that follow will show whether LaFleur’s team has any fight left, and whether Brissett or Carson Beck takes the snaps.

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Source: NFL