Arizona Cardinals (3-13) at Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
Time/site: 2:25 p.m. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
TV: Fox. Radio: 1450-AM
Last time they played: The Cardinals’ worst performance in a dreadful season came against the Rams in Week 14, as they lost, 45-17, at home. In many ways, it was the game that changed the vibe of the season. The Cardinals were no longer a competitive team, losing close games — they were simply one of the worst teams in the NFL. Their four losses since then have been by an average of 19.5 points.
Series history: The Cardinals are 41-52-2 all-time against the Rams. The series, though, has been far less competitive since Sean McVay took over as the Rams' head coach in 2017. He is 15-3 against the Cardinals, including a playoff win in 2021.
Coaching matchup
The Cardinals’ best performance of the Jonathan Gannon era came in Week 2 last year, when they beat McVay’s Rams, 41-10. But Gannon has lost all four of his other matchups against Los Angeles, with an average margin of 18 points. That record speaks to a big-picture issue for Arizona. They play in a division with perhaps the two best coaches in the NFL — McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Mike Macdonald is now trending in that direction with the Seahawks. It’s a major disadvantage for Arizona.
Storyline
Will Jonathan Gannon be fired? And where will the Cardinals pick in the draft? Those are the two storylines that matter here. It’s hard to imagine that Week 18 in a lost season will have any impact on Gannon’s job status, but it wouldn’t hurt to make a good final impression. As for the draft, Arizona can pick anywhere between second and seventh. Losing is paramount to remain in position to draft a quarterback.
Arizona will win if …
1. A miracle happens: Come on. The Rams have the league’s best offense and third-best defense, by DVOA. Since Week 10, the Cardinals rank 23rd and 29th in those two metrics. They’ve lost their past eight games by an average margin of 15.6 points. With Arizona’s injury crisis worsening by the week, this is a mismatch of epic proportions.
2. The Rams bench their starters: McVay said that his starters are playing in Week 18, but the Rams would be locked into the No. 6 seed if the 49ers beat the Seahawks on Saturday. In that scenario, it’s hard to imagine McVay following through on his pledge. That would open the door for the Cardinals.
3. Jacoby Brissett has a monster day: Brissett has shown the ability to put together huge statistical performances, like his record-setting 47 completions against the 49ers. If the Rams' starters play, he’ll need a game like that for the Cardinals to have a chance. He’ll also need to put up those numbers before garbage time.
Los Angeles will win if …
1. They take away Trey McBride: The Cardinals’ past two opponents have found a solution for McBride. His only success in those two games came in garbage time against the Bengals. Recreating that plan will be key for the Rams, given that McBride is the Cardinals’ only true star on offense.
2. Matthew Stafford protects the ball: The Rams were stunned by the Falcons last week, in large part because Stafford threw three interceptions. He’s been brilliant this season, but now has eight turnovers in his past five games. The Cardinals will need game-changing moments like that to pull off the upset here.
3. They run at will again: The Rams had a field day on the ground in the last meeting between these teams, with Blake Corum going for 128 yards and Kyren Williams for 84. Arizona has no chance if that story repeats itself.
They said it
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon on what this team has shown to make him the right man for the job in 2026: “Their effort and energy and enthusiasm. I think they’re educated. They have belief. But we gotta coach and play better. There’s no doubt.”
Gannon on whether he expects to remain head coach in 2026: “Absolutely.”
By the numbers
8: How many games the Cardinals are out of second-to-last place. No team in NFL history has ever finished in last place by eight games.
13: The Cardinals’ franchise record for losses in a season. They would break that record with a loss this week.
.300: Gannon’s win percentage as head coach. If the Cardinals lose this week, he will have the worst win percentage of any Cardinals coach who lasted multiple seasons in the Super Bowl era.
35: Points per game allowed by the Cardinals in their eight-game losing streak. Prior to this stretch, they were allowing 21.4 points per game.
2012: The last time the Cardinals lost nine consecutive games.
Who will win and why
Rams 38, Cardinals 14: If the Rams play their starters, it’s hard to envision the Cardinals being competitive in this one. In their losing streak, they’ve been competitive in only three games. Of those three, only one, against Jacksonville, came against a quality opponent. The Rams, meanwhile, are perhaps the best team in the NFL. If the Rams rest their starters, they would still be favorites, but the score should be more respectable.
