The Arizona Cardinals had not won a game against an NFC West opponent since the final week of the 2024-25 season. They had lost four straight ugly games to open 2026 and were coming off a blowout defeat to the Lions.

Staring down Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford and and the Los Angeles Rams — who have struggled of their own accord recently — Arizona’s road-game task was steep. Avoiding embarrassment felt like a more reasonable ask than waltzing out of SoFi Stadium with a victory.

But as Chad Ryland watched his last-second 43-yard kick sail through the uprights, Arizona put the finishing touches on the 18-16 upset they’d been searching for. It wasn’t a pretty victory. But it was enough.

Cardinals’ defense steps up against Rams threat

Arizona’s defense has been one of the many centers of scrutiny this year, and for good reason. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ unit had just been worked for 45 points by Drew Petzing and Detroit a week prior. They had allowed 30-plus points in four straight losses.

But Rallis’ group did not falter under the threat of a Hall Of Fame head coach and quarterback. They held the Rams to just 286 yards of offense — 86 of which came on the Rams’ final possession of the contest.

The Cardinals found creative looks to leverage pressure Stafford, sacking him three times and hitting him seven times. They strip-sacked him to thwart a two-point attempt in the first half, then later recovered a Tyler Higbee fumble that halted a surefire scoring drive deep in the fourth quarter

A Rams offense that has made its reputation on both quick, easy gains and downfield shots looked sluggish and inefficient against one of the lesser defensive units in football. Los Angeles ran the ball for under 100 yards; Puka Nacua was limited to 80 yards as the Rams’ leading receiver.

Sunday looked like a stronger, more creative game plan by Rallis, coupled with consistent execution and a (relative) lack of game-altering mistakes. In other words, it appeared as if Arizona’s defense showed up hungry and dialed in, ready to embrace their underdog challenge.

To an extent, it was concerning that, when faced with a must-have defensive possession, Arizona surrendered an 86-yard go-ahead drive. With that said, their overall body of work was positive.

For a team that has often looked lifeless and futile on the defensive side of the football — even when giving quality effort — it was a step in the right direction. There is still a long way to go before this type of result will be considered an expectation, of course.

But in the midst of an otherwise change-lacking organization, a notable improvement and a much-needed winning outcome can, at least, begin to provide even the smallest amount of positive momentum.

Cardinals offense struggles but does enough vs Rams

Ryland’s impact on Sunday’s game did not start nor end with his 43-yard winner. In fact, all 18 of Arizona’s points came off his right foot.

The Cardinals’ offense was held out of the end zone for the entire game. They did, to their credit, move the ball consistently enough to come away with points on six of their 10 total drives. Field goals won’t always be enough, but they were on Sunday.

Down rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, the Cardinals’ offense looked to be in trouble from the outset. Jacoby Brissett threw a poor pass that was intercepted on their first offensive possession and the run game looked stagnant early on.

But head coach Mike LaFleur, who was McVay’s offensive coordinator in 2025, was able to keep the ball moving just enough. RB Bam Knight ran for 80 yards on 15 carries — 5.3 per attempt. Trey McBride had a seven-reception game, although the ball also found its way to seven different receivers.

Was it Brissett’s best performance under center? Not exactly. But he did recover from his interception and made a big-time 21-yard throw to Jalen Brooks with the game on the line. Tack on a 15-yard penalty, and Ryland’s leg was all else needed for Brissett to earn the first game-winning drive of his Cardinals tenure.

Now, does this mean the hope of a future QB change is a bit further away? Most likely. Winning tends to create patience for all involved. Brissett did not play a game worthy of sustained, starter-level faith, but he did lead four drives of 10-plus plays and avoided becoming an active detriment once the interception was left in the past.

A winning culture also cannot be created without winning football games — including games you should not have business winning. LaFleur needed this victory over his former mentor. Arizona’s roster needed it for morale. Cardinals fans needed to remember what it’s like to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.

And so, a three-game losing streak to McVay’s Rams — and an eight-game losing streak to the NFC West — has come to an end. The Cardinals have a long path toward true contention in the future, but they’re no longer last in the divisional standings, for at least one week.