By Cynthia McLaren 
The Los Angeles Rams fell behind 20-16 midway through the third quarter of their regular-season finale before Matthew Stafford threw three consecutive touchdown passes — the last two in the fourth quarter — to beat the Arizona Cardinals 37-20 on January 4, 2026, at SoFi Stadium. The win secured Los Angeles the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs; Stafford finished with four touchdowns, 259 yards, and no interceptions, and passed Dan Marino for seventh on the NFL’s all-time touchdown passes list across a regular season in which he led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.
Table of Contents
Game Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, January 4, 2026 |
| Kickoff | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California |
| Attendance | 72,004 |
| Broadcast | FOX |
| Referee | Carl Cheffers |
| Down Judge | Daniel Gallagher |
| Line Judge | Quentin Givens |
| Side Judge | Eugene Hall |
| Field Judge | Nathan Jones |
| Back Judge | Greg Meyer |
| Umpire | Derek Anderson |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-14 (2-7 Away) |
| Los Angeles Rams | 12-5 (7-1 Home) |
| Final Score | Los Angeles Rams 37, Arizona Cardinals 20 |
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 37 |
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 11:07 | LAR | Harrison Mevis 34-yd FG | LAR 3–0 |
| Q1 | 3:26 | ARI | Chad Ryland 45-yd FG | 3–3 |
| Q2 | 11:45 | LAR | Harrison Mevis 42-yd FG | LAR 6–3 |
| Q2 | 9:35 | ARI | Chad Ryland 56-yd FG | 6–6 |
| Q2 | 1:22 | LAR | Puka Nacua 2-yd pass from Stafford (Mevis kick) | LAR 13–6 |
| Q2 | 0:00 | LAR | Harrison Mevis 40-yd FG | LAR 16–6 |
| Q3 | 10:38 | ARI | Michael Wilson 43-yd pass from Brissett (Ryland kick) | LAR 16–13 |
| Q3 | 3:51 | ARI | Josiah Deguara 7-yd pass from Brissett (Ryland kick) | ARI 20–16 |
| Q3 | 0:42 | LAR | Colby Parkinson 21-yd pass from Stafford (Mevis kick) | LAR 23–20 |
| Q4 | 10:39 | LAR | Tyler Higbee 22-yd pass from Stafford (Mevis kick) | LAR 30–20 |
| Q4 | 4:15 | LAR | Colby Parkinson 1-yd pass from Stafford (Mevis kick) | LAR 37–20 |
Arizona’s third-quarter comeback ran through three straight possessions: a 28-yard fake punt pass from punter Matt Haack to Emari Demercado on fourth down, Wilson’s 43-yard touchdown catch on the very next series, then a 76-yard drive capped by Deguara’s end zone reception — his first touchdown since 2021 — which gave the Cardinals their only lead of the afternoon. Los Angeles answered on the following drive and did not trail again.
Team Stats
| Stat | Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 317 | 395 |
| Total Plays | 53 | 72 |
| Yards per Play | 6.0 | 5.5 |
| 1st Downs | 17 | 25 |
| Passing | 13 | 16 |
| Rushing | 4 | 9 |
| Penalties | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 4/11 (36%) | 9/16 (56%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 1/2 | 1/1 |
| Net Passing Yards | 238 | 252 |
| Comp/Att | 23/32 | 25/40 |
| Yards per Pass | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| Sacks–Yards Lost | 6–33 | 1–7 |
| Rushing Yards | 79 | 143 |
| Rushing Attempts | 15 | 31 |
| Yards per Rush | 5.3 | 4.6 |
| Red Zone (Made–Att) | 1/3 | 2/4 |
| Penalties | 6–45 | 4–20 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 27:49 | 32:11 |
Passing Stats
Los Angeles Rams
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | QBR | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford | 25/40 | 259 | 6.5 | 4 | 0 | 1–7 | 85.5 | 114.5 |
| Team | 25/40 | 252* | 6.1 | 4 | 0 | 1–7 | — | 114.5 |
Arizona Cardinals
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | QBR | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacoby Brissett | 22/31 | 243 | 7.8 | 2 | 1 | 6–33 | 42.9 | 101.9 |
| Matt Haack | 1/1 | 28 | 28.0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | — | 118.8 |
| Team | 23/32 | 238* | 6.3 | 2 | 1 | 6–33 | — | 105.1 |
*Team net passing yards = gross yards minus sack yardage lost. Haack’s completion was the fake punt pass to Demercado in the third quarter.
Rushing Stats
Los Angeles Rams
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyren Williams | 12 | 60 | 5.0 | 0 | 22 |
| Blake Corum | 13 | 59 | 4.5 | 0 | 21 |
| Puka Nacua | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Matthew Stafford | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 3 | –3 | –1.0 | 0 | — |
| Team | 31 | 143 | 4.6 | 0 | 22 |
Arizona Cardinals
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emari Demercado | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 18 |
| Jacoby Brissett | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | 15 |
| Michael Carter | 7 | 18 | 2.6 | 0 | 5 |
| Corey Kiner | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 | 6 |
| Team | 15 | 79 | 5.3 | 0 | 18 |
Receiving Stats
Los Angeles Rams
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Higbee | 5 | 6 | 91 | 18.2 | 1 | 22 |
| Puka Nacua | 10 | 11 | 76 | 7.6 | 1 | 17 |
| Colby Parkinson | 4 | 7 | 36 | 9.0 | 2 | 21 |
| Kyren Williams | 3 | 5 | 21 | 7.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tutu Atwell | 1 | 3 | 19 | 19.0 | 0 | 19 |
| Blake Corum | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Xavier Smith | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Davis Allen | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Konata Mumpfield | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Team | 25 | 37 | 259 | 10.4 | 4 | 22 |
Higbee was playing his first game back after a six-game ankle injury absence. His 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was his first since November 2.
Arizona Cardinals
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Wilson | 5 | 8 | 99 | 19.8 | 1 | 43 |
| Trey McBride | 7 | 8 | 65 | 9.3 | 0 | 29 |
| Elijah Higgins | 3 | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 0 | 11 |
| Emari Demercado | 1 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 0 | 28 |
| Michael Carter | 3 | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Josiah Deguara | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 1 | 8 |
| Corey Kiner | 2 | 3 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 11 |
| Team | 23 | 28 | 271 | 11.8 | 2 | 43 |
McBride’s seven catches extended his own NFL single-season reception record for a tight end to 126. Wilson’s 99 yards brought his season total past 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career.
Defensive Stats
Los Angeles Rams
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen McCollough | S | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamren Kinchens | S | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Omar Speights | LB | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kam Curl | S | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Desjuan Johnson | DE | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Jared Verse | LB | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Nate Landman | LB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Reeder | LB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes Jr. | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Byron Young | DE | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Braden Fiske | DT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Josaiah Stewart | DE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Heflin | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobie Turner | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derion Kendrick | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tanner Ingle | S | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cobie Durant | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Smith | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Whittington | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaun Dolac | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Poona Ford | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ahkello Witherspoon | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tyler Davis | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Team | — | 52 | 40 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 12 |
Arizona Cardinals
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Thompson | S | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | S | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | LB | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Burke | CB | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | LB | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darius Robinson | DE | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zachary Carter | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dante Stills | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | S | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Owen Pappoe | LB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Elijah Jones | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Josh Sweat | LB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Calais Campbell | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Brooks | WR | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| L.J. Collier | DE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Burch | LB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Gaines II | OL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Davis | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Baron Browning | LB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaven Collins | LB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darren Hall | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emari Demercado | RB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BJ Ojulari | LB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Team | — | 75 | 39 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Turnovers and Interceptions
Interceptions
| Team | Player | POS | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | Ahkello Witherspoon | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | — | — | 0 | — | — |
Fumbles
| Team | Player | FUM | LOST | REC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | Jacoby Brissett | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Kobie Turner | 0 | 0 | 1 (recovery) |
Special Teams
Kicking
| Team | Player | FG | PCT | LONG | XP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | Harrison Mevis | 3/3 | 100.0% | 42 | 4/4 | 13 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Chad Ryland | 2/2 | 100.0% | 56 | 2/2 | 8 |
Punting
| Team | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | TB | IN 20 | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | Ethan Evans | 2 | 117 | 58.5 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Matt Haack | 2 | 109 | 54.5 | 0 | 1 | 57 |
Kick Returns
| Team | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | Ronnie Rivers | 4 | 107 | 26.8 | 28 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Xavier Smith | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 27 | 0 |
| LAR Total | 5 | 134 | 26.8 | 28 | 0 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | Steven Sims | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 21 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Team | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | Xavier Smith | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | Steven Sims | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 18 | 0 |
Game-Day Injuries
Los Angeles Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (knee, first quarter, did not return); LB Shaun Dolac (knee).
Arizona Cardinals: CB Will Johnson (knee, first half); LB Channing Tindall (knee, first half). WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (left foot) was ruled out before kickoff.
Los Angeles finished the regular season 12-5 and advanced to the NFC wild-card round as the No. 5 seed. Arizona closed at 3-14 — the most defeats in a single season for a franchise that has operated since 1920. Stafford’s 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes placed him second all-time among NFL quarterbacks aged 37 or older for single-season touchdown passes.