Cardinals 18, Rams 16: Ryland’s Sixth Kick Beats the Clock at SoFi

October 18, 2026 - Inglewood - Colby Parkinson was in the end zone. The Rams led 16-15 with 47 seconds left. Punter Ethan Evans had just kicked an extra point because the kicker was already in the locker room. Then Jacoby Brissett threw 21 yards to Jalen Brooks, Josh Wallace hit him late, and Chad Ryland lined up from 43. Time expired. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Rams 18-16.

Arizona is 2-4. Both wins are at SoFi. Mike LaFleur beat Sean McVay in their first meeting as opposing head coaches. Los Angeles is 2-4 and 0-2 in the NFC West.

Arizona never reached the end zone. Five red-zone trips, six field goals, 18 points. Ryland made 34, 30, 22, 38, 27, and 43. nflverse has him 6 of 6. The Cardinals wrap and the Rams recap match those distances.

Lake’s pick, Grupe’s knee, then a 2-point try that became a sack

Quentin Lake intercepted Brissett on a ball for Trey McBride 12:18 into the first, the Rams wrote. Blake Grupe made 44, his first kick as a Ram. On the ensuing kickoff he had to tackle Devin Duvernay and hurt his knee. He did not return.

Ryland tied it from 34. From 30, 6-3 Arizona. Matthew Stafford found Blake Corum on a screen from 15. The Rams went for two. Stafford was sacked and fumbled. Josh Sweat got him, the Cardinals wrap said. 9-6 Los Angeles, not 10-6. ESPN Research noted the Rams are 0 for 2 on two-point tries since the start of 2025.

Ryland from 22 with 46 seconds left in the half. 9-9. From 38 after an 8:35 opening drive of the third. 12-9. The Rams had the ball once in the third quarter and died on fourth-and-1 from the Arizona 27.

Higbee’s fumble, a fourth-and-8, then 47 seconds that were not enough

Ryland from 27 with 9:28 left. 15-9. Los Angeles reached the 19. Tyler Higbee caught one and lost it. Cody Simon forced it. Denzel Burke recovered, the Cardinals wrote. The Rams got the ball back and turned it over on downs after a false start made fourth-and-8.

Stafford still had 2:48 from his 15. Puka Nacua ran 42 after the catch, then 16 more. Kyren Williams caught 7 to set up Parkinson from 6. The Rams recap lists 6. The Cardinals wrap called it 5. We are using 6, matching the Rams and the AP. Review put Parkinson in and put 29 seconds back on the clock. LaFleur said thank God he did score. Evans converted. Stetson Bennett held. 16-15, 47 seconds left.

LaFleur said the touchback on the kickoff was huge. Ball at the 35. Brooks, who had dropped one a few minutes earlier, caught the in-breaker. Wallace's unnecessary roughness shoved Arizona into range. Tyler Allgeier ran 5. Ryland from 43.

Brissett went 24 of 35 for 218, no touchdowns, one pick. Bam Knight ran 15 times for 80. Allgeier had 18 for 38. McBride caught seven for 53. Jeremiyah Love (ankle) did not play.

Stafford was 25 of 33 for 222 and two scores. No picks. Three sacks. Nacua finished six for 80. The Rams said half of those catches came on the last drive. Davante Adams had three for 39 and hobbled off favoring a knee on the penultimate snap. McVay had no update. Budda Baker and Sweat each had a sack. Alaric Jackson was suspended. David Quessenberry played left tackle. Arizona brought heat, Kevin Patra wrote, and generated 18 pressures.

Los Angeles finished with 286 yards. Arizona had 338. McVay said even a win would not have been good enough. LaFleur said they had not played 60 minutes yet. On Sunday they did, without a touchdown.

AthX Engine on a kicker who outscored the Rams

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 6 line in. Lake's interception and tackle volume land at 51.50, the top total in this game. Ryland is 44.00. Stafford is 29.76. Nate Landman is 29.00. Baker is 28.00. Knight is 25.50. McBride is 23.75. Nacua is 23.00. Arizona's team line is 53.00. Los Angeles's is 8.50.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a kicker who just won a division game without a touchdown, and for a Rams offense that led the league in yards and scored 16 at home. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Ryland, McBride, Stafford, Nacua, and both clubs on the marketplace. Denver visits Arizona next Sunday. The Rams visit Las Vegas that night.

*Sources: ESPN recap, Cardinals.com, Rams.com, NFL.com Week 6. ESPN, both clubs, and nflverse agree on 18-16. The Cardinals wrap listed Parkinson's late score from 5 yards; the Rams recap and AP list 6. AthX Engine Week 6 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*