GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals came out firing against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, leaving some to ponder the improbable.
After scoring with ease on the opening drive, were we about to witness a turnaround no one saw coming?
By the time the third quarter rolled around, that question was answered with an emphatic no.
In what many expected given the polar opposites of their records and where they stand in the NFC West, the Rams beat the brakes off the Cardinals behind a 45-17 thrashing.
Giving up an opening-drive field goal is something you can live with. Allowing five straight scoring possessions, highlighted by four straight trips to the end zone, is damning to say the least.
And when the Cardinals defense finally did get its first stop of the afternoon, the game was already a three-score affair with comeback hopes at an absolute minimum.
Arizona’s defense had no answer for quarterback Matthew Stafford and an L.A. offense that looks poised to make a run this postseason.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua made Arizona’s secondary pay on the regular, totaling seven catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while L.A.’s run game chewed up 7.7 yards per carry on its way to 33 rushing attempts for 253 and three scores.
And for as good as the Rams offense was on Sunday, the same couldn’t be said about the Cardinals.
You know that opening-drive touchdown? That marked Arizona’s first of two trips to the end zone, both ending with Michael Wilson catches.
Beyond that, it was beyond tough sledding for a unit decimated by injury and hindered by inconsistent play and playcalling.
Not even tight end Trey McBride’s NFL record-tying performance could lift the Cardinals into any sort of competitive ball.
Losing offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. late to a knee injury only added to the woes on Sunday.
With Sunday’s loss, the Cardinals are now 0-5 in the division this year with one game still to play against Los Angeles. The point differential during those games? 169-96. That’s not going to cut it.
In terms of a divisional litmus test, Arizona has failed mightily in 2025.
When you have to start looking at the teams ahead of the Cardinals in the NFL Draft order as opposed to the teams ahead of them in a playoff race, that says all you need to know.
The feeling around head coach Jonathan Gannon is that his job is safe despite the continual losing. But with these kinds of losses piling up, just how long is that leash at this point? Embarrassing home loss after embarrassing home loss makes you begin to wonder that much more.
Cardinals remain firmly in the top 10 of 2026 NFL Draft
In terms of the race no team wants to be in toward the end of the year, the Cardinals remain inside the top 10 of the 2026 draft order at No. 8 overall with Sunday’s loss.
And although it would take a lot of winning by some really bad teams, the Cardinals are still in the running for the top spot thanks to the Tennessee Titans, who knocked off Arizona in Week 5, getting their second win of the year in Week 14.
As for the team they just lost to? The Rams hold the pick directly behind the Cardinals thanks to their 2024 draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
An updated look at the top 10 spots in the 2026 draft order as of Sunday afternoon:
1. New York Giants (2-11)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
3. Tennessee Titans (2-11)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
5. New Orleans Saints (3-10)
6. Washington Commanders (3-10)
7. New York Jets (3-10)
8. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
9. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta at 4-9)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
