INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams spent the complete second half struggling on offense whereas bending simply sufficient on protection to protect a tiny lead.
Arizona even backed Los Angeles into its personal finish zone within the last minute, needing only one huge play to steal a win.
Ahkello Witherspoon and the Rams held on by their fingertips, and now they’re on the point of one other NFC West title.
Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected move ultimately zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Rams barely maintained command of the division race with a 13-9 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday evening.
Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving and Kyren Williams scored the one landing for the Rams (10-6), who grinded by a tough offensive evening and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for his or her fifth consecutive victory.
“We didn’t do a whole lot great, to be honest with you,” stated Matthew Stafford, who handed for 189 yards within the Rams’ ninth win in 11 video games. “Didn’t run it great. Didn’t throw it great. But found a way to get a win and get enough points.”
The Rams host Seattle (9-7) of their regular-season finale subsequent weekend, however they might have already got coach Sean McVay’s fourth division title clinched earlier than then.
If the Payments, Browns, Vikings, Commanders and 49ers mix for 3 wins — or two wins and a tie — over the following two days, Los Angeles might be NFC West champions primarily based on its energy of schedule, it doesn’t matter what occurs towards Seattle.
If the Rams don’t get that strength-of-schedule assist this week, they’re nonetheless in control of the division race: The Seahawks must beat the Rams and get assist from a number of groups to say the West whereas denying the Rams’ sixth playoff berth in eight seasons beneath McVay.
The Rams narrowly averted a winner-take-all finale towards Seattle by holding off the Cardinals, who performed an amazing defensive recreation one week after getting eradicated from playoff rivalry.
Kyler Murray handed for 321 yards and threw two late interceptions for Arizona (7-9), which managed simply three factors out of three drives into Rams territory within the fourth quarter.
Arizona drove to the Los Angeles 5 within the last minute, however the Rams known as an all-out blitz on first down. Murray’s fast move deflected off tight finish Trey McBride’s helmet, and Witherspoon made a 10-fingertip interception ultimately zone that was upheld by video evaluate despite the fact that the ball touched the bottom whereas between his arms.
“Just the way the NFL works, you never really know, honestly,” Witherspoon stated. “I thought I stuck it. You saw by my celebration. But once I saw that replay, any time that ball hits the ground, you never know.”
McBride made each his one centesimal reception and his first landing catch of the season for Arizona, which has misplaced 5 of six. McBride had 12 catches for 123 yards, and Marvin Harrison Jr. had 96 yards receiving.
“The ball didn’t bounce our way,” Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon stated. “Got the ball at the end, thought we were going to win, and they made a good play. It stings because we’re there, but we’re not there. When we play our brand of ball, we can compete and beat everyone, but it doesn’t mean a lot.”
Williams’ 14th dashing TD of the season 3:23 earlier than halftime opened the scoring and capped the Rams’ first good drive.
Arizona lastly scored halfway by the third quarter on a 1-yard catch by McBride, who received his first landing on the 98th reception of his franchise-record season for a decent finish.
The Cardinals received to 10-9 early within the fourth quarter with Chad Ryland’s quick discipline objective after their second straight spectacular drive. Rams rookie Joshua Karty made his second discipline objective with 6:41 left.
Arizona drove to the Rams 40, however stalled earlier than rookie Kam Kinchens intercepted Murray’s fourth-down heave to the objective line with 3:02 left.
However Kinchens price the Rams a couple of dozen yards of discipline place by returning it to the 11 as a substitute of batting it down, and the Rams’ offense punted the ball again to the Playing cards simply 1:01 later.
“I felt like for sure we were going to win that game,” Murray stated. “We drove down the field, and (there’s) nothing the defense can do to stop us, and at the end a (lousy) turn of events. We got unlucky.”
Michael Hoecht blocked Arizona’s extra-point try within the third quarter.
The 6-foot-4 linebacker leads the NFL this season with three blocked kicks, the second-most in Rams historical past.
