Winners & Losers: Rams fall to Cardinals, 2-4, and hit rock bottom

The Los Angeles Rams are inventing new ways to lose. Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals sure feels like rock bottom. LA dropped to 2-4 following a 16-18 loss to Arizona.

Flatly put, the Cardinals entered this game with a 1-4 record. The Rams should have trounced them.

Instead, the offense looked anemic yet again despite a favorable matchup. They failed to muster more than nine points until the game’s final moments. The defense kept the Cardinals out of the end zone; however, special teams and offensive failures continued to put them in disadvantage field position leading to six field goals.

It’s all bad right now. The damage that has already been done may be insurmountable.

So who put the Rams in the losing column again Sunday? Let’s be honest about the individual contributions.

Winners

Puka Nacua, WR

This wasn’t Nacua’s most electric performance and he didn’t fill up the box score. Even still, Nacua accounted for 79 of LA’s 223 gross passing yards (35%) with six receptions. No other individual receiver surpassed 39 yards.

The passing game started flat, showed signs of life late, and couldn’t do enough to finish with a win. Stop me if you’ve heard that before.

And even on the offense’s final two drives, outside of Colby Parkinson stretching for a touchdown, Nacua was doing all the work. He caught a short pass from Stafford and broke tackles to put his team in scoring position. He later added another long pass.

The Rams cannot ask Nacua to be their entire passing attack. It’s not a sustainable approach.

Aaron Donald, DE

Donald was most disruptive in the run game where often made first contact at or behind the line of scrimmage. The Cardinals’ passing game is not efficient and they heavily relied on screens. These run stops often put Jacoby Brissett behind the chains and helped the defense get off the field.

Josh Wallace, CB

We should have an honest conversation of whether Josh Wallace should take over for Jaylen Watson opposite Trent McDuffie moving forward. Wallace has been the better corner the last two weeks.

Wallace was targeted very often in this game—often on screen plays. He was stingy in terms of space allowed and was forceful making tackles and deflecting passes. While his initial 2026 debut was rough, he’s earned the right to be on the field over the two most recent games.

Quentin Lake, DB

Lake struggled mightily last week after fighting through an injury just to be active on gameday. The ailment must be in the rearview mirror because Lake looked like his normal self today.

The veteran safety picked off Brissett in the first quarter setting up LA’s first score. Lake made seven solo tackles and assisted three times. It was an active afternoon.

Losers

Matthew Stafford, QB

With the two defenses the Rams have faced over the last two weeks, we should feel much better about where Matthew Stafford and the passing game are. Instead, Stafford continues to put the ball in harm’s way—even if not reflected as turnovers in the box score—and is leading an offense that continues to underperform.

LA’s red zone struggles were heightened today with their kicker getting injured early. These tough circumstances also highlight how the Rams are playing offense with one hand tied behind their back because their quarterback is immobile. Running ability with lower the degree of difficulty in short yardage situations.

Even more concerning is the fact that Sean McVay called plays scared for the offense. With the ball less than a minute before halftime, the Rams ran out the clock. On third and fourth down with a chance to take the lead, McVay called two consecutive screen plays. That doesn’t suggest he trusts his quarterback. Stafford has done nothing of late to change his mind.

And something we must reconcile with over the coming weeks is whether it’s time to pull Stafford. The Rams are 2-4. There is no talking about playoffs until performance dramatically improves. 2026 is fast becoming a lost season. The team may be better served long term to collect information on Ty Simpson. Goals change for losing teams. Stafford should know as he’s been a part of many of them.

Tyler Higbee, TE

The Rams would be in a tough spot following recent injuries to Terrance Ferguson and Colby Parkinson if Tyler Higbee didn’t step up over the last three weeks. On the other hand, you cannot have a veteran player and locker room leader fumble the ball when driving for the lead in the fourth quarter.

While this play didn’t directly cost LA the game, it certainly was still costly.

Resetting at kicker… again

Blake Grupe made a 48-yard first quarter field goal to quell concerns at the kicker position. It was possible that the Rams moved on from Harrison Mevis and found their guy.

Instead, Grupe injured his knee defending on a kickoff and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The search for continuity at kicker likely continues.