5 key plays from Rams embarrassing loss to Cardinals

The Los Angeles Rams suffered a frustrating 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, dropping a divisional matchup that could have significant implications for their season. Looking back at the matchup, five key plays stand out as defining moments in the Rams’ narrow defeat.

The Rams had opportunities to come away with a victory, but close games often hinge on a handful of critical moments. Against Arizona, those moments proved costly as Los Angeles struggled to do enough to finish the job. With the final score separated by just two points, even a single missed opportunity or pivotal play can change the entire story of a game.

From crucial situations on offense to the defensive stops and special-teams contributions that shaped the contest, these sequences help explain how Los Angeles let a winnable game slip away. Here’s a closer look at the five key plays that determined the outcome of the Rams’ 18-16 loss to the Cardinals.

1. Rams fail to convert 2 pt conversion

After Blake Grupe was knocked out of the game because of … lower body? injury, the Rams tried for a 2 point conversion after Blake Corum’s touchdown. Stafford tried to connect with Davante Adams on a fade but held onto the ball way to long; allowing for an Arizona defender to hit him from the blindside. The Cardinals nearly scored themselves on the play as LJ Collier tried to scoop the ball and return it the distance.

The final score was 18-16 and the Rams would surely wish they could have converted on that play.

2. Rams failed 4th & 1 FB dive play with Davis Allen

If you want to be a Super Bowl team, you have to be able to get a yard when it is needed. On 4th & 1, the Rams tried to hand the ball off to Davis Allen for a FB dive and Colby Parkinson didn’t even touch a defender to clear space for Allen. Los Angeles turned the ball over on downs and Arizona kicked another field goal.

3a. Warren McClendon false start on 4th & 3

3b. Rams failed 4th &8 screen play…

When you need to convert 3rd & short and/or 4th & short, it is backbreaking to have a pre-snap penalty. Warren McClendon picked the worse time to commit that pre-snap penalty when the Rams were on the Arizona 22 yard line trying to put together a complete drive…

Subsequently, Sean McVay called a 4th & 8 screen play to evade Arizona’s heavy blitz scheme today. It came at the wrong time and the Rams couldn’t even complete the pass.

4. Colby Parkinson scores too early?

On 2nd & 3, the Rams ran play action, dumping a pass off to Colby Parkinson in the flat. After initially being ruled down by contact at the 1/2 yard line, “replay assist” (more to come on that), showed that Colby Parkinson actually broke the goal line with the football. Had the play stood, the Rams would have had 1st & Goal from the 1/2 yard line with 0:18 left and two timeouts. They would have likely punched the ball in with three attempts. But instead Arizona got the ball with 0:46 remaining and were able to set up their game-winning field goal.

5. Josh Wallace phantom penalty sets up game-winning Cardinals field goal

I don’t understand the point of replay assist. It gets used so subjectively. And this is now the second time against the Rams that it could have been used by the NFL, the other being Week 3 (also involving Josh Wallace). The Cardinals were gifted an extra 15 yards because the officiating crew believed that Josh Wallace committed unnecessary roughness on a defenseless wide receiver. Upon replay, Josh Wallace hardly made any contact and the contact that he did make was minimal at best. So what is the point of replay assist if it is not used correctly?