– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA — Even with a playoff spot in tow and locked into the Wild Card round next weekend, the Los Angeles Rams weren’t in the mood to take their season finale lightly, especially given the precipitous drop of from from their Super Bowl-like best just a month ago. Today’s “get-right” game went as well as expected for Los Angeles, who look to take that form from a relatively meaningless game into the contests that count the most starting in seven days’ time.
Matthew Stafford made his final case for the MVP award with four touchdown passes, all in the second half, as the Rams snapped a two-game losing streak with a 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the regular season finale inside SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Puka Nacua had 10 catches, including a one-handed 2-yard touchdown catch on fourth down in the third quarter, while tight ends Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee combined for the other three scores.
Los Angeles finishes the season at 12-5 and will be the No. 5 seed when the playoffs start next week as they travel to take on the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers.
The Rams were in prime position to earn the No. 1 seed just after Thanksgiving at 9-2 before a surprise defeat in Charlotte against the Panthers started a stretch in which Los Angeles lost three of five and ceded the top spot in the NFC West — and, in the conference — to the Seattle Seahawks. After the Rams suffered another stunning loss to the Atlanta Falcons six days ago on Monday night, the urgency to go into the postseason sharp was the impetus for Los Angeles playing its starters throughout today’s game, and after a first 30 minutes without a touchdown, the Rams eventually took control.
Touchdowns on each of the Rams’ final three drives put the game away for the Rams, with Stafford’s pass to Colby Parkinson from 21 yards giving Los Angeles the lead for good at 23-20 late in the third quarter.
It took just six plays after forcing an Arizona punt to score once more, as Kyren Williams 22-yard run set up Stafford’s 22-yard touchdown strike down the right sideline to Tyler Higbee two plays later to extend the Rams lead. Parkinson’s second touchdown catch, from 1-yard out, capped Los Angeles’ final drive.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Sunday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by Los Angeles-area photographer Enrique Gurrola. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 35 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
