# Ryland's Perfect Six: Cardinals Stun Rams 18-16 in Inglewood Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com) Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/other/ryland-s-perfect-six-cardinals-stun-rams-18-16-in-inglewood-2026-10-19-1skd5z3 Language: en Published: 2026-10-19T15:21:22.66+00:00 Updated: 2026-10-19T15:26:59.939219+00:00 > Chad Ryland kicked six field goals without a miss — the last as the clock hit zero — to beat the Rams 18-16 at SoFi Stadium, in a game defined by a kicking crisis on the Los Angeles sideline. ## TL;DR - Cardinals beat Rams 18-16 at SoFi Stadium on October 18 without scoring a touchdown - Chad Ryland went a perfect 6-for-6, including the game-winner as time expired - The Rams lost kicker Blake Grupe to a first-quarter injury; punter Ethan Evans took the PAT - Jacoby Brissett threw for 218 yards; Matthew Stafford had 222 yards and 2 TDs in defeat - The Rams fall to 2-4 as Arizona picks up its second win of the season ## Key points - Arizona Cardinals 18, Los Angeles Rams 16 — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, October 18, 2026 (Week 6) - Chad Ryland 6-for-6 on field goals (from 34, 30, 22 and 27 yards among the six), game-winner with zeroes on the clock - Rams took a 16-15 lead with 47 seconds left: Stafford 5-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson after an 86-yard, 8-play, 2:01 drive - Rams kicker Blake Grupe injured making a tackle in Q1; punter Ethan Evans kicked the extra point; failed 2-point try after Corum TD - Jacoby Brissett 25-of-35 for 218 yards, 1 INT; Zonovan Knight 15 carries for 80 yards; Trey McBride 7 catches for 53 yards - Matthew Stafford 25-of-33 for 222 yards and 2 TDs; Puka Nacua 6 catches for 80 yards; Blake Corum 15-yard TD catch - Cardinals defense sacked Stafford 3 times and forced 2 fumbles; Zaven Collins and Budda Baker active; Jeremiyah Love inactive (ankle) - Elsewhere Oct 18: Texans 34-31 Jaguars (London), Chiefs 22-6 Chargers, Bills 33-30 Raiders, Bears 31-23 Falcons, Packers 23-13 Cowboys, Browns 13-10 Ravens, Steelers 26-19 OT Buccaneers, Panthers 25-14 Eagles, Patriots 26-19 Jets ## Six kicks, one upset ![Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland during a previous game (file photo).](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792423276891-awn1cm-other-inside1-2026-10-19-evening.jpg) The Arizona Cardinals scored no touchdowns on Sunday. They did not need to. Kicker Chad Ryland was a perfect six-for-six on field goals, including the game-winner as time expired, and the Cardinals stunned the Los Angeles Rams 18-16 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on October 18. It is the kind of win that defies every modern expectation of how NFL games are decided: an offense that moved between the twenties all afternoon but stalled in scoring territory, rescued six times by its kicker. It is also the second win of the year for an Arizona team that has been short on moments to celebrate, and one of the most painful home defeats of Sean McVay's coaching career. ## The final 47 seconds ![Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett during the 2026 season (file photo).](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792423280527-ysoc81-other-inside2-2026-10-19-evening.jpg) The Rams looked like they had stolen it. Trailing 15-9 with 47 seconds to play, Matthew Stafford drove them 86 yards in eight plays in just 2:01, the worst field position of their afternoon turning into a touchdown on a five-yard strike to Colby Parkinson. In a surreal scene, the extra point was kicked by Rams punter Ethan Evans — and it was good, giving Los Angeles a 16-15 lead. Evans was only holding that duty because of what happened in the first quarter. Blake Grupe, signed earlier that week, was injured making a tackle, leaving the Rams without a kicker for the entire game. They had already been burned by his absence once: after Stafford's short touchdown pass to Blake Corum in the second quarter, the Rams had to go for two, Stafford was hit while searching for an open receiver, and defensive end L.J. Collier scooped the ball and rumbled to midfield. Ryland, by contrast, needed no such luck. He drove Arizona into position one last time, and his sixth field goal — struck as the clock hit zero — ended it at 18-16. ## Grupe's injury changes everything It is impossible to tell this story without lingering on the kicker situation, because it defined both teams' afternoons. The Rams lost their only kicking option after roughly one quarter of football, in a game decided by two points. The failed two-point conversion, the punter taking an extra point, the constant fourth-down calculus — all of it flowed from Grupe's injury. ClutchPoints called the loss "a definite lowlight" of McVay's tenure, and it dropped the Rams to 2-4 on the year, a team now far closer to crisis than to contention. For Arizona, Ryland's perfection was the mirror image. His field goals came from 34, 30, 22 and 27 yards among the six, each one chipping away at a Rams side that could not pull away. It is not often a kicker outscores an entire offense, and rarer still that it wins a game. But on this afternoon in Inglewood, it did. ## A rough road to 18 points The stat sheet shows how the Cardinals got there. Jacoby Brissett was 25-of-35 for 218 yards with one interception — picked off by Rams safety Quentin Lake on just the second pass of the game . Zonovan Knight carried 15 times for 80 yards, and Trey McBride led all players with seven catches for 53 yards. The Cardinals' defense did its share too, sacking Stafford three times and forcing two fumbles, including a second-half fumble recovered by Denzel Burke. Aaron Donald made three consecutive stops in the first quarter for Los Angeles, but the Rams could not make it matter. Stafford finished 25-of-33 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, Puka Nacua caught six passes for 80 yards, and it still was not enough. ## The rest of a chaotic Sunday The upset was the loudest result on a day defined by close finishes, with eight of the twelve games decided by seven points or fewer. C.J. Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns as Houston edged Jacksonville 34-31 in London, surviving a four-touchdown day from Trevor Lawrence. Josh Allen threw for 255 yards and two scores in Buffalo's 33-30 win at Las Vegas, tying Jim Kelly's franchise touchdown-pass mark, while Tyler Bass kicked four field goals. Kansas City stayed unbeaten at 5-0 behind Kenneth Walker's 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 22-6 win over the Chargers. Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury to lead Chicago past Atlanta 31-23, throwing for 305 yards. Jordan Love accounted for two touchdowns in Green Bay's 23-13 win over Dallas. Cleveland's Andre Szmyt drilled a 37-yard field goal at the buzzer to beat Baltimore 13-10. Aaron Rodgers threw a seven-yard overtime winner to Germie Bernard in Pittsburgh's 26-19 win at Tampa Bay. Bryce Young threw for 281 yards and two scores in Carolina's 25-14 win at Philadelphia, and Drake Maye threw three touchdowns in New England's 26-19 win over the Jets. ## What it means For the Cardinals, this is proof of concept: the run game and the defense can keep them in games, and Ryland gives them a weapon few teams possess. For the Rams, the questions multiply — about health and execution, and about a season that is slipping. A 2-4 record with the offense struggling and the defense unable to finish is not what anyone expected in Los Angeles this year. And on a Sunday when kickers decided games across the league, the team that lost its kicker in the first quarter lost the game in the final second. Mentions: Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Jacoby Brissett, Matthew Stafford, Blake Grupe, Ethan Evans, Colby Parkinson, Blake Corum, Zonovan Knight, Trey McBride, Puka Nacua, Denzel Burke, Aaron Donald, Sean McVay, SoFi Stadium ## Sources - [azcentral.com](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2026/10/18/arizona-cardinals-los-angeles-rams-score-updates-nfl-week-6--live/92153796007/) - [clutchpoints.com](https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/clutchpoints-nfl-power-rankings-week-7-rams-embarrassed-home-loss) - [gamedaytourist.com](https://gamedaytourist.com/en/league-news/todays-nfl-news-roundup-october-19/)