Stunning Twist: Rams Seize NFC West Title in Thrilling Finale: Los Angeles Battles Until the End
Although the game went right down to the wire, the Los Angeles Rams hung on and beat the Arizona Cardinals 13-9 and held on the top spot in the NFC West. Since then events have transpired that have secured the crown and cashed the L.A. playoff ticket.
Winning is the best deodorant describes the Rams effort from this Saturday past. The offense could only muster 257 total yards, their third lowest output of the season. and the 13 points scored was also the third lowest.
So the defense must have dominated, right?
Not exactly. The Cardinals rolled to just under 400 yards of total offense, penetrated deep into L.A. territory on five of nine drives, and enjoyed a 37:00 to 23:00 advantage in time of possession. Where the Rams excelled was using splash defensive plays to turn Arizona away.
To start the game, punter Ethan Evans dropped two punts inside the 10-yard line to squeeze the Cards first two drives. As the half progressed, L.A. sandwiched two third down sacks by Braden Fiske and Byron Young around a fourth down stop to kill off three more possessions.
In the second half, the Redbirds scored on their first drive, but Michael Hoecht blocked the extra point. As it turned out, this kept Arizona away from being able to kick a field goal and tie things up on their final two possessions. The Rams used interceptions by Kam Kinchens and Ahkello Witherspoon to choke off the last two drives.
With the Rams usual starters likely getting next week off, the snap count review will get a an infusion of fresh names, but here’s one last look at the regulars. Who played? And more importantly, who played well? Players, their snap counts, and percentage are in bold.
