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Kyren Williams’ return helps keep Rams in NFC playoff picture with rout of Cardinals
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Before kickoff Sunday, the retractable roof at State Farm Stadium opened, letting sunshine beams pour down onto a patch of the grass field.
Rams players out for early warmups soaked it up.
A few hours later, after routing the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams left here with rays of hope and looking like a — dare we say it — legitimate playoff team.
Matthew Stafford passed for four touchdowns, running back Kyren Williams had a career performance and safety Jordan Fuller and defensive lineman Kobie Turner led a defense that remained steadfast in a 37-14 victory before 62,177 that kept the Rams in the hunt for a spot in the NFC playoffs.
Stafford connected twice with tight end Tyler Higbee and twice with Williams for touchdowns as the Rams won their second game in a row and improved their record to 5-6.
“It’s about one week at a time,” coach Sean McVay said when asked if the Rams were rounding in a playoff-caliber team, “And if we do that and continue to get better, then I think those conversations always take care of themselves, and that’s what served us well in previous years as well.”
Rams hold off Cardinals on final drive, close out win
🏠Rams 37, Cardinals 14 — end of fourth quarter
The Rams (5-6) earned a 37-14 road win over the Arizona Cardinals (2-10), scoring their most points this season while notching their second consecutive victory.
Matthew Stafford had the pass protection and run support he needed to pick apart the Arizona defense.
Stafford was 25-of-33 passing for 229 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He was not sacked.
Rams running back Kyren Williams delivered a jolt after returning from injury, running for 143 yards and averaging 8.9 yards per carry. Williams also caught two touchdown passes.
Royce Freeman added another 77 yards and a touchdown, with the team racking up 228 yards on the ground.
Tutu Atwell led Rams receivers with 76 yards, and Tyler Higbee hauled in two touchdown catches.
Ernest Jones had a team-high six tackles and Kobie Turner earned two sacks. Kyler Murray was 26-of-44 passing for 241 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked four times and got up gingerly after he was hit late in the fourth quarter.
The Rams’ defense limited the Cardinals to 73 rushing yards.
Carson Wentz takes over at quarterback in fourth quarter
🏠Rams 37, Cardinals 14 — 5:12 left in fourth quarter
Carson Wentz took over for Matthew Stafford at quarterback with the game well under control.
Stafford was 25-of-33 passing for 229 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He was not sacked.
Cardinals score but Rams intercept two-point conversion pass
🏠Rams 37, Cardinals 14 — 5:12 left in fourth quarter
Kyler Murray completed one pass to Marquise Brown for a 36-yard gain and later Greg Dortch used one hand to pull in a six-yard touchdown pass.
The Rams, however, intercepted Murray’s two-point conversion attempt.
It was Arizona’s first points since scoring a touchdown and completing a two-point conversion in the first quarter.
Royce Freeman pulls away for another Rams touchdown
🏠Rams 37, Cardinals 8 — 8:19 left in fourth quarter
The Rams’ defense has shut out the Cardinals during the second, third and part of the fourth quarter.
The Rams, meanwhile, continued to light up the Arizona defense. Kyren Williams rushed for six yards on fourth and one at the Arizona 29. Royce Freeman then rumbled for a 23-yard touchdown.
Lucas Havrisik missed the extra-point attempt.
The Rams now have 222 rushing yards, with Williams amassing 143 yards and averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Matthew Stafford is 25-of-33 passing for 229 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He has not been sacked.
Tutu Atwell and Williams have caught two touchdown passes apiece.
Kyren Williams scores his second touchdown as Rams keep rolling
🏠Rams 31, Cardinals 8 — 12:41 left in fourth quarter
Running back Kyren Williams caught a three-yard touchdown pass as the Rams eclipsed their previous season high of 30 points.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford also completed passes to Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson and Cooper Kupp during the 13-play, 54-yard scoring drive.
Williams has six catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns. He also has rushed for 137 yards in 15 carries.
Stafford has passed for 225 yards and four touchdowns, with an interception.
Long Kyren Williams run sets up Rams field goal
🏠Rams 24, Cardinals 8 — 7:33 left in third quarter
Running back Kyren Williams broke off a 56-yard run to start a drive that ended with Lucas Havrisik’s 24-yard field goal.
Williams has rushed for 125 yards in 13 carries. He also has four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Royce Freeman has rushed for 41 yards in seven carries.
Matthew Stafford tosses his third touchdown pass, Rams extend lead
🏠Rams 21, Cardinals 8 — 59 seconds left in the second quarter
Kyren Williams caught a screen pass from Matthew Stafford and ran 15 yards for a touchdown with 59 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Rams a cushion.
The play ended a four-play drive that included receptions by Tyler Higbee and Cooper Kupp before Tutu Atwell’s 21-yard catch that moved the ball to the 15-yard line.
Safety Jordan Fuller helped set up the drive when he broke up a fourth-down pass by Kyler Murray.
Stafford has completed 18 of 22 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
Kyren Williams has rushed for 40 yards in nine carries. He also has four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Tyler Higbee has three receptions for 19 yards and two touchdowns. Atwell has three catches for 76 yards.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has completted eight of 16 passes for 65 yards. He also has rushed for a touchdown.
Matthew Stafford tosses touchdown pass, Rams reclaim lead
🏠Rams 14, Cardinals 8 — 9:57 left in the second quarter
Matthew Stafford and tight end Tyler Higbee connected again for a touchdown to put the Rams back in the lead.
Higbee’s five-yard touchdown catch capped an eight-play, 51-yard drive.
Running back Royce Freeman started the drive with a 14-yard run. Tutu Atwell’s 13-yard reception and tight end Hunter Long’s six-yard catch on a third-down play set up the scoring play.
Stafford has completed 13 of 16 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Cardinals take lead with two-point conversion
🏠Cardinals 8, Rams 7 — 4:50 left in the first quarter
Quarterback Kyler Murray, playing in his third game since returning from a knee injury, scored on a two-yard run and backup Clayton Tune rushed for the two-point conversion to give the Cardinals the lead.
Murray completed five of seven passes for 50 yards during the 12-play, 75-yard drive.
Marquise Brown, Trey McBride and Michael Wilson had receptions of 12 yards or more.
The Rams were called for a penalty on the extra-point attempt, giving the Cardinals an opportunity to go for two points.
Rams convert on fourth down, score on opening drive
🏠Rams 7, Cardinals 0 — 11:18 left in the first quarter
Tight end Tyler Higbee scored his first touchdown of the season on a seven-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Stafford’s 42-yard pass to receiver Tutu Atwell keyed the nine-play, 75-yard drive.
Running back Kyren Williams, playing for the first time since he was injured against the Cardinals on Oct. 15, rushed for 12 yards in three carries, including an eight-yard gain on a fourth-and-two play.
Stafford completed four of six passes for 63 yards.
Rams release list of inactive players
Outside linebacker Nick Hampton, safety Quentin Lake, offensive lineman Warren McClendon Jr., tight end Brycen Hopkins and defensive lineman Earnest Brown IV are inactive for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams announced.
On Friday, the Rams activated running back Kyren Williams from injured reserve. Williams rushed for a career-best 158 yards and scored a touchdown against the Cardinals on Oct. 15 but suffered an ankle injury that forced him to sit out four games.
The Rams also activated rookie safety Jason Taylor II.
Rams get lots of bang, Puka Nacua lots of bruises, from receiver’s painstaking play
Puka Nacua has learned valuable lessons during his record-setting rookie season, which has featured dozens of catches — and corresponding hits absorbed and delivered.
How does the Rams receiver deal with the sometimes-painful days after?
“Motion is lotion,” Nacua said.
Nacua’s physical playing style, and the weekly aftermath, supplied him with a new appreciation for cold tubs and other rehabilitative resources. But the best way to play through bumps and bruises, he said, is to not sit still, even on days off.
“Movement does help,” Nacua said.
Rams running game gets a boost with return of Kyren Williams
The Rams offense under Sean McVay historically is at its best when an effective rushing attack creates play-action passing opportunities.
So the return of running back Kyren Williams, and receiver Cooper Kupp’s perseverance to play through an ankle injury should provide the Rams with a boost Sunday when they play the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Williams, a second-year pro, was on injured reserve the last four games because of a left ankle sprain suffered during a career-best performance against the Cardinals on Oct. 15.
Williams returned to practice this week and on Friday he pronounced himself fit.
“We’re just getting started,” Williams said of a Rams team coming off a victory over the Seattle Seahawks. “I still feel that momentum.”
Rams at Cardinals matchups: How to watch, start time and prediction
Breaking down how the Rams (4-6) and Arizona Cardinals (2-9) match up heading into their game Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST. The game will be televised on Fox.
When Rams have the ball
After a four-game absence while on injured reserve, running back Kyren Williams returns to the lineup. Williams has rushed for a team-best six touchdowns and he has one touchdown catch. The second-year pro will rotate with Royce Freeman, who rushed for 73 yards last Sunday in a 17-16 comeback victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who shook off a violent hit and engineered two late scoring drives against the Seahawks, is still playing through a right thumb injury. But the 15th-year pro does not appear limited. Star receiver Cooper Kupp suffered a right ankle injury against the Seahawks, but he will play against the Cardinals. Rookie Puka Nacua, however, could remain Stafford’s main target. Nacua’s 69 receptions rank ninth in the NFL. Nacua was limited early in the week because of a shoulder issue. Linebacker Kyzir White leads the Cardinals’ defense with 90 tackles, including two sacks. Safety Budda Baker did not play in the Rams’ 26-9 victory over the Cardinals on October 15, but he is back. The Cardinals intercepted three passes in last Sunday’s 21-16 defeat by the Houston Texans. Cornerback Antonio Hamilton, who had one of the interceptions, is out because of a groin injury.