Rams’ Week 18 win over Cardinals clinches No. 5 seed in NFC

The Los Angeles Rams closed out the regular season at home on Sunday with a 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals, finishing the year with a 12-5 record.

While the Rams had already secured a playoff spot in Week 15, the final game of the regular season carried significant postseason implications. A victory ensured the No. 5 seed in the NFC and set up a Wild Card matchup against the Carolina Panthers. After being upset by Carolina in Week 13, Los Angeles now gets a chance at redemption in the postseason.

The decision to play starters in Week 18 was about more than playoff positioning. Head coach Sean McVay said the team wanted to regain momentum heading into the playoffs after back-to-back losses that ended their chances of winning the NFC West and earning the top seed.

"In the last couple of weeks, we had to face some adversity, McVay said. Part of the reason we wanted to play was figuring out how to dig deep and play complementary football."

The Rams offense started slowly and trailed 20-16 in the third quarter before finding its rhythm. A 70-yard drive that took just over three minutes ended with a Colby Parkinson touchdown, giving Los Angeles a 23-20 lead. The Rams built on that momentum by scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford praised the team’s effort following the game.

"I’m just proud of our team and our resilience, Stafford said. It takes everybody playing well. There are always things you want to clean up, but that’s an NFL game, and we did what it took to win."

Stafford finished the game with four touchdown passes and continues to strengthen his case as the league’s MVP frontrunner.

After snapping a two-game losing streak to end the regular season, the Rams now shift their focus to the Wild Card matchup in Carolina as they look to even the score after their Week 13 loss.