Dec 13, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) reacts after bringing down Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NFLBy Matt Clapp on

The Los Angeles Rams took down the Arizona Cardinals 30-23 on Monday Night Football in Glendale, AZ. Here are our main takeaways from this divisional battle between two of the NFC’s best teams:

Rams hold off Cardinals in wild finish

After the game was tied 13-13 at halftime, the Rams dominated the third quarter to take a 27-13 lead into the fourth. It looked like the Rams would win without much drama entering the final minutes, but the Cardinals made it a seven-point game on a Matt Prater 49-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining. And then the Cardinals recovered the onside kick!

However, the ensuing plays didn’t go well for Arizona. The Cardinals — with no timeouts remaining — were tackled inbounds as the clock was running out, and Kyler Murray was sacked by Aaron Donald — his third sack of the game — on a chaotic play. Arizona probably should’ve spiked the ball here to get on the same page for a play.

Matthew Stafford threw some ridiculous dimes

Stafford completed 23-of-30 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 139.2 passer rating. And the numbers were definitely matched by the eye test.

Here are a few examples of the dimes Stafford tossed in the Rams’ win:

Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. gave Stafford some help too

Kupp finished with 13 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. He leads the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. He’s been an absolute machine for the Rams.

And so far, the Rams are getting the OBJ that the Cleveland Browns did not. Beckham had six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Big NFC implications

The Cardinals (10-3) fall out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and move down to the No. 3 seed. The Green Bay Packers (10-3) move up to the 1-seed via tiebreaker, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3) at the 2-seed.

Additionally, the Rams (9-4) are now just one game back of the Cardinals in the NFC West.

So, this game result really opened up *a lot* of scenarios in the NFC.

And the rest of the NFC definitely doesn’t want the Packers and Buccaneers having the top-two seeds; each team is undefeated at home. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are always a nightmare matchup at Lambeau Field in January, and Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are of course the defending champions. The path to the Super Bowl gets much more challenging on paper for the rest of the NFC if they have to go through Green Bay or Tampa Bay to get there.

Five Thirty Eight currently gives the Packers the highest chance at the No. 1 seed, at 45%. The Buccaneers come in second at 39%, while the Cardinals’ first-round bye odds fall to 10% after the loss. As for the NFC West, the Cardinals are still the heavy favorites to win the division at 89%, with the Rams being estimated to have an 11% chance at the division crown.

The Cardinals get a cupcake opportunity to get back into the win column in Week 15 against the one-win Lions in Detroit, while the Rams host the Seattle Seahawks.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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