NFL · Oct 18, 2026
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams: ARI beats LA on a 43-yard field goal with three seconds left
By Row Seventeen ·
Arizona Cardinals beat Los Angeles Rams 18–16 (NFL) on October 18, 2026.
ARI defeated LA 18–16 in the NFL on October 18, 2026, answering LA’s late touchdown and extra point with a 43-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.
18–16FINAL
Key moments
Sources ↓- Opening
Jacoby Brissett was intercepted on a pass intended for T. McBride with 12:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Read in context ↘ - Middle stages
ARI moved ahead on a 30-yard field goal just five seconds into the second quarter. Matthew Stafford then threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to B. Corum with 8:29 left, putting LA ahead 9–6.
Read in context ↘ - Closing stages
ARI answered on its final scoring possession with a 43-yard field goal at the three-second mark.
Read in context ↘
An early interception and an exchange of field goals
ARI won 18–16 at SoFi Stadium after a final-minute exchange of scores settled the game in regulation. Its winning kick was the last of six successful field goals, which accounted for all of ARI’s points.
Jacoby Brissett was intercepted on a pass intended for T. McBride with 12:23 remaining in the first quarter. LA opened the scoring with a 44-yard field goal at 9:47, and ARI answered from 34 yards at 5:41. The quarter ended tied at 3–3.
LA’s touchdown gives way to a halftime tie
ARI moved ahead on a 30-yard field goal just five seconds into the second quarter. Matthew Stafford then threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to B. Corum with 8:29 left, putting LA ahead 9–6. A two-point conversion pass failed, leaving the margin at three.
A 22-yard ARI field goal with 49 seconds remaining brought the teams level again. Neither side added another score before halftime, which arrived with the game tied at 9–9.
ARI builds a six-point lead
ARI supplied the only points of the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal at 6:29 and carried a 12–9 lead into the fourth. A 27-yard field goal with 9:31 remaining extended that advantage to six points.
LA then lost a fumble on a five-yard pass from Stafford to T. Higbee with 8:05 left. D. Burke recovered for ARI, leaving LA still trailing 15–9 at that point.
A late LA lead lasts only 44 seconds
Stafford’s six-yard touchdown pass to C. Parkinson tied the score at 15–15 with 52 seconds remaining. LA took the lead on the successful extra point with 47 seconds left, moving ahead by one.
ARI answered on its final scoring possession with a 43-yard field goal at the three-second mark. That kick restored its lead, and the game ended at 18–16 without overtime.
Based on nflverse schedule and play-by-play data (CC BY 4.0). Source endpoints are cross-checked within the same source family, not independent reporting. This is an original, AI-assisted recap.
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Published 2026-10-19. Game date shown above.
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