Ryland Kicks Six Field Goals to Lead Cardinals Past Rams

A perfect day for Chad Ryland

Chad Ryland received an early text message from his mother on Sunday morning. A week after missing a 53 yard field goal attempt against the Detroit Lions, his mom told him to trust his process and command the field.

Ryland took those words to heart. The 27 year old kicker made six field goals, including a 43 yard attempt as time expired. His performance carried the Arizona Cardinals to an 18-16 victory over the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Pulling off a huge upset

Arizona entered the game as 13.5 point underdogs, making this the biggest upset in the NFL this season. Ryland accounted for all 18 of Arizona's points. That is the most by a Cardinal who scored all of his team's points since Ernie Nevers scored 40 in 1929.

The Rams took a 16-15 lead when Colby Parkinson caught a touchdown pass with 47 seconds left. However, Arizona responded quickly. Jacoby Brissett completed a 21 yard pass to Jalen Brooks. An unnecessary roughness penalty on the Rams moved the ball from the Arizona 35 to the Rams 29 yard line. Ryland then stepped up to kick the winning field goal.

Breaking streaks at SoFi Stadium

Head coach Mike LaFleur joked after the game that he never wants to see six kicks again unless they are extra points. Still, he praised the execution when it counted most.

The win gave Arizona its second victory of the season. Both wins have come at SoFi Stadium, where they also beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. The result ended an eight game losing streak against NFC West opponents. It was also the fifth time since 2000 that Arizona won a game without scoring a touchdown.

What it means for the next game

Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals (NFL, Sun, 25 Oct): Arizona Cardinals win 34%, Denver Broncos win 66%; projected score Arizona Cardinals 19, Denver Broncos 25. Our safest pick: Broncos to win.