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Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens (26) pressures the pass by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) in the second half at State Farm Stadium on Dec 7, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Tough Lessons From Cardinals’ Latest NFC West Meltdown

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Colin McMahon | Last updated Dec 8, 2025 11:21 AM ET

On Sunday at State Farm Stadium, the Arizona Cardinals took another defeat to an NFC West opponent, losing to the Los Angeles Rams 45-17.

The score obviously tells the story, and the game wasn’t particularly close for the last 30 minutes. The Cardinals simply looked defeated, and for good reason.

Playoff chances are zero, and the focus for the organization is on the future, but Arizona has to keep playing football. And it keeps losing, with the loss to the Rams being the 10th defeat in the Cardinals’ last 11 games.

Jacoby Brissett passed for 271 yards in Arizona’s pass-heavy offense, with the Cardinals managing just 51 yards rushing, and Brissett was the leading rusher. The ground game ended up being the biggest difference, as the Rams totaled 249 yards to blow past Arizona and impose their will on the offensive side of the ball.

When it was all said and done, the Cardinals dropped to 3-10 as a forgettable season sinks further and further toward rock bottom. There wasn’t much new to learn, but here were my takeaways from Arizona’s blowout loss to the Rams.

RECAP: Cardinals Crushed by Rams as 2025 Season Hits New Low

Cardinals' divisional woes remain

It’s continued to be the same old story with the Cardinals against the NFC West, as another division rival throttled Jonathan Gannon’s group on Sunday afternoon. This dropped Gannon's record in division to 3-15 during his tenure in Arizona, a number that seems to get worse every time the Cardinals play a rival.

The Rams were able to do essentially everything they wanted to on the offensive side of the ball, totaling 530 yards of offense and an eye-opening 45 points. The Cardinals have now allowed 40 or more points against each of the other three teams in their division.

The loss may not have been as egregious as the blowout defeat to the Seahawks early in November, but defeats of this magnitude keep happening, especially in a division that was supposed to be competitive ahead of the season.

As it turned out, the NFC West ended up being extremely competitive — just without the Cardinals. The other three teams are playoff hopefuls, and each of them has made quick work of Arizona.

Arizona has a 0-5 divisional record on the season, and based on how Sunday’s game went, it’s likely to finish with an 0-6 mark after the second game against the Rams during Week 18. It’s obviously unacceptable and extremely disappointing considering the preseason expectations.

With the way Matthew Stafford was moving the ball, coupled with the Rams’ ability to run at will, it was clear that Los Angeles was the more prepared and more engaged team. I won’t dive too much into the coaching discrepancy, but the gap was certainly there.

All in all, the Rams continued their dominance over the Cardinals, and Arizona remains the bottom feeder of the NFC West.

The fanbase is officially checked out

If it wasn’t apparent already, the Cardinals’ fan base has checked out, and I don’t blame them one bit.

With 10 losses in their last 11 games, the Cardinals themselves have seemed to almost check out, especially in the second half against the Rams.

Los Angeles had 21 points after the half, and even when it had many second-stringers in the game, the Rams were still dominating the action.

The lack of energy on the field from Arizona was reflected in the crowd, as the stadium was nowhere close to full even at kickoff, and attendance dwindled as the game progressed. Even for the fans who stayed, there was little to no enthusiasm, and the building was void of support once the Rams built a big lead.

With a 3-10 record, the season is lost in terms of the playoffs, but the chase for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft is on. That’s obviously not exciting, especially in the midst of losing, and after the Rams’ victory, the fan base might be completely apathetic toward the Cardinals’ performance.

Wilson highlights otherwise rough day

I’ll wrap up my takeaways on a positive note, as Sunday showcased how impressive Michael Wilson can be, even against a team as good as Los Angeles.

He finished with 11 receptions for 142 yards, adding two touchdowns as well. Those were the only two touchdowns the Cardinals scored, and it’s not an exaggeration to say Wilson was the only successful part of Arizona’s offense.

With Marvin Harrison Jr. out with injury, the Cardinals needed Wilson to step up if they wanted to resemble even the slightest bit of a competent offense. Arizona didn’t play well overall, but one bright spot was clear, as Wilson delivered an impressive showing once again.

Sunday was the third time in the last four games that the wideout surpassed 100 yards receiving, but the difference was in the fact that Wilson found the end zone multiple times. This was the first time that occurred since his rookie year in 2023, and his two touchdowns against the Rams were just his second and third scores this season.

The rest of the Cardinals’ day went about as badly as it possibly could, but Wilson’s performance might give Arizona fans hope for what he could do in the future. With other weapons like Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride at the Cardinals’ disposal, a blueprint is forming for a solid offense.

Unfortunately, the 2025 team hasn’t panned out, but the focus should be on the future, and Wilson’s ability to get open and secure the football should give the Cardinals faith that losses like the one against the Rams might become a little less frequent moving forward.