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Don’t laugh: Rams could win home playoff game at State Farm before Cardinals

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Jordyn Bennett | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 7:21 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals deserve all the kudos and flowers for assisting division foe Los Angeles Rams during their time of need so they can compete in their NFC Wildcard game against the Minnesota Vikings Monday.

The NFL announced on Thursday that the Rams-Vikings matchup would be moved to the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in the wake of the ongoing catastrophic wildfires destroying the greater Los Angeles community. Despite criticisms of stadium sponsor State Farm Insurance’s problematic relationship with California due to dropping a significant amount of insurance policies in the affected areas, Arizona has done an excellent job in extending a helping hand.

The Cardinals rolled out the red carpet for the Rams, sending the team’s planes to LA to pick up Los Angeles and its traveling affiliates (six dogs and two cats among families and other organization employees) and offering up their facilities for full use to a rival that’s gotten the best of Arizona in the division for the greater part of the last decade.

Thanks for opening your doors to us, @AZCardinals. pic.twitter.com/9zgyUabQdk

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 12, 2025

Even when doing the right thing, the Rams could still have the last laugh over the Cardinals by using their stadium.

If Los Angeles beats Minnesota in its wildcard battle, the Rams will earn the first home playoff win at State Farm in history.

State Farm Stadium hadn’t taken its new name until Sept. 2018, replacing the original Cardinals Stadium moniker that stood since 2006. The Cardinals had only been to the playoffs one season since the name change and it wasn’t a home game.

Arizona made its only playoff appearance since the renaming in 2021, losing 34-11 to the Rams on their turf. It’s the only time the Cardinals have made the playoffs since 2015.

The Philadelphia Eagles were close to being the first team to notch a home win in 2023 at Super Bowl LVII, but weren’t able to bypass Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs despite painting The Valley green.

Whether the Rams win or lose, they’ll at the very least play a home playoff game at State Farm before the Cardinals.

Arizona did every thing right, assisting Los Angeles through tough times. But even when they’re trying to be nice, the Rams still find ways to give the Cardinals an “L” to hold.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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