Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Challenge the Rams Must Face in Week 14

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Dec 6, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Rams will have an interesting game coming up on Sunday, and it is against their NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals. These two teams are heading in different directions this season.

The Rams are in the lead in the NFC West and looking to get back to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Well, the Cardinals are in last place in the division and are trying to finish the season on a healthy note. They have been dealing with a lot of injuries, and they are also in one of the best divisions in the NFL.

As we know when it comes to playing in these divisional games, it is never a given for any team. The Rams will be the favorites to take this game, but the Cardinals are going to make it as difficult as they can will be looking to get a big-time win. These games are always close, and anything could happen when two rivals play each other. The records go out the window, and they are just trying to win because neither team wants to lose to their rivals. These games mean more.

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Rams Facing More than Cardinals

The Rams will also be facing another situation where they are looking to bounce back. The Rams are coming off a loss and cannot drop another game in back-to-back weeks. Especially against an opponent that they should win against. The good news for the Rams is that they have been great in these types of games where they are coming off a loss. The Rams are looking at it as a must-win-win game based on the things they want to accomplish before the start of the playoffs.

"I think the fact that we just go back to what we've been doing and trust what we do," Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "Football is an imperfect game played by a bunch of humans trying to do their best, and sometimes it doesn't come out that way."

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"But when you put the work in, you go out there, put yourself out there and try to go play for your team and try to get a win, and when it doesn't happen, yeah, you got a pit in your stomach, and it pisses you off, and it's disappointing, and all those kind of things, but you can sleep okay, knowing that, 'Hey, I did everything I could to prepare to be ready to play, go out there and play,' and so we just continue to do that process."

"And we got a bunch of guys in that locker room and coaches that believe in the same thing. We continue to do that, we'll like the result.'"

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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