The Arizona Cardinals vs Rams Week 6 matchup Sunday pits a Los Angeles team trying to stop the bleeding against an Arizona club riding a four-game losing streak. The Rams (2-3) host the Cardinals (1-4) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox. The biggest question entering the game is whether a Rams offensive line missing suspended left tackle Alaric Jackson can protect Matthew Stafford against a Cardinals pass rush that has produced little pressure all season.
Cardinals Vs Rams Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
- TV: Fox
- Weather: 87 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
Who Starts At Left Tackle For The Rams Without Alaric Jackson?
Jackson was suspended after punching Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb following the Rams’ overtime loss to the Bills last Monday, according to Fox Sports. The ban was initially reported as two games before the NFL reduced it to one game on appeal, per Bleacher Report. Jackson is eligible to return Oct. 25 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chubb described the scuffle afterward, saying, “Emotional game. It was a close game, and they always catch the second guy. So I let him swing, and my teammates held me back.”
He added, “Yeah, somebody swung. But hey, that’s not on me to tell who. There’s cameras out there.
I’m just ready for next week.”
Jackson, who signed a three-year, $57 million extension with the Rams in February 2025 and has started all five games this season in his fourth year as the starting left tackle, will be replaced by David Quessenberry, according to CBS Sports. Quessenberry, 36, last started an NFL game on Jan. 7, 2024, for the Vikings.
Can The Cardinals Defense Slow Down An Explosive Rams Offense?
Arizona ranks last in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 32.4 points per game, and has given up at least 31 points in each loss during its current four-game skid, with the unit surrendering 37 points per game over that stretch, according to CBS Sports. The Rams counter with an offense averaging an NFL-best 424.4 yards per game.
Pressure has been a problem for Arizona all year. Safety Budda Baker is the only Cardinal with more than one sack through five games, totaling 2 1/2, and the Cardinals’ front has struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks all season. Los Angeles has scored two touchdowns on explosive plays of 15 yards or longer this year but does not have a touchdown run longer than 7 yards, meaning Arizona’s secondary will face a mix of chunk passing plays rather than a dominant ground attack.
Still, the Rams have had their own defensive issues. Los Angeles has allowed 30 or more points in seven of its past 14 games dating back to last season, including the playoffs, and is 2-5 in those contests.
What Is The Expected Status Of Jacoby Brissett And Jeremiyah Love?
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 17 games he has started for Arizona, the second-longest active streak in the league behind Detroit’s Jared Goff at 26 games. Despite that consistency, Brissett carries a 2-15 record as a starter for the Cardinals. He has completed 132 of 199 passes for 1,110 yards with 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season.
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is listed as questionable with a leg ankle issue. Love leads all rookies with 245 rushing yards on 67 carries and ranks second among rookies with 281 yards from scrimmage. His availability is a projection until the Cardinals confirm their inactive list.
Arizona safety Wydett Williams Jr. is out with a head concussion, while safety Andrew Wingard (leg knee bruise) and wide receiver Devin Duvernay (torso ribs) are both questionable. For the Rams, safety Kam Curl (leg ankle), tight end Colby Parkinson (arm shoulder) and linebacker Nate Landman (arm wrist) are all questionable as well.
Arizona Cardinals Outlook
Arizona enters at 1-4 after losses to Seattle, San Francisco, the New York Giants and Detroit, the last a 45-21 defeat in which the defense again allowed more than 40 points. The lone win came in Week 1 at the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cardinals own a plus-2 turnover differential and a 7-5 edge in takeaways over giveaways, numbers that suggest a defense capable of creating chances despite its scoring problems.
First-year coach Mike LaFleur, a former offensive assistant under Rams coach Sean McVay, said of the matchup, “I love Mike, and it’s about the Rams versus the Cardinals, and we’re going to try to get after him as good as we can this week.” Arizona has lost eight straight games against NFC West opponents dating to 2024.
Los Angeles Rams Outlook
The Rams sit at 2-3 after an uneven stretch that includes a 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo last week and a 30-26 loss at Denver, mixed with wins over the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Los Angeles leads the league in total yards per game at 433.8 but has a minus-3 turnover differential, with 8 giveaways against just 5 takeaways through five games. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for 1,572 yards and 9 touchdowns with 6 interceptions, while running back Kyren Williams has rushed for 343 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Davante Adams leads all pass catchers with 27 receptions for 441 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Key Matchup
The game turns on whether Quessenberry can hold up at left tackle against an Arizona pass rush that has managed just 11 sacks in five games, with Baker’s 2 1/2 the team high among individual defenders. The Rams’ offense has leaned on big plays rather than a consistent run game, since Los Angeles has no touchdown run longer than 7 yards this season. If Arizona’s front gets pressure on Stafford, it could force the kind of mistakes that have already produced 8 Rams giveaways this year. If Quessenberry protects well, the Cardinals’ thin pass rush could struggle to disrupt an offense averaging 317 passing yards per game.
Players To Watch
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Cardinals
Brissett has extended his touchdown-pass streak to 17 straight starts for Arizona but holds a 2-15 record in those games, a split that reflects the defensive struggles around him rather than his own passing production.
David Quessenberry, OT, Rams
Stepping in for the suspended Jackson, Quessenberry has not started an NFL game since Jan. 7, 2024, making his performance against Arizona’s pass rush a central storyline.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals
Listed as questionable with an ankle issue, Love leads all rookies in rushing yards with 245 and ranks second among rookies in yards from scrimmage with 281.
What To Watch
Los Angeles has won five straight home games against Arizona and nine of its last 10 meetings with the Cardinals at the Coliseum or SoFi Stadium since McVay took over, including a 37-20 win in the teams’ last meeting on Jan. 4. The Rams lead the all-time series 55-41-2. A fifth straight loss for Arizona would extend both its overall skid and its run of eight consecutive defeats to NFC West opponents dating to 2024, a streak documented in Total Apex Sports’ coverage of Arizona’s 1-4 start.
The Cardinals’ previous outing against Detroit is covered in the Lions vs. Cardinals preview, and more on Arizona’s offensive line situation can be found in the report on Paris Johnson’s season-ending injury. For broader context on the division race, see the Week 6 NFL power rankings.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
