The 9-6 Rams face the 8-7 Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in what will mark the 87th all-time meeting between between the two clubs. Ahead of the contest, theRams.com takes a look at a few of the notable Rams-Cardinals games from previous years.
All stats cited are from pro-football-reference.com's historical box scores.
Divisional round of playoffs, 1975 season: Rams 35, Cardinals 23
The only time the two teams have met in the playoffs was 1975 – when the Cardinals were in St. Louis – and it was a 12-point L.A. victory at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum powered by a pair of defensive scores, plus two touchdowns by quarterback Ron Jaworski.
The Rams returned two of Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart's three interceptions for touchdowns – 47 yards by defensive lineman Jack Youngblood and 65 by defensive back Bill Simpson – and it was estimated they sacked Hart twice (sacks didn't become an official stat until 1982).
Jaworski ran five yards for his first touchdown and the Rams' first points in the first quarter, then threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Harold Jackson in the second quarter to give the Rams to a 28-9 halftime lead and sustainable advantage the remainder of the game.
Week 7, 2017 season: Rams 33, Cardinals 0
Kicker Greg Zuerlein drilled four field goals (long of 53), quarterback Jared Goff tallied two total touchdowns, running back Todd Gurley ran for 106 yards and a score, and the Rams defense came away with two interceptions to earn this win, the first of what is now seven straight over the Cardinals under head coach Sean McVay entering this Sunday's game.
Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer exited the game late in the second quarter with a broken arm and was replaced by Drew Stanton. Palmer missed their final nine games as a result and eventually retired in early January 2018.
Week 17, 2007 season: Cardinals 48, Rams 19
While an undesirable outcome for the Rams, wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce still managed to make league history.
Holt's seven catches that day made him the 19th player in league history with at least 800 for their career.
Meanwhile, Bruce's two catches moved him ahead of Art Monk for sixth on the NFL's career receptions list.
Week 15, 2002 season: Rams 30, Cardinals 28
The Rams built a 24-7 halftime lead behind quarterback Marc Bulger's two touchdown passes and cornerback Dre Bly's 78-yard punt return for a touchdown, but had to withstand 21 second-half points by the Cardinals to come away with the victory. A pair of second-half field goals by kicker Jeff Wilkins – including the game-winner with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter – would be enough for St. Louis to hold on.
With 39 rushing yards on nine carries, running back Marshall Faulk became the second player in league history to rush for 5,000 yards with two different teams (Colts and Rams).
Week 1, 1994 season: Rams 14, Cardinals 12
Excluding ties, the 1994 season opener marked just the third time in 35 games that margin of victory for either team was less than three points.
A 74-yard fumble return by defensive back Todd Lyght, a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Jerome Bettis and a 2-point pass attempt by the Cardinals helped the Rams hold on for the win.
The Rams also got timely help from their defense to mitigate the damage of a missed field goal kicker Tony Zendejas at the end of the third quarter – which came on the drive following the Cardinals' failed 2-point attempt – and an interception by quarterback Chris Miller midway through the fourth quarter.
Week 15, 1985 season: Rams 46, Cardinals 14
A 36-point first half by Los Angeles set the tone for this lopsided victory, one that put L.A. on the cusp of securing homefield advantage throughout the playoffs (while the Rams lost to the Raiders in Week 16, they would earn it thanks to the 49ers' victory over the Cowboys in San Francisco that same week).
Quarterback Dieter Brock had a sharp performance for the Rams, completing 13 of 20 pass attempts for 216 yards and four touchdown and getting sacked just once. Running back Eric Dickerson also had a big day with 20 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Rams defense snagged two interceptions (both by defensive back Tim Fox), recovered a fumble and sacked Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax four times.
