Rams thump Cardinals, move back on top of NFC

Matthew Stafford threw for three touchdowns, Puka Nacua had two TD receptions and the Los Angeles Rams moved back on top of the NFC with a 45-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Glendale, Ariz.

Stafford completed 22 of 31 passes for 281 yards as the Rams (10-3) regained pole position for the No. 1 playoff seed in the conference after falling from that perch with a loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. The Rams jumped the Chicago Bears, who lost Sunday to the Green Bay Packers, and hold the tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks, though the NFC West teams will meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

Blake Corum ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Kyren Williams also ran for a score while Colby Parkinson caught a scoring strike from Stafford, who raised his NFL-leading total of touchdown passes to 35.

Jacoby Brissett completed 25 of 44 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns as the Cardinals (3-10) lost their fifth straight game and dropped to 1-6 at home. Michael Wilson caught 11 passes for 142 yards and two TDs while NFL receptions leader Trey McBride had five catches to bring his season total to 93.

Arizona, which was eliminated from playoff contention last week, had 51 yards rushing to 249 for Los Angeles.

The Cardinals took the opening drive of the game 67 yards for a 7-0 lead on a 19-yard TD reception from Wilson. The Rams responded with a 26-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis.

The Rams went up 10-7 on Corum's 2-yard run late in the first quarter before the Cardinals tied it 10-10 on a 38-yard field goal from Chad Ryland in the second quarter.

The Rams took over from there, closing the first half on a 2-yard TD run from Williams and a 28-yard TD reception from Nacua to take a 24-10 lead. Los Angeles made it 31-10 on Parkinson's 6-yard TD catch early in the third quarter.

Nacua's second TD reception came on a 31-yard pass late in the third, one play after an interception by Nate Landman. Corum gave Los Angeles another one-play drive with a 48-yard run on the Rams' first play of the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals ended Los Angeles' run of 35 consecutive points on Wilson's 14-yard TD catch with 11:08 left to cut the deficit to 45-17.

Rams head coach Sean McVay did not arrive in Arizona until Sunday morning as he dealt with an illness, but guided the team the entire game from the sideline.

--Field Level Media