Rams Must Make a Statement in Week 18 vs. Cardinals

The Los Angeles Rams must find momentum heading into the playoffs following two consecutive losses.

Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) celebrates with wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (15) after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It's time to toss out the last two games and reset if you are the Los Angeles Rams. With the NFC West a found memory of opportunity a few weeks ago, the focus now is to get healthy for the NFC playoffs, as the Rams are expected to have no worse than the sixth seed with a travel to Philadelphia for a Week 3 rematch.

The Rams will face the Arizona Cardinals to conclude their regular season and home venture at SoFi Stadium, with the possibility of traveling for the entire postseason. What is missing from this team is momentum, something that they had for a good two months before their Week 16 matchup in Seattle. If Los Angeles can find that again and make a statement, it could be a fun playoff adventure for Sean McVay's crew.

A statement was exactly what was made against the Arizona Cardinals several weeks ago. Over 500 total yards of offense were exploited on the Cardinals' defense by the Rams, and their run game thrived while Matthew Stafford slung the ball around the yard. One of the biggest things that will happen next week is the return of a healthy Davante Adams and recently paid safety Quentin Lake, whose presence has been dearly missed for a month and a half.

Lake and Adam's return will help strengthen the Rams heading into a potential postseason run. Adams is one of the best route runners and winners at the line of scrimmage across the league, with 14 touchdowns on the year before missing the last couple of weeks with an injury. Lake provides immense value as a box and split-high defender on Los Angeles's defense, a key reason why he got paid.

Nov 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

A healthy roster in the playoffs should equate to a deep postseason run, and there is no reason why they shouldn't, especially with an MVP season from Stafford. While McVay has been clear about not benching starters, some key depth contributors who have nagging ailments could be inactive to heal ahead of next weekend.

Still, Sunday's game must be a statement of forceful will by the Rams to assert their dominance and remind the NFL that they remain a contender in the NFC to represent the conference in Super Bowl LX. Sure, they must nail down their inconsistencies of late, especially their run defense and run blocking, especially to the second level. If they can find growth there this weekend, the Rams will be ready for Philadelphia, Carolina, or Tampa Bay.

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