Mike LaFleur is now 2-0 at SoFi Stadium in the 2026 season, his first leading the Arizona Cardinals.
The 18-16 victory of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday didn’t come by easy, but LaFleur got the best of Sean McVay by the time the clock hit zero.
Read more on what the Cardinals‘ head coach had to say in regards to the end of the game below.
LaFleur Glad This Key Moment Took Place Late in Game
The Cardinals were in control of the game for a large portion of the day.
However, the Rams’ offense found life on their final drive. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was comfortable for the first time during the game. Wide receiver Puka Nacua found much of his production on the day here as well.
Arizona’s defense was on the brink of breaking, and it may have at exactly the right time. Rams tight end Cody Parkinson’s extension of the ball over the plane just in time led to a Los Angeles touchdown with 52 seconds left in the game.
This moment gave the Cardinals and LaFleur significant time to drive into field goal range for Chad Ryland’s game-winning 43-yard kick as time ran out.
The 39-year-old head coach was notably grateful for the moment in the post-game press conference (Greg Beacham, AP).
“Thank God he did score.”
This summarizes the collective thoughts of Cardinals fans everywhere relatively well. A loss in this game would’ve been detrimental, as a storm of positive factors fell in the Cardinals’ way. This includes a masterful performance by DC Nick Rallis, Ryland knocking down all five field goal attempts prior to the final drive, and the Rams suffering from operational issues.
Read more below on the possible fallout from the win.
What Cardinals Can Take Out of Dramatic Win
What was appearing to trend towards becoming a free-falling season for the Cardinals is stabilizing.
Even though Arizona came into Sunday riding a four-game losing streak, there were positives to take out of each defeat.
Arizona also seems to be learning from their mistakes, and adjusting accordingly.
The Cardinals’ defense playing a quarter of strong ball against the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks was useful here. LaFleur’s game management decisions that arguably cost the Cardinals a win against the New York Giants was eradicated on Sunday.
Jacoby Brissett put his best fourth-quarter performance of the season forward as well. The right conditions arose for a win, and now the Rams trail the Cardinals in the NFC West standings.
This isn’t to say the challenges end here, as the Cardinals and LaFleur take on the Denver Broncos and their stingy defense next Sunday. After that, the Cardinals are traveling to take on a high-octane Dallas Cowboys offense. The grueling stretch ends with games against the Seattle Seahawks, Rams, and re-establishing Kansas City Chiefs.
While the battle isn’t over, early signs from LaFleur seem to be working in favor for him being the answer at head coach.
Mike LaFleur Reflects on Key Moment Behind Cardinals’ Last-Second Win