Game story
In Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season on 2021-01-03, the Los Angeles Rams took care of business against the Arizona Cardinals, pulling away with a 18–7 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 12 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
J. Wolford (Los Angeles Rams) paced the passing game, with +1.64 total EPA, and -5.8% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, T. Higbee (Los Angeles Rams) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +6.12 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-38.3% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Arizona Cardinals changed the game: (:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 T. Higbee · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +6.12 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.53 EPA/play
- 2 J. Wolford · Los Angeles Rams · Rushing · +4.06 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.81 EPA/play
- 3 D. Arnold · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +3.19 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.06 EPA/play
- 4 C. Akers · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +2.56 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.64 EPA/play
- 5 J. Ward · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +2.20 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.20 EPA/play
- 6 K. Murray · Arizona Cardinals · Passing · +2.16 total EPA · 14 snaps · +0.15 EPA/play
- 7 J. Wolford · Los Angeles Rams · Passing · +1.64 total EPA · 44 snaps · +0.04 EPA/play
- 8 K. Johnson · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +1.61 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.80 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
T. Higbee — LA · Receiving
T. Higbee posted the highest total EPA (+6.12) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Los Angeles Rams's efficiency. Across 4 counted snaps, they averaged +1.53 EPA per play.
The signature play (-10.05 EPA) came from Arizona Cardinals: (:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Arizona Cardinals — J. Ward (C. Streveler pass)
- Los Angeles Rams — T. Hill
Field goals
- Los Angeles Rams — M. Gay
- Los Angeles Rams — M. Gay
- Los Angeles Rams — M. Gay
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Arizona Cardinals won the period 7–0. Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the LA 11 (Q1 55:15) — (10:15) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass short middle to 38-J.Ward for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Arizona Cardinals added 1 points from the LA 15 (Q1 55:09) — 2-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-A.Lee..
The second quarter: Los Angeles Rams won the period 12–0. Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the ARI 10 (Q2 44:21) — (14:21) 1-M.Gay 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.; Los Angeles Rams registered a safety from the LA 98 (Q2 35:31); Los Angeles Rams found the end zone from the LA 32 (Q2 30:37); Los Angeles Rams added 1 points from the ARI 15 (Q2 30:20) — 1-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..
The third quarter: Los Angeles Rams won the period 3–0. Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the ARI 16 (Q3 21:20) — (6:20) 1-M.Gay 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..
The fourth quarter: Los Angeles Rams won the period 3–0. Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the ARI 9 (Q4 14:28) — (14:28) 1-M.Gay 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 30:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Los Angeles Rams (Q1 55:54) — (10:54) (Shotgun) 9-J.Wolford pass short left intended for 11-J.Reynolds INTERCEPTED by 58-J.Hicks at LA 20. 58-J.Hicks to LA 14 for 6 yards (89-T.Higbee).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q2 36:17) — (6:17) 23-C.Akers left tackle to ARI 1 for 1 yard (59-D.Campbell, 48-I.Simmons). FUMBLES (48-I.Simmons), RECOVERED by ARI-33-B.Murphy at ARI 1. 33-B.Murphy to ARI 1 for no gain (17-R.Woods).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q2 40:25) — (10:25) (Shotgun) 9-J.Wolford left end to ARI 38 for 14 yards (51-T.Vallejo).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q2 41:07) — (11:07) (Shotgun) 23-C.Akers up the middle to LA 48 for -4 yards (94-Z.Allen).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 30:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Los Angeles Rams (Q1 55:54) — (10:54) (Shotgun) 9-J.Wolford pass short left intended for 11-J.Reynolds INTERCEPTED by 58-J.Hicks at LA 20. 58-J.Hicks to LA 14 for 6 yards (89-T.Higbee).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q2 36:17) — (6:17) 23-C.Akers left tackle to ARI 1 for 1 yard (59-D.Campbell, 48-I.Simmons). FUMBLES (48-I.Simmons), RECOVERED by ARI-33-B.Murphy at ARI 1. 33-B.Murphy to ARI 1 for no gain (17-R.Woods).
- Arizona Cardinals (Q4 9:08) — (9:08) 2-M.Nugent 37 yard field goal is BLOCKED (94-A.Robinson), Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-A.Lee, RECOVERED by LA-51-T.Reeder at LA 17. 51-T.Reeder to LA 20 for 3 yards (67-J.Pugh).
Quarterback report card
J.Wolford led all passers in efficiency for Los Angeles Rams, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- J.Wolford (Los Angeles Rams) · 44 dropbacks · 50.0% completion · -5.8% CPOE · +0.04 EPA/play · +1.64 total EPA
- C.Streveler (Arizona Cardinals) · 21 dropbacks · 52.4% completion · -2.9% CPOE · -0.74 EPA/play · -15.58 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.363 | -0.138 |
| Offensive success rate | 31.8% | 31.9% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.383 | +0.037 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.276 | -0.321 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.138 | +0.363 |
| Defensive success rate | 68.1% | 68.2% |
By the numbers
Los Angeles Rams held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (-0.14 vs -0.36), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Arizona Cardinals: 12 drives, -23.93 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
- Los Angeles Rams: 11 drives, -12.53 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Los Angeles Rams leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- T. Higbee (Los Angeles Rams) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- J. Wolford (LA) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q1 55:15 · LA 11 · Score 6-0
(10:15) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass short middle to 38-J.Ward for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Arizona Cardinals XP (+1) — Q1 55:09 · LA 15 · Score 7-0
2-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-A.Lee. - Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q2 44:21 · ARI 10 · Score 7-3
(14:21) 1-M.Gay 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker. - Los Angeles Rams Safety (+2) — Q2 35:31 · LA 98 · Score 7-5
(5:31) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler scrambles left end to ARI 7 for 5 yards (50-S.Ebukam). PENALTY on ARI-67-J.Pugh, Offensive Holding, 2 yards, enforced in End Zon - Los Angeles Rams TD (+6) — Q2 30:37 · LA 32 · Score 7-11
(:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Los Angeles Rams XP (+1) — Q2 30:20 · ARI 15 · Score 7-12
1-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker. - Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q3 21:20 · ARI 16 · Score 7-15
(6:20) 1-M.Gay 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker. - Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q4 14:28 · ARI 9 · Score 7-18
(14:28) 1-M.Gay 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals 18-7 in Week 17, 2020 on 2021-01-03.
What was the final score of Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
The final score was Arizona Cardinals 7, Los Angeles Rams 18 (ARI 7-18 LA) in Week 17, 2020 on 2021-01-03.
What was the score by quarter in Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
Q1: Arizona Cardinals 7, Los Angeles Rams 0; Q2: Arizona Cardinals 0, Los Angeles Rams 12; Q3: Arizona Cardinals 0, Los Angeles Rams 3; Q4: Arizona Cardinals 0, Los Angeles Rams 3; Final: Arizona Cardinals 7, Los Angeles Rams 18.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
Arizona Cardinals touchdown — J. Ward (C. Streveler pass) (Q1 55:15) Los Angeles Rams touchdown — T. Hill (Q2 30:37) Los Angeles Rams field goal — M. Gay (Q2 44:21, 3 pts) Los Angeles Rams field goal — M. Gay (Q3 21:20, 3 pts) Los Angeles Rams field goal — M. Gay (Q4 14:28, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
J. Wolford (Los Angeles Rams), 50.0% completion, -5.8% CPOE, +0.04 EPA per dropback, +1.64 total passing EPA. C. Streveler (Arizona Cardinals), 52.4% completion, -2.9% CPOE, -0.74 EPA per dropback, -15.58 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams?
T. Higbee (Los Angeles Rams) led the game in total EPA with +6.12 on receiving plays. across 4 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-10.05 EPA): (:37) (Shotgun) 15-C.Streveler pass deep right intended for 16-T.Sherfield INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Hill at LA 16. 22-T.Hill for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -38.3%.
Season records after this game
Arizona Cardinals
Entered 8-7 Now 8-8 L
Los Angeles Rams
Entered 9-6 Now 10-6 W
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