Arizona took advantage of this change of possession, relying on running back James Conner and the skills of quarterback Kyler Murray, setting up a 23-yard touchdown pass from Murray to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. that gave them an early 7-0 lead.
After Los Angeles was forced to punt on the ensuing series, Arizona extended its lead to 14-0 with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Harrison Jr. on the first play of that drive.
The Rams had to punt again after their third offensive series, but punter Ethan Evans’ 67-yard punt was brought down at the 1-yard line by cornerback Charles Woods. The flat starting position on the field did not deter the Cardinals, who reached the end zone 13 plays later with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Murray to tight end Elijah Higgins to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.
An out-of-form 42-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and a penalty for unnecessary roughness eventually helped the Rams to a 29-yard field goal by kicker Joshua Karty and reduce their deficit to 18.
By halftime, the Rams had managed 1 for 6 on their third attempt and were behind 24:3.
Conner’s 5-yard touchdown run gave the Cardinals a 31-3 lead with 10:33 left in the third quarter.
After Arizona scored a 56-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater, Los Angeles responded with a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Kyren Williams, but they still trailed 34-10 with 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
