Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams blew out the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14, 45-17. The Rams got back to winning ways after their 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers the previous week. L.A. improved to 10-3 after taking down the Cardinals as they maintained their spot as the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Stafford turned in another eye-catching performance in the win. The two-time Pro Bowler completed 22-of-31 passes for 281 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Thanks in large part to Stafford’s strong outing, the Rams were able to bounce back after the disappointment of Week 13.
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Stafford was also involved in a contentious moment during the game — one that has now drawn a punishment decision from the NFL.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during an NFL game. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Stafford threw an incomplete pass at the 10:21 mark of the third quarter. His intended target was tight end Davis Allen, who failed to get on the other end of his quarterback’s pass. This was because Allen was impeded by Cardinals rookie linebacker Jordan Burch, who was assessed with a personal foul after grabbing Allen’s facemask.
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Stafford’s pass was ruled incomplete, but the facemask penalty resulted in an automatic first down for the Rams. They were able to close out the drive with a touchdown as Stafford scored on a six-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson.
The NFL Officiating Department has reviewed the incident and has made a decision on Burch’s violation. The good news for the Cardinals LB is that he was spared a fine for his foul against Allen. The league made the announcement via the gameday accountability report on Saturday.
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For context, four facemask violations were fined in Week 14. The most substantial penalty was on Dallas Cowboys star George Pickens, who received an $11,593 unnecessary roughness fine for his facemask infraction against the Detroit Lions. However, Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray had two facemask penalties during their Cleveland Browns game, with the penalty being $6,492 per violation.
Stafford and the Rams are back in action on Sunday against the Lions. The 3-10 Cardinals, on the other hand, will play the Houston Texans in a road game for Week 15.
Related: Matthew Stafford’s Wife Ran Into Trouble After Rams-Buccaneers Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.