review the play, even Witherspoon wasn’t sure what the call would be. “I thought I stuck it,” Witherspoon said. “Any time that ball hits the ground, you never know.”

Ultimately, the play was upheld. And 15 weeks after being embarrassed to the tune of 41 points and 489 yards against these same Cardinals, it was the Rams’ defense that secured a 13-9 win.

“It was a revenge game,” safety Kam Curl said. “We know we’re a totally different team than we was Week 2, and I feel like we came out here and proved that.”

They gave up 396 yards, but the Rams (10-6) held Arizona to 6-for-13 on third down, 0-for-2 on fourth and, most importantly, 1-for-4 in the red zone. They sacked Murray four times, including two by rookie defensive lineman Braden Fiske. Linebacker Jared Verse walled off James Conner on a fourth-down run to turn the ball over on downs in the red zone. Witherspoon dived to break up a pass in the end zone in the third quarter.

And they were able to shake off the few mistakes they made. Outside linebacker Michael Hoecht’s defensive holding call in the end zone gave the Cardinals (7-9) a fresh start at the Rams’ 1. But after McBride scored on a screen pass, Hoecht leaped up to block the extra point, his third blocked kick of the year.

“We know that was early on in the season,” outside linebacker Byron Young said of the first game against Arizona, “but at the same time, we had to own up to that game. We knew we could have played better and we showed that.”

Meanwhile, the Rams offense started the game mired in the same slog that has dominated first quarters for the team this season.

Four drives, 60 yards, 1-for-5 on third down and four punts. And a 13th first quarter without a touchdown in 16 games. The Cardinals pass rush was hurrying Stafford as Joe Noteboom struggled in place of Rob Havenstein (shoulder) at right tackle.

“It does come down to, ‘Let’s execute, let’s do what we’re supposed to do snap in and snap out, let’s not have penalties that set us back,’ ” head coach Sean McVay said. “But we all gotta be better and it will always start with me.”

As the defense shut the Cardinals out in the first half, the offense finally got going after a 29-yard catch-and-run by receiver Cooper Kupp. Stafford narrowly avoided three interceptions on the drive, but his loping scramble got the Rams to the Arizona 5, and Kyren Williams punched the ball in from the 1.

Add a 53-yard field goal by Josh Karty after Puka Nacua moved the Rams 42 yards and into range, and the team had a 10-0 lead at the half.

A fourth-quarter field goal by Karty was all the scoring the offense managed in the second half. The unit possessed the ball for a total of 2:12 in the third quarter. The onus was on the Rams’ defense to win the game.

Young’s pressure forced a Murray throwaway on third down as the Cardinals settled for a field goal in the red zone. Then, with less than 4 minutes to play and facing fourth-and-10, Murray heaved a ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. in double coverage at the goal line.

The ball sailed over Harrison’s outstretched arms, and Kinchens came away with the interception, sliding to the Rams’ 10 after a short return. Witherspoon sealed the win with his own interception one drive later.

The Rams had done their part for the weekend with their eighth one-possession win of the year, giving themselves the chance to clinch the NFC West if three of Buffalo, Minnesota, Cleveland, Washington and San Francisco win over the next two days.

“It would mean a lot,” McVay said, “but what I don’t want to do is get ahead because you get emotionally invested in other people’s games, and that never has really served me very well.”