LA pushes Arizona 1 step closer to obvious Jonathan Gannon decision

The Los Angeles Rams were expected to rip Jonathan Gannon and the three-win Arizona Cardinals apart in their Week 14 duel, and LA made good on those projections by entering the early stages of the fourth quarter with a 45-10 lead in what was a dominant victory that helped boost LA's odds at the No. 1 seed.

Not only was Matthew Stafford back on track after an up-and-down showing the prior week against the Carolina Panthers, but both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum managed to pulverize what was thought to be a respectable Cardinals defense. Things look bleak for Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon.

In this absolute demolition of Gannon and the Cardinals, the Rams may have done Arizona a favor. The Cardinals' organization must realize that losses like this are enough to fire Gannon over as they try to start anew in the 2026 season.

While all three of the other teams in the NFC West, including a McVay-led Rams team that has eyes on the ultimate prize, appear to be playoff-bound, Arizona finds itself far behind that trio in last place. In Year 3 of Gannon, it might be time for some new blood.

Rams' Week 14 win vs Cardinals could lead to Jonathan Gannon firing

This loss has now pushed Gannon to 15-32 in three seasons with the Cardinals. On top of his inability to get the injured Kyler Murray back to the Pro Bowl level he achieved with Kliff Kingsbury, Gannon's offensive personnel evaluation has been suspect.

The defense, which is supposed to be Gannon's specialty, started off the year in great form under DC Nick Rallis, but they have since fallen apart to the point where they aren't even putting together any sort of effort against a team that was fresh off a debilitating loss on the road.

Between Gannon regressing hard after leading the team to an 8-9 season and GM Monti Ossenfort showing that it is taking him way too long to build this roster, the Rams' destruction of the Cardinals could force a full-scale rebuild in Arizona. Meanwhile, McVay, Les Snead, and the Rams appear to be coasting to yet another season with a playoff appearance.

Perhaps in a few years, Cardinals fans will thank the Rams for finally showing the organization that Gannon is simply not capable of challenging for an NFC West crown in what has become the league's deepest division and forcing them to pull the plug.