The Los Angeles Rams showed why they are a Super Bowl threat, and Matthew Stafford is the MVP favorite in what was a dominating 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. The win improves L.A. to 9-2 on the season and gives them their sixth win in a row. Meanwhile, the Bucs are trending in the wrong direction, dropping their third straight to fall to 6-5. To make matters worse, Baker Mayfield left the contest due to a left shoulder injury.
The rout was on almost in lockstep with kickoff. After forcing Tampa Bay to punt on its opening possession, the Rams proceeded to march 80 yards down the field and cap off a 10-play drive with a Stafford touchdown pass to Davante Adams. That was the first of two touchdowns for the duo in the opening half, while Stafford piled up three scores through the air overall.
On top of the contributions L.A. got on offense as they built up a first-half lead, the defense also got in on the fun. In the first quarter, corner Cobie Durant ripped the football away from tight end Cade Otton and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. At the break, it was a 31-7 lead for the Rams, with the lone Bucs score coming on a 14-yard reception by wideout Tez Johnson from Mayfield. That was all the damage Mayfield would be able to inflict after he suffered a left shoulder injury that forced him to miss the entire second half. That thrust Teddy Bridgewater into action, but the Tampa Bay offense couldn’t muster anything close to a comeback attempt.
For more on this win for Los Angeles, check out our takeaways below
Rams elevate to No. 1 seed in the NFC
This win, coupled with the Philadelphia Eagles blowing a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys earlier on Sunday, has boosted Los Angeles to the top spot in the NFC coming out of Week 12. They now have the inside track at the No. 1 seed in the conference and the first-round bye that comes with it.
Matthew Stafford bolsters MVP case
Stafford is the betting favorite to win NFL MVP, and it’s easy to see why. The Rams quarterback began the night completing his first 12 pass attempts, which allowed Los Angeles to easily build up a lead over the Bucs. On the night, he completed 25 of his 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
This was Stafford’s fifth straight game with multiple passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, which is the longest streak since Aaron Rodgers in 2021. Rodgers went on to win the MVP that season.
Baker Mayfield exits with a left shoulder injury
Mayfield was in discomfort in the closing minutes of the first half. After one Bucs offensive possession, he got checked out in the blue medical tent, but ended up coming back on the field. However, he was noticeably limited, particularly in the final seconds of the half when he tried to throw a Hail Mary, which resulted in an interception. After he let go of the ball, Mayfield was down on the field clutching his left shoulder.
When Tampa Bay came out for the second half, it was Bridgewater at quarterback, with the team initially listing Mayfield as doubtful to return. He was later downgraded to out and could be seen in a sling on the sideline. Mayfield finished his night completing 9 of 19 for 41 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. As for Bridgewater, he was 8 of 15 for 62 yards. Following the game, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield suffered a sprain and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury.
Play of the game
This game was turned sideways after Durant ripped the ball away from Otton. As Otton bobbled the ball when trying to make the catch, the Rams corner was able to get his hands in there and rip it away. Durant then had a relatively easy lane to the end zone for a 50-yard pick six, which was more like a rip six. This was Durant’s second career interception return for a touchdown
