With each passing week, the Rams look more and more like the NFL’s most complete team — with Matthew Stafford playing the best football of his career.
The Bucs, meanwhile, continue to unravel, and now have their quarterback to worry about in their injury-ravaged season.
Those two contrasting realities came to a head Sunday night, when the Rams (9-2) cruised to victory over the Buccaneers (6-5) at SoFi Stadium, 34-7. Los Angeles has now won six consecutive games and seven of its last eight. On the flip side, Tampa has dropped three in a row and four of its last five.
Here are my takeaways:
1. No QB is playing better football than Stafford
The Patriots’ Drake Maye may have been the early-season MVP favorite, but Stafford has been the more dominant player over the last few weeks. And if the 37-year-old continues to play like he did Sunday night, the award is his to lose.
Stafford went 25-of-35 for 273 yards and three touchdowns with a 122.7 passer rating in Sunday’s win. All three of his touchdown passes came in the first half, when he completed 82.6% (19-of-23) of his passes for 210 yards. He began the game with 12 straight completions.
Through 11 games, Stafford has a league-high 30 touchdowns against just two interceptions. It’s like he’s in a flow state quarterbacking this talented Rams’ offense (one that’s without tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein, both of whom were placed on injured reserve earlier this week), making quick decisions, getting through his progressions and hurling his signature no-look passes — all the more impressive considering the murkiness surrounding his health entering the season.
2. Baker Mayfield‘s shoulder adds to Bucs’ injury woes
The Bucs listed Baker Mayfield as doubtful to return with a shoulder injury entering the second half, and he was eventually downgraded to out as backup Teddy Bridgewater played the final two quarters.
Mayfield was grimacing in pain, holding that shoulder after his touchdown throw to wide receiver Tez Johnson in the second quarter. He promptly went to the blue medical tent and closed out the half, when a failed Hail Mary attempt left him in further discomfort.
Losing Mayfield for any amount of time would obviously be devastating for the Bucs, whose skid has them in danger of blowing the NFC South. The Panthers enter their Monday night game against the 49ers with a share of the division lead with the Bucs at 6-5, though Tampa currently owns the tiebreaker because of the better record in divisional games.
Baker Mayfield’s left arm was in a sling after the Buccaneers’ loss to the Rams. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
3. The Rams’ defense needs to be talked about more
On a night where the team celebrated the legacy of Aaron Donald, the Rams defense showed why it deserves more respect as one of the best units in football.
Los Angeles had four sacks, six quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed against Tampa Bay’s 10th-ranked scoring offense.
Even before Mayfield got hurt, he was constantly harassed by a defensive line that rushes the passer well as a unit. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula throws constant stunts at the opposing offense, making the D-linemen difficult to block.
At linebacker, Nate Landman — who signed a three-year extension earlier this week — has been a revelation. And even without safety Quentin Lake (placed on injured reserve this week), the Rams’ secondary is a force to be reckoned with. Cornerback Cobie Durant had a 50-yard pick-six and broke up a would-be touchdown pass to rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka. Former first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes played terrific, as well, adding an interception of his own to go with a team-high five pass breakups.
4. Tampa Bay’s defense is becoming worrisome
A week after allowing 44 points to the Bills, the Bucs allowed the Rams to score 34 points, including 31 in the first half.
Injuries have been a big issue. They’ve played a major role in Tampa’s season to this point, on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Bucs entered Sunday’s game without edge rusher Haason Reddick and cornerbacks Jamal Dean and Benjamin Morrison, and it showed in their difficulties rushing the passer and in coverage. Stafford was sacked just once, while receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson combined for 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
4 ½ What’s next?
The Rams will enter Week 13 as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They’ll begin a two-game road trip next Sunday against the Panthers (6-5), who’ve won two of their last three games and will be playing on a short week.
Meanwhile, the Bucs host the Cardinals (3-8) next week, the start of a three-game homestand. The matchup with Arizona precedes three straight NFC South games for Tampa, which has a loose grip on the NFC’s No. 4 seed.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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