NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Los Angeles Rams and MVP front-runner Matthew Stafford just keeps on winning as they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Rams have won six straight games and continue to lead the NFC West with a 9-2 record. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers fell to 6-5, tying them with the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South lead.
This game was as lopsided as it gets in a primetime matchup between playoff hopefuls, and a lot of that had to do with how confident and poised Stafford has been in his 17th NFL season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Inglewood, CA. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Stafford added three more touchdown passes to his league-leading total, giving him 30 on the year with just two interceptions. And the man who has enjoyed a resurgence of his own, Davante Adams, continued to be his target in the red zone.
Adams secured two touchdowns for the Rams, including the game’s opening score that capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a beautifully thrown pass from Stafford.
BAKER MAYFIELD HAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED MATTHEW STAFFORD A “TOP 3 OR 5” QB
Then, after Baker Mayfield threw a pick-six on the following drive for the Buccaneers, Stafford came right back to start the second quarter with a five-yard strike to tight end Colby Parkinson, blowing the game open 21-0.
Needing a touchdown, Mayfield found Tez Johnson for a 14-yard score on the ensuing drive to cut into the Rams’ lead. But Stafford needed just four plays to go 65 yards and connect with Adams again, this time on a perfect 24-yard touch pass.
Adams finished the game with 62 yards on five catches, while Puka Nacua led Los Angeles with 97 yards on seven receptions.
During the Buccaneers’ touchdown drive, Mayfield converted seven yards on third-and-6, sinking his shoulder into two Rams defenders to move the chains. It proved costly for the aggressive signal-caller as he suffered a left shoulder injury that eventually forced him out of the game.
Davante Adams of the Los Angeles Rams catches a touchdown pass against Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The injury appeared to bother Mayfield as he tried to raise a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. He went down on one knee with his left arm immobile before finally walking to the locker room.
When Tampa Bay came out for the second half, backup Teddy Bridgewater took over for the injured Mayfield, who was sidelined in street clothes. It’s unclear what exactly Mayfield is dealing with, but given his history of playing through injuries, this is clearly something he couldn’t work through — and it could be a concern going forward.
Bridgewater was unable to mount a comeback as the Buccaneers struggled against a dominant Rams defense. Bridgewater went 8-for-15 for 62 yards and two sacks, while Mayfield was 9-of-19 for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which came on the Hail Mary attempt.
Fox One/Fox Nation special promotion. (Pakinomist)
As a team, the Buccaneers managed just 193 yards of offense to the Rams’ 333, but that’s been the story of late for this growing Los Angeles team.
At 9-2, the Rams have the best record in the NFC, proving they are a legitimate force heading into the final stretch of the 2025 regular season.
