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Rams Dominate as Bucs Collapse Early in L.A.’s Statement Win

November 24, 2025

I would love to type up a Bucs piece where we discussed how Tampa Bay finally took down a playoff bound team on their third attempt over the last three weeks.. But I can’t. Tampa didn’t just lose. They were humiliated and down big early – Forced to go for it on 4th down in their own territory multiple times. Baker Mayfield was ruled out with a left shoulder injury at half and Teddy Bridgewater was tasked with finishing the evening. The game was lost early on as the Rams led big 31-7. That one score by Tampa Bay was Baker Mayfield’s 200th career regular season score. But that was about the only notable thing from the Bucs side of things.

The Los Angeles defense came out hungry and it looked like it might be a defensive battle early but only one team came to play. That was very evident when Cobie Durant stole the ball from Cade Otton and took it back to the house for a 50 yard score. That was really it for the Bucs, that one play was indicative of how the rest of the night was going to look. After dropping back to back games to the Patriots and Bills, this was Tampa’s chance against another quality opponent and they came out flat. 

Tampa Bay might’ve failed to come out ready to go but the Rams sure weren’t. Matthew Stafford came out firing and was completing everything. Davante Adams had two touchdowns by half time and Stafford had his 30th passing touchdown before the break as well. Stafford has now thrown 27 straight touchdowns and hasn’t thrown an interception since the 1st quarter of week 3 against the Eagles. According to Elias Sports, it’s the longest touchdown streak by any player since play-by-play was first tracked in 1978. Stafford’s been playing exceptional football and finished the night 26/35, 273 yards and 3 touchdowns. You would think Davante Adams and Stafford had played their whole careers together with the type of chemistry these two have been showing. Adams currently has the most touchdowns (12) that he’s had since 2022 (14). He’ll almost certainly blow right past that number and could put up a career high with his MVP candidate at quarterback.

The Rams defense simply got after Baker/Teddy. Kobie Turner and Jared Verse both registered two sacks each. Mayfield could only muster 41 passing yards prior to his exit with a left shoulder injury. That injury could be the final nail in the coffin should Baker miss additional time. We’ve seen him attempt to play through big injuries in the past and it didn’t go well,  so hopefully the Bucs training staff can steer him in the right direction and not make things worse. Since Mayfield became the Bucs starter in 2023, he’s first in QB starts with 45, 2nd in passing touchdowns with 87 and 3rd in passing yards with almost 11,000. 

Carolina is right on their tail in the division and will match up twice down the stretch that could determine the NFC South winner. Fortunately for Tampa, they will have three matchups on the “easier” side against the Cardinals, Saints and Falcons but nothing is a given in the NFL. They need to start piling up more NFC wins and have a golden opportunity up ahead to do so. Bucky Irving is expected to return to the lineup in week 13 as well. They’ll need all the help they can get after dropping to 6-5.

LA looks like the best team in the NFC, maybe the entire league. They’re playing complimentary football but most importantly, they’re protecting the ball. It’s one thing to play well and a completely different story to literally never turn the ball over. Stafford is playing the best football of his career while building his MVP case. The Rams are forcing their opponents to play perfect in order to beat them lately. That’s a tough ask of anyone. McVay has this group on a heater and they’ll look to continue it next week in Carolina.

Keith, Author

Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.