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The Los Angeles Rams and MVP favorite Matthew Stafford continue to win, defeating 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 for a prime-time matchup between playoff hopefuls, and much of that was due to Stafford’s confidence and poise in his 17th NFL season.
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, November 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Stafford added three more touchdown passes to his league-leading total, giving him 30 passes this year with just two interceptions. And the man who has enjoyed a resurgence in his own right, Davante Adams, has continued to be his go-to target in the red zone.
Adams accounted for two touchdowns for the Rams, including the game-opening score that capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a beautifully thrown fadeaway from Stafford.
BAKER MAYFIELD ALWAYS CONSIDERED MATTHEW STAFFORD AS A “TOP 3 OR 5” QB
Then, after Baker Mayfield threw a pick-six on the next drive for the Buccaneers, Stafford returned immediately to start the second quarter with a five-yard strike to tight end Colby Parkinson, opening the game to 21-0.
Needing a touchdown, Mayfield found Tez Johnson for a 14-yard score on the ensuing drive to cut 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.
On the Buccaneers touchdown, Mayfield ran seven yards on third-and-6, lowering his shoulder on two Rams defenders to move the chains. This proved costly for the aggressive signal-caller, as he suffered a left shoulder injury that ultimately 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 when he attempted to throw a Hail Mary late in the first half. He knelt down with his left arm still before finally heading to the locker room.
When Tampa Bay exited in the second half, substitute Teddy Bridgewater replaced the injured Mayfield, who was ruled out and stood on the sideline in street clothes. It’s unclear exactly what Mayfield is facing, but given his history of playing through injuries, it’s clearly something he hasn’t been able to overcome — and it could be a cause for concern moving forward.
Bridgewater was unable to come back as the Buccaneers struggled against a dominant Rams defense. Bridgewater was 8 of 15 for 62 yards and took two sacks, while Mayfield was 9 of 19 for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, including one on that Hail Mary attempt.
Special Fox One/Fox Nation promotion. (PK Press Club)
As a team, the Buccaneers only managed 193 yards of offense to the Rams’ 333, but that’s the recent story for this surging Los Angeles team.
At 9-2, the Rams hold the best record in the NFC, proving they are a legitimate force heading into the home stretch of the 2025 regular season.
