Stafford throws for 4 TDs, outduels Brady as Rams down Bucs 34-24
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sean McVay’s excitement over the big-play potential the Los Angeles Rams have with Matthew Stafford finally got the best of him Sunday.
The Rams had a 14-7 lead against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the third quarter when they faced third-and-10 at the L.A. 25. McVay dialed up the perfect play that would be the defining moment in the Rams’ 34-24 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.
McVay called for a pass to DeSean Jackson on a go route. Jackson easily ran by cornerback Carlton Davis III, caught it at the Buccaneers 30 and then zig-zagged his way for the final 10 yards and into the tunnel. He was eventually greeted by the exuberant Rams coach, who ran down the sideline to celebrate his team going up by two touchdowns.
“I think my hamstrings are already sore. I probably pulled them both,” McVay said jokingly. “I was being in the moment and having fun, enjoying watching these guys do their thing and there was a lot of reasons to be excited for our team today.”
Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said Jackson got wide open due to totally busted coverage and lack of communication in the secondary.
Stafford, who said he wanted to come to Los Angeles to play in big games, passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns as he outdueled Tom
Brady and the Buccaneers (21), who had their 10-game regular season and playoff winning streak snapped.
“We’re up in his face one time, he finds a guy wide open down the field and gets it to him. Other guys, they see him but they can’t get it to ’em. He gets it to them, so he’s a special player,” Arians said of Stafford.
The Rams are 3-0 for the third time in McVay’s five seasons. The Super Bowl, which they reached in the 2018 season, will be played in their palatial Hollywood Park home.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was asked if he thought the Rams were one of the favorites to get to there: “For sure.”
“Everybody’s always having fun together. And last time we had a team like that we went to the Super Bowl,” said Donald, who had three tackles and got his first career sack against Brady.
Stafford was off-target on five of his first six attempts before getting in a groove as the Rams scored on their next six drives.
Brady, who completed 41 of 55 passes for 432 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), joined Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks to throw for more than 80,000 yards.
Mike Evans finished with eight receptions for 106 yards for the Bucs (2-1).
“We got off to a slow start, so anytime you do that you’re fighting behind all day,” Brady said, “and I think we played a good team that didn’t turn the ball over.”