Rams stamp themselves as true Super Bowl contenders by blowing out Buccaneeers

[Riverumbbq]

Rams stamp themselves as true Super Bowl contenders by blowing out Buccaneeers

Matthew Stafford and the Rams looked great on Sunday.

sports.yahoo.com

Rams stamp themselves as true Super Bowl contenders by blowing out Buccaneeers​

Frank Schwab
Sun, September 26, 2021, 4:31 PM




When the Los Angeles Rams forced a missed field goal at the end of the first half, an excited Sean McVay jumped around and slapped fives with all the defensive players he could find. When DeSean Jacksonscored a long touchdown, McVay ran all the way to the tunnel to celebrate with him.
McVay knew what Sunday's game meant. The Rams' 34-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced to the NFL that they can be taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders. The final score was a lot closer than the game itself was. The Rams controlled the action most of the game.

The Rams got plenty of love after trading for Matthew Stafford. But until we saw them against a quality team there would be some questions. There aren't many teams in the NFL better than the defending champion Bucs, and the Rams outplayed them in every way possible on Sunday.

Matthew Stafford shines in win​

Stafford didn't have much success at all against the best teams on the Detroit Lions' schedule in his time there. He started slow on Sunday too.
When Stafford got going, the Buccaneers couldn't do much with him. Stafford started spreading the ball around, without much pass rush to bother him, and his touchdown passes to Tyler Higbee, Cooper Kuppand a 75-yarder to Jackson to start the second half. When Tom Bradyrallied the Buccaneers for a touchdown drive to cut the Rams' lead to 21-14, Stafford coolly led a long drive that ended with Kupp's second touchdown.
When the Buccaneers did anything, the Rams had an answer. That's the sign of a team that should be playing deep into January.

Rams defense plays well too​

For the first two weeks of the season, Tom Brady and the Bucs offense looked just about unstoppable. Brady had nine touchdowns through two games. He had none on Sunday until the final two minutes, when the game was decided and Gio Bernard got one.
The Rams had the top-ranked defense in the NFL last season, and they should be among the best again this season. The Buccaneers put up some yards, but a lot came late when the Rams were out to a nice lead. The Bucs built their championship team on a great defense and Brady's efficiency, and the Rams did a good job to minimize both on Sunday. They hit the Bucs hard at every turn.
Los Angeles and Tampa Bay could meet again in the postseason. Both teams are championship quality. But in the Rams' first huge test after the Stafford trade, they showed they could be the best team in the NFL.

 

[Dodgersrf]

There isn't another team on our schedule that I'm worried about, outside our division.

Division games are always tough, but we should be able to handle our foes.

Even in week 3, I feel like we are in the driver's seat.

 

[12intheBox]

It’s a long season, it’s a tough division. But this is a pretty strong start right here.

We need to go handle business these next 2 weeks with Az and Sea.

 

[PhillyRam]

What is stamping them as contenders is not only the QB and the receiving corps, but more than anything the OL is playing great. Not allowing pressure in Stafford's face, allowing time to get the third reads or go deep and look off safeties etc.. combine that with Stafford's arm & experience and you have a dynamic offense that brings back the GSOT days...minus the franchise HOF RB.

So is it Carbary vs Kromer? Is it the fact that Whit, Edwards, Corbett, & Havs have now been together for 3 yrs? Or has Brian Allen really become not only solid, but actually damn good?

 

[PhillyRam]

It’s a long season, it’s a tough division. But this is a pretty strong start right here.

We need to go handle business these next 2 weeks with Az and Sea.

They win these next two, they should then go 8-0 with the Lions, Giants, & Texans up next. Even splitting these two your looking at 7-1.

 

[RamFan503]

Damn straight!

 

[PhillyRam]

There isn't another team on our schedule that I'm worried about, outside our division.

Division games are always tough, but we should be able to handle our foes.

Even in week 3, I feel like we are in the driver's seat.

Yep, its all about staying healthy this yr. It's one of those yrs where the pieces are in place and just need to keep your main players healthy.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Can't overlook Arizona, they did beat a tough Tennessee team. Feels somewhat like a trap game after today's great win. Now is NO time to get complacent, especially with division rivals coming up. jmo.

 

[PhillyRam]

Can't overlook Arizona, they did beat a tough Tennessee team. Feels somewhat like a trap game after today's great win. Now is NO time to get complacent, especially with division rivals coming up. jmo.

Agree...and they are due to beat us at some point. I just think we are better. Would take a sleepwalker type game to lose and I think they are above that right now... especially for a division game.

Would be more concerned if next week was in Arizona.

I could see a let down vs the Giants or Texans where you slog through a quarter or so, but then handle business.

 

[Mojo Ram]

So is it Carbary vs Kromer? Is it the fact that Whit, Edwards, Corbett, & Havs have now been together for 3 yrs? Or has Brian Allen really become not only solid, but actually damn good?

It's all of that but mostly it's the QB. Stafford is an upgrade. It's really that simple. I don't understand why this has been over analyzed here on this board. His pre snap reads, checks and command, his manipulation thru his reads, his feel for the rush, the ball gets out quicker and travels faster.

 

[Tano]

What is stamping them as contenders is not only the QB and the receiving corps, but more than anything the OL is playing great. Not allowing pressure in Stafford's face, allowing time to get the third reads or go deep and look off safeties etc.. combine that with Stafford's arm & experience and you have a dynamic offense that brings back the GSOT days...minus the franchise HOF RB.

So is it Carbary vs Kromer? Is it the fact that Whit, Edwards, Corbett, & Havs have now been together for 3 yrs? Or has Brian Allen really become not only solid, but actually damn good?

I felt we just needed an above average center to really have a good to very good OL.

And right now - Brian Allen is looking to be a good to very good center.

This OL is really good right now (at least on pass plays).

Their run blocking has just been okay so far though except in the 4th qtr each game.

 

[Tano]

It's all of that but mostly it's the QB. Stafford is an upgrade. It's really that simple. I don't understand why this has been over analyzed here on this board. His pre snap reads, checks and command, his manipulation thru his reads, his feel for the rush, the ball gets out quicker and travels faster.

Stafford definitely does help the OL play better.

However, last year we would have been lucky to get 1 1/2 seconds to get the pass off on 3rd and long.

This year, I see Stafford having a good 2 to 3 seconds on 3rd and long - sometimes more. I probably saw that maybe once a game last year if that.

I believe Allen is a huge difference on 3rd and long.

 

[Riverumbbq]

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2948767-get-on-the-matthew-stafford-nfl-mvp-bandwagon-before-its-too-late?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editor

Get on the Matthew Stafford NFL MVP Bandwagon Before It's Too Late​

BRAD GAGNONSEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Remember Rich Gannon? Dude spent his first 12 seasons toiling away as a replacement-level quarterback in Minnesota, Washington and Kansas City, sometimes as a backup, other times as an underwhelming starter.

Then, at the age of 33, he moved to California to run Jon Gruden's innovative offense with the Oakland Raiders. Over the course of the next four years, Gannon made four Pro Bowls, was a first-team All-Pro twice and was league MVP once for an Oakland team that was a perennial contender.

It's hard not to think about Gannon's career arc while watching Matthew Stafford, who spent the first 12 seasons of his career toiling away with little support and even fewer accolades in Detroit before moving to California at the age of 33 to run Sean McVay's innovative offense with the Los Angeles Rams.
That's especially the case because Stafford has emerged as the league's top MVP candidate three weeks into his first season with the still-undefeated Rams.

The 2009 No. 1 overall pick took down fellow early-season MVP contender Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a rather dominant fashion with a 34-24 victory Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

With Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks dropping to 1-2 and Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs dropping their second consecutive game on Sunday, Stafford should be considered the MVP of September, and the Rams ought to be viewed as the new team to beat in the NFC.

Stafford entered Sunday as the league's third-highest-rated passer with a 127.0 rating, but he's now up to 129.8 in that metric following a four-touchdown, zero-interception performance against the league's hottest team. That leaves him just a few points back of Wilson, whose Seahawks have lost twice.

The Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are right there with L.A. at 3-0, but they haven't been tested to the same degree, and their quarterbacks haven't performed at Stafford's level.

In fact, nobody really has when you combine individual numbers with team success.

Stafford was the only quarterback in the league averaging more than 15 yards per completion before lighting up an experienced and talented Buccaneers defense in front of a national audience, partly because he had taken just two sacks in two games (it's now three in three). He also ranked third among qualified quarterbacks with 5.5 completed air yards per attempt before completing several mega passes Sunday, including a bomb on a 75-yard third-down touchdown to DeSean Jackson.

His chemistry with Jackson and reliable veteran receiver Cooper Kupp is downright scary considering how new this arrangement is. Watching him work with those guys and fellow pass-catching weapons Tyler Higbee, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson, you'd swear this core has been together for several seasons. Primo pass protection helps, as Stafford's been one of the least-pressured passers in football, but the point is he now has more support than he ever did with the Lions.

Some credit must go to McVay, who appeared to identify Stafford as the key piece to put his offense over the top after the Rams fell short of the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year in 2020.

Pro Football Talk reported back in February that McVay was "fixated" on Stafford. In June, he told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that Stafford was "even better than advertised."

That same month, Jackson wasn't bluffing when he told us the Rams' new-look offense would be scary, and with hindsight, it's easy to see why McVay said he was in a better mood this offseason. We kept hearing that both McVay and Stafford were thrilled to be working with each other, and now it all makes a lot of sense.

Stafford said way back in March that he was "reenergized" by his new setting, and that certainly hasn't worn off. Those who expect it to at some point soon might want to look at Gannon's experience with the Raiders at the turn of the century.

"You look at Sean and you look at Matthew," Gannon told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times in the spring. "I see some similarities to when I went to Oakland with Jon Gruden. I was at a point where I had bounced around a little bit and no one ever really...I mean it's different; he was the No. 1 draft pick and I kind of had to find my way. But he's going to a situation where he's got a young head coach who's a really good play-caller, very innovative, really involved in coaching that position. And that's where Jon was with me, and we just hit it off. We never looked back."

It's entirely possible Stafford and the Rams are headed down a similar path. They absolutely have the coaching, the weapons and the experience, plus the balance that comes from the presence of stars Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on defense.

DraftKings had Stafford at +1800 to win MVP prior to the season, that number was down to +1200 this past week, and I'd expect it to plummet well below +1000 when new odds are posted this week. Soon, any value on futures odds for either Stafford or the Rams will be gone. So if you've been sleeping on Stafford and the Rams, it's time to wake up.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Photos: Matthew Stafford and the Rams defeat the Buccaneers

Photos of the Los Angeles Rams' 34-24 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

sports.yahoo.com

Studs and duds from Rams’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers

Matthew Stafford was once again a stud for the Rams in his third game with the team.

sports.yahoo.com

Matthew Stafford throws four touchdowns, Rams defeat Buccaneers 34-24

The Rams were one of the last teams to defeat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in 2020, winning their Week 11 contest on Monday Night Football. They didn’t have Matthew Stafford then, but they do now. And the quarterback was instrumental in the Rams soundly defeating the Buccaneers 34-24 at SoFi...

sports.yahoo.com

Hear what Sean McVay told the Rams in the locker room after win vs. Bucs

Sean McVay called Sunday's game "a complete team win" by the Rams over the defending Super Bowl champs.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Riverumbbq]

Rams Make Statement in 34-24 Victory Over Buccaneers

The Los Angeles Rams have moved to 3-0 on the season after their Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

www.si.com

 

[Merlin]

The Bucs sent a lot of shit at 9 and he handled it. Dishing the ball quick and completing deep strikes wore them down and tbh the Bucs looked defeated by end of the third quarter. They knew they couldn't stop this passing game. Even those irritating tunnel screens finally started clicking.

There is plenty of credit to go around this year but the biggest difference in this offense is that an opponent's chances of confusing the QB to disrupt shit is almost nil. With 9 back there this offense is fucking relentless.

And IMO if Michel and the OL can stay healthy most teams we play are gonna end up with that look on their faces. We are living in amazing times.

 

[FarNorth]

What is stamping them as contenders is not only the QB and the receiving corps, but more than anything the OL is playing great. Not allowing pressure in Stafford's face, allowing time to get the third reads or go deep and look off safeties etc.. combine that with Stafford's arm & experience and you have a dynamic offense that brings back the GSOT days...minus the franchise HOF RB.

So is it Carbary vs Kromer? Is it the fact that Whit, Edwards, Corbett, & Havs have now been together for 3 yrs? Or has Brian Allen really become not only solid, but actually damn good?

Great comments! All of the above for the oline, Stafford, and offense.

The hole at center has been filled. All the guys are playing great in pass protection and looking promising with Michel in the run game. Hard to say that dudes that big have grown up, but that's what it seems like.

Can't forget the receivers. Jefferson has become a serious pro receiver. Jackson flashed some impressive speed and should have had three TDs. Higbee making plays. Kupp going for 1700 yards and 30 tds.

Oh yeah, and the QB is pretty good. Just wait until he really feels comfortable with the offense.

You're exactly right it's a dynamic offense. It's a great start and it will only get better.

 

[Force16X]

what's with the tampa turd ferguson jerseys ? i thought the blueberries were bad................

 

[NJRamsFan]

There isn't another team on our schedule that I'm worried about, outside our division.

Division games are always tough, but we should be able to handle our foes.

Even in week 3, I feel like we are in the driver's seat.

This is pretty much how I feel and have felt since this season started. Do I think we’re unbeatable? Of course not, no way we get through our 6 division games unscathed. But, there isn’t a matchup in the NFL I fear or presumptively mark as an L going in. Idc about the chiefs at arrowhead the pack and lambeau the cardinals etc we can and should win most of our games

 

[PhillyRam]

It's all of that but mostly it's the QB. Stafford is an upgrade. It's really that simple. I don't understand why this has been over analyzed here on this board. His pre snap reads, checks and command, his manipulation thru his reads, his feel for the rush, the ball gets out quicker and travels faster.

Yes, but the interior line is giving him all day to throw it. Last week there was a play with pressure up the gut and he rushed a pass over the middle in traffic for a pic.

Yesterday they were stoning the interior front of Tampa and Whit and Hav look great as well. Give credit where it's due.

No doubt with that time a QB, of Stafford's ability, will do wonders. Yet even top QB's without protection will look mediocre.