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 Stadium on Sunday.
Stafford played another excellent game for his new team, tossing four touchdowns in the victory. He completed 27-of-38 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns, refraining from putting the ball in harm’s way throughout the contest.
After head coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that he wanted to get DeSean Jackson more involved in the offense, the receiver had three catches for 120 yards — including a 75-yard touchdown early in the third quarter.
The connection between Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp also remained strong, with Kupp making nine catches on 12 targets for 96 yards with a pair of TDs.
Los Angeles’ defense did a good job of containing Brady and the Buccaneers throughout the contest, with linebacker Kenny Young recording a sack and three tackles for loss. Overall, the Rams recorded three sacks and had another two QB hits. The Buccaneers had only 26 yards rushing on 12 attempts, with starting running back Leonard Fournette netting just 8 yards on four carries.
Brady finished 41-of-55 for 432 yards with a touchdown. That score came with 1:10 left in the game, a 7-yard pass to running back Giovani Bernard. Brady also ran in a touchdown with a QB sneak in the third quarter.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski had to exit the contest briefly after taking a hard hit in the second half but was able to return. He finished with four catches for 55 yards.
The Buccaneers have now added a game to the loss column for the first time since Week 12 of last season. At 2-1, the defending champions are on the road again next week for Tom Brady’s New England homecoming on Sunday Night Football.
The undefeated Rams will stay home to take on the undefeated Cardinals for a battle atop the NFC West in Week Four.