Matthew Stafford throws 3 TD passes, Baker Mayfield injured Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes, two to Davante Adams, as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 to take over the No. 1 seed in the NFC on Sunday night. The Rams have the best record in the conference at 9-2, ahead of the Eagles and Bears, both of whom are 8-3. Baker Mayfield injured his non-throwing left shoulder in the second quarter and did not play in the second half. He completed 9 of 19 passes for only 41 yards, 14 on a touchdown pass to Tez Johnson. After the game, Todd Bowles said Mayfield would undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Teddy Bridgewater took over at quarterback in the second half for Mayfield. Bucs' O-line overmatched Even before Mayfield exited the game, he and the Bucs offense had few answers for the pressure from the Rams' defensive line and blitzers. And Mayfield had to account for both: Whether it was Josh Wallace, the slot cornerback playing in relief of an injured Quentin Lake, who blitzed to force an incompletion and ran a simulated pressure to force another; or outside linebacker Jared Verse, who got to Mayfield for a sack on a three-man rush. Per Next Gen Stats, Mayfield was 0 for 4 with an interception when pressured, but as mentioned, it was the simulated looks that seemed to affect him, too. Mayfield tried to get the ball out quick but was 5 for 11 for just 12 yards when throwing under 2.5 seconds, per Next Gen. The Rams rattled Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold in Week 11 with a similar menu of pressures and simulated pressure designed by defensive coordinator Chris Shula and his assistant coaches, and it's becoming a calling card to bring the worst out of opposing quarterbacks. The Rams only sacked Mayfield twice, but showing a range of pressure/not-really-pressure looks was effective and the secondary had great coverage. Bucs could be in trouble The injury-embattled Bucs were already on a two-game slide and so was Mayfield, who has been streaky after a strong start to the season and it won't get any better for them if he has to miss time beyond the second half of Sunday night's game. Stafford bolsters his MVP case The "MVP!" chants were loud and present at SoFi Stadium as Stafford was putting on the full display of what has turned his 17th NFL season into his best yet. He was lofting deep passes to Davante Adams, converting a 3rd-and-19 to Puka Nacua and tossing a no-look touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson as Todd Bowles' Buccaneers had zero answers for him, much like the rest of the NFL this season. Stafford is up to 30 touchdowns and two interceptions, and over the past eight games, he's tossed 25 touchdowns without a single pick. He's now one of four quarterbacks to start a season with a touchdown-to-interception ratio this strong, joining a class of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. For as long as Stafford can be this dialled in before the snap and after, the Rams will absorb the personnel losses they're seeing around him. He took the field down three original starters in wide receiver Tutu Atwell, tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein. But with Adams and Nacua at his disposal, everything is working for Stafford as he plays in a special kind of unison with what Sean McVay is dialing up for him. Rams secondary passes early test This week was supposed to be a major challenge for the Rams defensive backfield. They were facing Mayfield, Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin with a group that was now down its top two players, with cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safety Quentin Lake on injured reserve. But all it meant was that someone other than Lake could be the star on the back end. Cobie Durant ripped a pass out of Cade Otton's hands and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. Emmanuel Forbes Jr. added his second interception in three games in addition to five pass deflections. And with Kobie Turner and Jared Verse winning in the pass rush, the group held Mayfield to his worst game of the season, as he finished 9 of 19 for 41 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. The 103 yards the secondary allowed to Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater combined are their fewest in a game this season. The challenges will still come in communication and alignment for younger and newer defenders as the season trudges on without Lake, who is targeting a return for the postseason. But Witherspoon could be back in the next month, which would open Durant up to slide inside and allow the Rams to continue to get playmakers on the field in their dime looks. Rams might have found a kicker Much of this Rams season to date has been about whether the offense and defense could be prolific enough to make up for a disastrous special teams unit. That was especially true with the field goals, as Joshua Karty missed more kicks than anyone else before his benching. But not only have the Rams solidified their protection as well as their snaps with Jake McQuaide over the past few games, but they might have found a kicker, too. Harrison Mevis is now 13 for 13 on extra points, and he got to try his first two field goal attempts and knocked those through from 40 and 52 yards. Mevis has always had a strong leg, dating back to when he set a Southeastern Conference record with a 61-yard game-winner at Missouri. But if he can add steadiness to the operation in addition to the potential to hit from distance, he'll make this Rams team that much harder to keep from scoring with how Stafford is playing. The Athletic, published 24 November 2025