Game Thread: Week 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium, Sunday, 09/26/21, 1:30 PM PDT

[Rambunctious]

Michel is the guy

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

Havenstein was whipped on that sack

 

[Battlelyon]

Rams are 3-0, having beat 3 playoff teams from last year

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

D going to give up a garbage TD, putting a sour taste in what has been a great defensive game.

 

[DJ Fieri]

What a beatdown.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The Rams are the faves in the NFC.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Huge win against the SB champs.

They need to keep it up because AZ looks legit this year. That is another tough matchup next week.

 

[SJ76]

Do I dare say greatest show on turf?

Nope. Give this team Marshall Faulk and then hell yeah

 

[Rambunctious]

Keep it going Rams tough battle next week. I like that the Rams are not making very many mistakes and stupid penalties. This team is super disciplined and football smart. reminds me of a Belecheat team. Or the 99 Rams.

 

[SJ76]

No more bitching about the following:

Giving up 2 first rounders for Stafford
Signing DJax
Brian Allen
Sony Michel
Run D

Reposting

 

[SJ76]

Keep it going Rams tough battle next week. I like that the Rams are not making very many mistakes and stupid penalties. This team is super disciplined and football smart. reminds me of a Belecheat team. Or the 99 Rams.

2021 defense is better. Offense I’m not sure. If this team had Marshall Faulk perhaps.

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[Vitamike]

Nope. Give this team Marshall Faulk and then hell yeah

Imagine a healthy Cam???

We could be seeing ...

THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF 2.0!

 

[SJ76]

Imagine a healthy Cam???

We could be seeing ...

THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF 2.0!

I love Cam. But he ain’t Marshall Faulk at least yet. Now the WRs we have that gonna be a show no doubt

 

[Rambunctious]

I love Cam. But he ain’t Marshall Faulk at least yet. Now the WRs we have that gonna be a show no doubt

True.

 

[Battlelyon]

2021 defense is better. Offense I’m not sure. If this team had Marshall Faulk perhaps.

McVay>>Vermeil>>Martz

 

[Chilipepper]

Rams defense played great considering going against TOM BRADY of the Super Bowl champs. Defense is getting better by the week. Offense too. Very pleased. But why is Woods not doing very much in 3 games ? Will he have a good game soon ? Next week ?

 

[Battlelyon]

Rams defense played great considering going against TOM BRADY of the Super Bowl champs. Defense is getting better by the week. Offense too. Very pleased. But why is Woods not doing very much in 3 games ? Will he have a good game soon ? Next week ?

Woods is getting less targets, but is doing his job wonderfully setting up others.

 

[Battlelyon]

1. Rams offense a divebombing dream. Matthew Stafford is enjoying life in L.A., scorching defenses in an offense perfectly tailored to his skills. The Rams QB uncorked a bevy of deep shots, puncturing a shaky Tampa secondary. The kill shot came on the first drive of the third quarter when Stafford heaved a bomb to a still-fast DeSean Jackson, who skipped for a 75-yard TD, which blew open the game. The score coming on a third-and-10 highlighted just how good the QB was on third downs the entire game, going 10 of 12 with two TDs on the pivotal down. Stafford's ability to gun the ball all over the field opens up Sean McVay's offense in ways we didn't previously see. When he wasn't heaving deep shots, Stafford picked apart the Bucs underneath (21 of 25, 166 yards, three TDs on passes of fewer than 10 air yards). Stafford's mind-meld with Cooper Kupp (9/96/2) just three games into their relationship is otherworldly.
2. Bucs sputter in first defeat. Welcome back to earth, Tom Brady. The Bucs' streak of nine straight games with 30-plus points got snapped with their first loss since Nov. 29, 2020. Brady moved the ball well, tossing for 432 yards on 41 of 55 attempts with a garbage-time TD and a QB sneak score. But a slow start (two three-and-outs to open the game) and a few missed opportunities put the Bucs behind the eight ball. Brady is going to kick himself for a few missed throws, including not seeing a wide-open Mike Evans in the end zone after being pressured by Aaron Donald --Tampa settled for a FG. The Bucs picked up chunk gains through the air, but couldn't keep pace with the high-flying Rams O. Five Tampa players caught at least one pass of 20-plus yards on the game. Converting just six of 13 third downs is unusual to see from a Brady team. Unlike its first two games, the offense couldn't pick up for a defense that has been burned.
3. The Rams defense forces defenses into shooting themselves. It's not every day a D allows 446 total yards and doesn't force a turnover, but you walk away thinking, "Dang, they're good." It's a solid group that doesn't have holes, flies all over the field, and misses very few tackles. As usual, Donald wreaked havoc, playing in the backfield all game. At times it felt like Donald lived in Brady's lap. Safety Kenny Young was all over the field, dishing out punishing hits, compiling 10 tackles, a sack, and three massive tackles for loss. On the day, the Rams generated six TFL and three sacks. Those negative plays are how you change the game without forcing turnovers. The Rams have not allowed an opponent to score 30-plus points in any of their last 16 regular-season games.

Next Gen stat of the game: Matthew Stafford was 6 of 12 for 162 yards and two TDs on vertical routes (post, corner, go and wheel). He has six TD passes on vertical routes this season, most in NFL (Jared Goff threw six such TDs all last season).
NFL Research: Desean Jackson scored his ninth career TD reception of 75+ yards (tied HOF Lance Alworth for most in NFL history). With his three-catch, 120-yard, TD game, DJax earned his fourth game with three or fewer catches, 100 or more yards, and at least one touchdown (ranks T-3rd since 1950).