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Rams surge to top of NFC, blowing out Buccaneers for their sixth straight win

Inglewood, CA - November 23: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams. — Rams wide receiver Davante Adams celebrates after catching a touchdown pass in the first quarter of a 34-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Less than an hour before the Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off on Sunday, fans in SoFi Stadium erupted in cheers.

Watching the giant video board, the crowd celebrated as the Philadelphia Eagles blew a huge lead and lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

That meltdown by the defending Super Bowl champions positioned the surging Rams to move to the top of the NFC.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford continued his MVP-caliber play by passing for three touchdowns, and the defense also produced big moments as the Rams seized the opportunity with a 34-7 victory that extended their winning streak to six games and improved their record to a conference-best 9-2.

That makes the Rams the current No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs.

There is still a long way to go. And the Eagles hold the tiebreaker over the Rams by virtue of their Week 3 victory at Philadelphia.

But if the Rams maintain sole possession of first place and secure home-field advantage, they would avoid another potential January trip to Lincoln Financial Field to play the Eagles, who eliminated the Rams there in the NFC divisional round last season.

The Rams play at Carolina next week and then at Arizona before returning to SoFi Stadium for another NFC measuring-stick game against the Detroit Lions. The Rams finish the season with a Thursday night game in Seattle, a trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Cardinals.

Rams tight end Davis Allen catches a pass in the second half against the Buccaneers on Sunday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

So the biggest question facing coach Sean McVay and the Rams: Are they peaking too soon?

Despite being without veteran tight end Tyler Higbee, right tackle Rob Havenstein and safety Quentin Lake — all placed on injured reserve last week — the Rams appeared nearly unstoppable on offense in the first half and dominant on defense throughout.

The Rams scored at least 34 points for the fourth time in five games. Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and one to tight end Colby Parkinson, increasing his league-leading total to 30, with only two interceptions. Stafford has not had a pass intercepted in eight games.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes the football. — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw three more touchdown passes Sunday against the Buccaneers, giving him a league-leading 30. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

On Sunday the 17th-year pro completed his first 12 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown before a second-quarter pass fell incomplete. He finished 25 of 35 for 273 yards, the crowd chanting “M-V-P” after each of his last two touchdown passes.

Adams, who had bemoaned his performance in last week’s 21-19 victory over the Seahawks, seemingly was happier after catching five passes for 62 yards and increasing to 12 his league-leading total of touchdown catches.

On a night the Rams honored future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald with a bobblehead giveaway and other tributes, defensive end Kobie Turner and edge rusher Jared Verse each had two sacks. A secondary that intercepted four passes last week picked off two more, cornerback Cobie Durant returning one for a 50-yard touchdown and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. catching a desperation heave on the final play of the first half.

Rams linebackers Jared Verse, left, and Josaiah Stewart, center, and defensive end Kobie Turner celebrate in the first half. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Rams special teams, which cost the team dearly in losses against the Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, appear to be operating with efficiency since kicker Harrison Mevis replaced Joshua Karty and veteran Jake McQuaide supplanted Alex Ward as the snapper.

After Mevis kicked only extra points in his first two games, McVay finally gave him field-goal opportunities, and Mevis converted 40- and 52-yard kicks.

The Rams ruined Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s return to the stadium where he resurrected his career in 2022 by leading the Rams to a last-second victory over the Las Vegas Raiders with only two days of practice.

Mayfield sustained a left-shoulder injury and did not play in the second half. He completed nine of 19 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.

It all added up to a convincing victory for the Rams. And here’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFL: The Rams are on track to get stronger down the stretch.

Receiver Tutu Atwell is eligible to return from injured reserve next week. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who suffered a broken collarbone in the second game of the season, is closer to a return. And McVay said Higbee and Havenstein could be back in four games, and Lake could return for the playoffs.

Those reinforcements would be a desirable situation for any Super Bowl contender in the NFC.

Especially the one currently on top.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Sunday Night Football: Rams take over NFC's top seed, defeat Bucs, 34-7

There is a new No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Rams got out to an early lead and kept it throughout Sunday night’s matchup, with Los Angeles coming away with a blowout 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay.

But Sunday’s loss was particularly costly for the Buccaneers, with quarterback Baker Mayfield suffering a left shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for the entire second half.

The Rams scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives and added a 50-yard pick-six from Cobie Durant, who ripped a ball away from tight end Cade Otton in the first quarter.

Matthew Stafford played at an MVP level while the game was still in the balance in the first half, completing his first 12 passes. He tossed two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and one to tight end Colby Parkinson in the first two quarters. With his third TD, Stafford became just the fourth quarterback ever to throw for at least 30 touchdowns with five or fewer interceptions in his team’s first 11 games of the season, joining Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.

Stafford ended the game 25-of-35 for 273 yards with three touchdowns, with SoFi Stadium serenading him with chants of “M-V-P” after his third scoring strike.

Nacua caught seven passes for 97 yards while Adams had five catches for 62 yards with two TDs.

As for the Buccaneers, Mayfield's injured his non-throwing shoulder in the second quarter. He initially was announced as questionable but did not miss a snap in the first half.

His Hail Mary, which was intercepted at the end of the second period, caused Mayfield to kneel over in pain after letting the ball go. He was announced as doubtful to return at the start of the third quarter before being downgraded to out.

Mayfield was on the sideline in street clothes for the second half with a sling on his left arm.

Teddy Bridgewater finished the contest, throwing his first regular-season passes since 2022.

Mayfield was 9-of-19 for 41 yards with a touchdown and two picks on Sunday night. Bridgewater ended up 8-of-15 for 62 yards.

With their win and the Eagles’ loss to the Cowboys, the Rams have moved up to the NFC’s top seed at 9-2 with six games left in the season. Los Angeles will be on the road in Week 13 to face Carolina.

At 6-5, the Bucs are now in danger of losing their hold of first place in the NFC South. The 6-5 Panthers — who have not yet had their bye — will play the 49ers on Monday night in Santa Clara, California. Tampa Bay will host Arizona in Week 13.

Raiders part ways with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly's time in the NFL has ended. Again.

The Raiders announced that they have parted ways with their first-year offensive coordinator.

"I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders," coach Pete Carroll said a press release. "I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future."

Kelly, hired as part of Pete Carroll's staff after spending 2024 with Ohio State, was the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, reportedly at $6 million per year.

An interim coordinator has not yet been identified.

Kelly went from a successful run as head coach at Oregon to the Eagles in 2013. He was fired after three seasons, and he was one-and-done as head coach of the 49ers.

From 2018 through 2023 he was the head coach at UCLA. His job with the Raiders was his first NFL stint as a coordinator.

It had seemed for weeks as if Carroll and Kelly could not co-exist over the long term. As it turned out, they couldn't co-exist in the short term.

Whatever the Raiders do next, it likely won't change their eventual fate for the season. They're currently 2-9. And the overriding question is whether Carroll, who has lost five games in a row for only the second time in his 28-year career as a pro and college coach, will be back in 2026.

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