INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- As Matthew Stafford threw his second touchdown pass of the game to tight end Cody Parkinson, he sprinted to his left, celebrating a 21-0 lead.
SoFi Stadium rained down with “M-V-P” chants as the Rams quarterback was greeted by his head coach on the sideline. The chants continued throughout the night.
Stafford was on full display on Sunday Night Football, leading the Rams to a 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5).
“That was cool,” Stafford said of the chants. “That was awesome. It was a great atmosphere out there today. Our fans did a great job showing up. Both sides of the ball gave them something to cheer about early and often, which was really cool but they were loud.”
Before kickoff, the SoFi crowd watched Brandon Aubrey nail a 42-yard field goal to beat the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. That result meant the Rams (9-2) would claim the NFC’s top seed with a win.
Stafford followed through, going 25-for-35 for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
He opened the game firing, connecting with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua at will. He hit Adams for 13 yards on 3rd-and-7, then found Nacua for a 31-yard gain on 2nd-and-3. His best throw came on 3rd-and-18 from the Tampa 34, hitting Nacua for 18 yards to move the chains. He capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown to Adams.
Stafford was 8-for-8 for 89 yards and a touchdown on that opening march.
The defense joined in when Baker Mayfield targeted Cade Otton. After Otton bobbled the pass, Rams cornerback Kobie Durant ripped it away and sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown.
“I seen him bobbling it and immediately, in my mind, I'm like, ‘I’m finna take this ball,’” Durant said. “Then I'm like, ‘Ahh, Baker Mayfield. I can’t get tackled by Baker.’ You feel me? I can’t get tackled by Baker. So I kind of slow down a little bit to let Josh Wallace get in front of me and then with a good block, I go in the end zone, do the bird walk. It’s all good.”
Jessica Cryderman - The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Rams cornerback, Cobie Durant (14) celebrates a pick-six during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
On the next possession, Stafford kept dealing. Facing 3rd-and-3 from the Rams’ 46, he found Konata Mumpfield for 11 yards, then hit Adams for 14 more before finishing the drive with a five-yard score to Parkinson on 3rd-and-goal.
“That's an MVP right there of the league, Hall of Famer, best in the world, best quarterback in the world, whichever way you want to describe it,” running back Kyren Williams said. “That's who Matthew is right now and always has been. Ever since he's been playing the game on football. I think he's just showing the world what we already know.”
By then the Rams led 21-0, and Stafford was 14-for-17 for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
Loud chants of “Whose House?!” echoed through SoFi, and based on his play this season, it might very well be Matthew Stafford’s house.
“The only way I really know how to describe it is he's on a heater right now,” Nacua said. “You don't mess up the flow. You don't mess up the energy. You look and you nod yes, and you know that he's going to go out there and make the right plays. So it's been so fun to watch him operate and lead this offense.”
On his third drive, Stafford hit Nacua for 24 yards and Mumpfield for 14 on consecutive plays. Then, with Adams a step ahead of cornerback Zyon McCollum, Stafford dropped in a 24-yard touchdown.
Before halftime, Stafford had gone 19-for-23 for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Nacua had five catches for 80 yards, while Adams had four for 52 and two scores.
At the break, the Rams led 31-7 and looked every bit like the NFC’s juggernaut.
Stafford has now thrown 27 touchdowns since his last interception on September 21 in a loss to Philadelphia.
“He’s a one of a kind man,” Durant said. “Matt is putting up some great numbers. Man, thankful to be able to go against a quarterback like that in practice, because he makes the games easier. It's amazing what he’s doing.”
The Rams sit atop the NFC at 9-2 with a game in hand. Since their loss to San Francisco on October 3, Stafford has thrown 19 touchdown passes and the team is 6-0.
“The only (way) that would matter is if the season ended right now,” coach Sean McVay said. “Do you remember who was in first place with six weeks left last year? Me neither. ... But this team has fun, and good football is fun, and when you're doing it with good people that you don't want to let down, that's really fun.”
The biggest revelation in that stretch has been the Stafford-Adams connection, as they’ve linked up for nine of his 12 touchdowns over the past five games.
“Repetition being the mother of learning and those guys just continue to work together,” McVay said of the duo. “These are two great players that are just accumulating experience in the midst of this season. They have so much great football acumen. It's one thing to understand and to talk about it, but then they have the ability to be able to bring it to life. It's been special.”
Jessica Cryderman - The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver, Davantae Adams (17) celebrates a touchdown catch during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Two offseason additions — Adams and defensive tackle Poona Ford — have made the Rams legitimate contenders to challenge Philadelphia.
“L.A. is playing the best football of anyone in the league right now,” NBC analyst Tony Dungy said on the broadcast.
If the postseason started today, that rematch would be at SoFi Stadium — in the Rams’ house, out of the elements.
“I don’t feel like we have a ceiling,” defensive lineman Jared Verse said. “We’re just going to keep pushing and being a better version of ourselves.”
There will be Jonathan Taylor votes, Lamar Jackson votes as the Ravens have climbed from 1-5 to 6-5, Drake Maye votes for the AFC East-leading Patriots, and of course, Patrick Mahomes votes.
But right now, the NFL can’t ignore the frontrunner — Matthew Stafford — because SoFi Stadium said so, and his play backs it up.
“He's playing like the most valuable player in the league,” Adams said of Stafford.