AP Photo/Jason Behnken
Everybody just breathe. All of that really happened.
In a playoff game for the absolute ages—one of the wildest, most bizarre games in recent memory—the Los Angeles Rams knocked Tom Brady and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the playoffs Sunday, beating them 30-27 at SoFi Stadium on Matt Gay’s 30-yard field goal as time expired.
It sure looked as though the Rams were in complete control of this game, leading 27-3 in the third quarter.
NFL @NFL
This angle of Stafford’s first TD ???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamsHouse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#RamsHouse</a> <br><br>????: <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/LARvsTB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#LARvsTB</a> on NBC<br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t”>https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t</a> <a href=”https://t.co/du63aJIiFT”>pic.twitter.com/du63aJIiFT</a>
Ah, but never count Brady out. Four—yes, four—Rams fumbles gave the Bucs life in a game that looked destined to be an L.A. blowout. And giving a quarterback like Brady that many extra possessions is always a recipe for disaster.
NFL @NFL
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/Buccaneers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Buccaneers</a> recover a HUGE fumble in the red zone. ???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBucs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GoBucs</a><br><br>????: <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/LARvsTB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#LARvsTB</a> on NBC<br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t”>https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t</a> <a href=”https://t.co/MjQO9BcKRE”>pic.twitter.com/MjQO9BcKRE</a>
Well, almost always. Somehow the Rams—despite blowing that huge lead—managed to pull off this win in the most dramatic fashion possible and are now a win away from the Super Bowl, though they’ll have to go through a San Francisco 49ers team that has beaten them six straight times to get there.
But Brady has been the NFL’s postseason raid boss for most of his career. If the Rams can topple him, they have to like their chances of ending San Francisco’s recent dominance against them. Especially if they clean up all of the self-inflicted wounds from Sunday.
Key Stats
Matt Stafford, LAR: 28-of-38 for 366 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing score
Cooper Kupp, LAR: Nine catches for 183 yards and a score
Aaron Donald, LAR: Five tackles (two for loss), one sack, three quarterback hits
Tom Brady, TB: 30-of-54 for 329 yards, one touchdown, one interception
Rob Gronkowski, TB: Four catches for 85 yards
Mike Evans, TB: Eight catches for 119 yards and a score
Brady Struggled With L.A.’s Front Four
Yes, the Bucs were down a few key offensive players, including offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and wideout Chris Godwin. But Brady didn’t exactly offer up a vintage performance, and it was in large part down to the Rams’ defensive line routinely collapsing the pocket around him.
It’s not easy slowing down players like Donald and Von Miller. Both came up huge on Sunday.
NFL @NFL
“I think he’s the best player in football.”<a href=”https://twitter.com/CollinsworthPFF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CollinsworthPFF</a> is in awe of <a href=”https://twitter.com/AaronDonald97?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AaronDonald97</a>.<br><br>????: <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/LARvsTB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#LARvsTB</a> on NBC<br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t”>https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t</a> <a href=”https://t.co/qMFlCiSYtK”>pic.twitter.com/qMFlCiSYtK</a>
NFL @NFL
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/VonMiller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@VonMiller</a> strip sack! What a PLAY. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamsHouse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#RamsHouse</a><br><br>????: <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/LARvsTB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#LARvsTB</a> on NBC<br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t”>https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Yvyf7XbZGw”>pic.twitter.com/Yvyf7XbZGw</a>
And when the Rams offense seemed to tighten up in the second half, it was the defense—namely the front four—that helped slow Tampa’s comeback attempt. Brady rarely looked comfortable in this game.
Frankly, he was downright poor for big stretches. Of course, he’s Brady—you knew he’d have a little bit of magic at some point.
But not many defenses can say they made Brady look bad for any stretch of time. And the Rams are one game away from the Super Bowl, at least in part, because they’re now one of them.
Stafford Was Mostly Excellent
The Rams turned pretty conservative in the second half as they tried to shorten the game and preserve their lead, but they had that lead in the first place because Stafford was fantastic against the Bucs.
Not too shabby for a player who only had three total playoff appearances coming into this season and was 0-3 in those games. Nobody in Los Angeles will ever forget Stafford’s two incredibly clutch throws to Kupp on the game’s final drive.
Stafford has continued to rewrite his own postseason narrative, earning his second career playoff win behind a strong performance of his own. It wasn’t always pretty, but Stafford came up huge when it mattered.
What’s Next?
The Rams will host the 49ers next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox with a Super Bowl berth on the line. The Buccaneers head into the offseason.
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