Some Takeaways from Rams Dominant 34 - 24 Victory Over Buccaneers

When the defending world champs make their way to town, alongside the greatest quarterback to ever quarterback, initiative must be taken to set the tone for how the game will be played. No punches can be pulled and absolutely no windows of opportunity can be left open. With that being said the Rams made sure the Buccaneers were never really in the game on Sunday. It was a beautiful performance across all three phases of the game, all within a thunderous (and packed) SoFi Stadium crowd. A crowd in which Tom Brady said was "one of the louder stadiums we've been in". There are many takeaways from Sunday afternoon, and below are some eye-catchers that must be mentioned following the impressive win.

40-0

After leading at the half and following that up with a win, Head Coach Sean McVay is now an astounding 40-0 when the Rams are up at the intermission. This is incredibly telling of the leadership he has had over these Rams teams spanning the last 5 years. His ability to make necessary and minute adjustments even when in the lead, prove his attention to detail and keen eye for the game. McVay knows to keep his offense fresh and in tip-top fighting- never letting them squander and keeping his squad a winning one through those 40 matchups when up at the half. This type of coaching and leadership sends a strong message of security to his players as well, knowing that they can trust the play calls especially when departing that locker room for the third quarter. Hat's off to Head Coach and the entirety of the Rams staff that keep the consistency up and the foot on the pedal.

Defense Played Big All Afternoon

Although the defense gave up 24 points, they were hard fought for the Bucs. The Rams defensive unit held Tampa Bay to 35 yards rushing on 13 attempts, with their leading rusher being 44 year old Tom Brady. Rams were inviting the run but the Bucs simply couldn't establish the ground game whatsoever. Being down at least one score the whole game, it was a panic and pass situation to keep themselves close. Brady would throw 55 passes- completing 41 and achieving 432 yards and a touchdown. Not too good of a look for the Rams defense to give up those numbers through the air but they did apply some pressure as they racked up three sacks in total. One of of these sacks came from linebacker Kenny Young; the linebacker had a stellar game to make up for last week's ejection incident- notching 10 tackles (three of them being for a loss). Adding a sack to the total was Aaron Donald, who finally got his first one on TB12 in his career. That sack would also come with a fumble that would ultimately be recovered by Tampa Bay. Needless to say, these guys did their job against the GOAT, and put their offense in good spots to succeed.

Offense Flies High

It is no secret that the spotlight was on Staff and the Rams offense all afternoon. They were simply explosive, and for the most part, unable to be contained. QB1 tore the field up as he went for 27 of 38, 343 yards and 4 touchdowns. One of those touchdowns being an absolute bomb to a wide open DeSean Jackson for 75 yards. With a 134.0 passer rating, he just did not miss much on Sunday. With Stafford finding wide receiver Cooper Kupp twice in the endzone, fans got to watch Coop push his early "Offensive Player of the Year" candidacy. His 9 receptions for 96 yards along with those two scores proves his comfort against opposing defensive backs, and how easily he can manipulate a secondary with his fantastic footwork. The offensive line too, deserves a load of credit for their protection of Stafford through these first three games. Old head left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, on Stafford's blindside has been an absolute force. Unlike the rest of his storied 16 year career, Whitworth finds himself in an offense that can bring his Super Bowl dreams a reality.

Looking Ahead

This team is really firing on all cylinders. With a big home matchup against an undefeated division rival in the Arizona Cardinals coming up this Sunday, it is not too far-fetched to say the Rams may accomplish 4-0. McVay has never lost to the Cardinals in his HC career and when the two teams play, the game almost always has been comfortably in the Rams hands. A victory this Sunday would put Los Angeles in a comfortable lead in the NFC West. With that being said- The Rams are easily the best team in the NFL through the first three weeks of the season; and they do not seem to be showing any signs of letting up.