(Photo: Cosm)
NFC Game Of The Week
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams
Buccaneers (6-4):
Do you now see why I say it’s too early to crown a team as the best at any particular time? What a difference a month and a half can make. At one point, this was a team clicking on all cylinders, and some were even calling them a force to be reckoned with in the NFC — one of the threats to the Philadelphia Eagles. And I’ll be fair: at the time, they were playing some really good football. Baker Mayfield came out firing, Mike Evans was still Mike Evans, and how about the emergence of the rookie from Ohio State, Emeka Egbuka? He’s given the offense a spark. This was a team sitting at 5–1, on top of the world, appearing ready to run away with the NFC South. Now? Since that quick start, the Buccaneers have lost three of their last four and find themselves tied for first place with the Carolina Panthers — who I’m sure everyone expected to be competitive this year, right? Outside of their performance in Detroit, Sunday was arguably one of their worst outings in Orchard Park. The offense kept striking and giving them chances — sometimes keeping them in the game, sometimes taking the lead. But the defense let them down, allowing six total touchdowns to Josh Allen. At this point, I think injuries are beginning to catch up with them, and that happens. Still, I like them to win the division again. I have more faith in them than in the Panthers. This Sunday night, they head to California for a showdown with the leaders of the NFC West.
Rams (8-2):
Five consecutive wins and counting. Their last defeat came on a Thursday night in an overtime thriller against the San Francisco 49ers. I could make a legitimate case for three men to win Coach of the Year: Shane Steichen in Indianapolis with the Colts; Mike Vrabel for the job he’s done in Foxborough making the Patriots relevant again; and Sean McVay. Yes, Sean has won a Super Bowl and that roster was loaded, but this 2025 roster isn’t nearly as stacked. He’s the type of coach who can win with whatever he has, and I still believe he’s one of the five best head coaches in football today. Let’s talk about Sunday’s win against the Seattle Seahawks. Their offense typically gets most of the attention — and rightfully so, especially with how well Matthew Stafford has played. I even said last week that this is the best he’s ever looked. But can we please give some love to the Rams defense? They intercepted Sam Darnold four times and kept a solid Seattle offense in check. One takeaway from this game: the Rams can win in multiple ways. They can keep up in a shootout, or they can muck the game up and turn it into a street fight, and that’s exactly what Sunday’s two-point win was. I’ll say this now and again on the radio: this is the biggest threat to the Philadelphia Eagles in the conference right now. And we already saw those two teams meet earlier in the year. L.A. will look to extend its winning streak to six games Sunday night when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi.
Buccaneers X-Factor: Rachaad White
With injuries decimating key offensive weapons, Rachaad has stepped up as a versatile, do-everything option. First, his blocking: I always pay attention to what offensive players do without the ball, and Rachaad is extremely valuable in pass protection, especially against blitz-heavy looks. As a skill player, he’s just as valuable catching passes out of the backfield as he is running the ball. He’ll be key in trying to throw off the rhythm of the Rams’ defensive line.
Rams X-Factor: Cobie Durant
Here’s another playmaker in a Rams defense full of them. This year, he’s stepped up and become their No. 1 cornerback, proving he can handle opposing top receivers. On Sunday night, he’ll see a versatile Tampa passing game. A major thing to watch is whether he can neutralize Tampa’s outside threats. If he can, that forces Mayfield into the shorter passing game. Cobie also has excellent ball skills and the ability to swing momentum with a timely turnover. His versatility — playing outside or in the slot — makes him even more valuable.
Final Thoughts:
These two teams have given us memorable games, including their divisional playoff showdown in January 2022 when the Rams eliminated the Bucs in what we thought was Tom Brady’s final game. Now, we get two first-place teams meeting Sunday night in Inglewood. The Buccaneers are trying to rediscover the swagger they had early when they started 5–1. The Rams are rolling and playing with confidence. For Tampa: Win the trenches — I cannot stress this enough. Especially on offense. They must protect Baker Mayfield and give him clean pockets. This is a Los Angeles front that can generate pressure without blitzing. Next, they need to disrupt Matthew Stafford’s rhythm — something not many teams have been able to do. Mixing blitzes, disguising coverages, and confusing looks will help. And finally: establish the ground game to keep Stafford and the Rams offense on the sideline. For L.A.: Exploit the Tampa secondary, which has been a weakness. Use quick, rhythm-based throws, attack favorable matchups, and maintain balance with Kyren Williams to sustain long drives. Also, take advantage of Tampa’s defensive aggression with screens, quick outs, and max protection when needed. I expect a fight all the way into the fourth quarter.
