The Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Sunday night match-up sported one of the highest point totals of Week 12 for a reason: it’s just that Baker Mayfield and co. Forgot to score. Matthew Stafford, along with the rest of the Rams’ offense, accounted for 34 total points on the day, thrashing the presumed NFC South champions.
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It’s the latest step in what is looking like a potential Super Bowl march from Stafford and head coach Sean McVay. The 37-year-old veteran is looking as spry as ever, having thrown for 30 touchdowns throughout the initial 12 weeks of the season while turning the ball over twice.
Unfortunately for Mayfield, Stafford’s success stands in stark contrast to the early-season MVP bid that he put together. Ever since his 379-yard passing performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, Mayfield’s totals have been steadily declining.
It’s no coincidence that this decline has coincided with the various injuries that have plagued his wide receiver room and roster as a whole, but now that America has seen these two MVP dark horses compete head-to-head, it’ll be almost impossible for Mayfield to reclaim the buzz that he enjoyed throughout that first month of the season.
To his credit, however, it’d be hard for anyone to keep pace with Stafford right now. Despite this being his 17th year in the league, the former Detroit Lion is proving to be one of the most efficient passers in the game, further solidifying his inevitable bid for the NFL Hall of Fame.
Matthew Stafford has thrown 306 passes without an interception. Longest streak in NFL this season, longest in Rams history, longest in Stafford's career. He's also thrown 27 TDs during the streak. If he throws another without an INT beforehand, then it will be a new NFL record.
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) November 24, 2025
Of course, McVay certainly deserves his fair share of recognition as well. This 9-2 start is the best that he’s had with the Rams since 2018, back when Jared Goff was still taking snaps under center, and if the season ended this week, it would be the sixth time in his career that his offense finished as a top-10 scoring unit.
Heading into the season, one of the biggest narratives coming out of Los Angeles was the status of Matthew Stafford and his back issues. With that being said, it’s no secret that the Rams’ championship window is officially closing.
Thanks to the efforts of McVay, as well as the front office, Stafford now has the services of both Puka Nacua and Devante Adams at his disposal, and that’s about as good a wide receiving duo to have ever existed. Pair that with a stout defense and a run game that’s headed by Kyren Williams, and it’s clear that the Rams are doing everything within their power to make the most of what remains in Stafford.
After falling short against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round last season, Los Angeles is obviously out for revenge, and they likely won’t settle for anything less than a spot in the NFC Championship.
