The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made history by becoming the first team to ever win a Super Bowl at their home stadium in the 2020 campaign.
The Los Angeles Rams are looking to become the second team in as many years to achieve this feat. They will now be facing their first big test of the 2021 NFL season when they host none other than the Bucs themselves in Week 3.
This will be a strong indicator of whether or not there is some merit to the championship hype the Rams generated this offseason. Meanwhile, head coach Bruce Arians is bracing himself for the star-studded roster his team is about to take on.
Arians shared some high praise for quarterback Matthew Stafford and fully intends to watch every throw he makes, even in warm-ups, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:
Opposing coach Bruce Arians is kindly giving the Rams beat some time this morning and starts with QB Matthew Stafford.
“He’s a guy who I even watch warm up…he’s that talented.”— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 22, 2021
More Arians, who yes will be watching Stafford and getting his bearings in SoFi as he warms up on Sunday: “I love watching him throw…he can make every throw from every angle. He is so talented and I love watching talented guys.” https://t.co/jgdl8bWZBm
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 22, 2021
Arians added that while defensive tackle Aaron Donald has always been quick, he has managed to pair it with overwhelming strength through the years:
On Aaron Donald, Arians says, “he’s always had speed, but (over the years) has added so much power…that’s a baaaaad combination.”
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 22, 2021
Arians also made sure to give cornerback Jalen Ramsey his props for showing off his versatility in the secondary, via Nick Hamilton of Nitecast Media:
#GoBucs HC Bruce Arians on Jalen Ramsey: "Jalen is playing all over the place, he's playing corner, he's playing safety, I'm glad he's wearing number 5 so we can find him (laughing)."
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) September 22, 2021
It should come as no surprise to see Arians acknowledging the talent that will be on the other sideline. After all, the Rams invested their future in this trio of superstars and they have proven to be worth every pick and penny.
Despite the Rams’ star power, Arians’ Bucs boasts one of the few rosters in the league that surprises it. They even managed to return all 22 starters from their Super Bowl LV run last season and have picked up where they left off with a 2-0 start of their own.
This will undoubtedly be a major statement game for both teams and it may very well come down to which side’s star players are able to make the biggest impact.
