With a convincing win over the Arizona Cardinals in the wild card round, the Los Angeles Rams cemented themselves as a Super Bowl contender once again. However, they draw a much more difficult task in the NFC divisional round when they take on Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Rams were able to overcome the Buccaneers all the way back in Week 3 of the 2021 season, but the two sides have experienced personnel changes since then which means the game plans will be much different this time around. However, Los Angeles is in a good spot to pick up another victory over Tampa Bay and get one step closer to playing a Super Bowl in their own stadium.
Rams Offense vs. Buccaneers Defense
The Rams were a more ground-heavy team against the Cardinals, but that might not work against the Buccaneers, who boast one of the NFL’s best run defenses. Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh are stout run defenders, which means head coach Sean McVay may need to turn to Matthew Stafford to lead the offense.
To be fair, Sony Michel did run for a respectable 67 yards on 20 carries in the last game, so he and Cam Akers should be able to make some plays. Game script will ultimately dictate how L.A. attacks Tampa Bay, but it seems like a fair bet that Stafford will need to throw more to keep up with Brady.
DeSean Jackson was able to get loose for three receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown in the last meeting, but with him gone, look for Van Jefferson to receive some of those deep shots down the field. Odell Beckham Jr. could also see his fair share of looks considering the Buccaneers will likely try to limit Cooper Kupp, who burned them for nine receptions, 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Tampa Bay looks like it will get some help in their secondary as Sean Murphy-Bunting looks probable to play, though Los Angeles would still be wise to challenge them though the air versus the ground.
Rams Defense vs. Buccaneers Offense
The Rams catch a bit of a break as the Buccaneers will not have Chris Godwin or Antonio Brown available, although Leonard Fournette is expected to be activated off injured reserve to return to action. Backup running back Ronald Jones was already ruled out, which means the Tampa Bay backfield will most likely be led by Fournette, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovanni Bernard.
Even without some key skill position players, Brady will have Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski available and the two present matchup issues for L.A. Jalen Ramsey figures to spend time shadowing Evans on the outside, but Brady could look to target the middle of the field with Gronkowski as the Rams are down their two starting safeties.
Fortunately for the Rams, the defensive line is playing some of its best football as of late and generating any sort of pressure on Brady is going to be huge over the course of the afternoon.
Keys To Victory
1. Win the battle up front
As mentioned previously, the best shot Los Angeles has at winning is to try and speed up Brady in the pocket. Brady is a master at diagnosing defenses and coverages, so the only real way to throw off the Buccaneers passing attack is to get in his face and throw off the timing of his throws.
Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen are expected to suit up for Tampa Bay, but both offensive linemen will not be 100 percent which means Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd should each see opportunities to get pressure on Brady.
2. Get the other receivers involved
Kupp is going to see his fair share of coverage as he did against the Cardinals, so Stafford is going to need to lean on Beckham, Jefferson and Higbee in the passing game. Beckham, in particular, looks much more comfortable in the offense and giving him more opportunities will go a long way in making sure the Rams keep pace with the Buccaneers on the scoreboard.
