10 crazy stats from Rams' Week 3 win vs. Buccaneers

[theramswire.usatoday.com]
10 crazy stats from Rams' Week 3 win vs. Buccaneers


Cameron DaSilva
September 27, 2021 8:21 am PT
Sunday’s game between the Rams and Buccaneers was expected to be a close, back-and-forth matchup. It was a battle for the first two and a half quarters, but the Rams really put their foot down midway through the third and pulled away from the defending champions.

They left Week 3 with a 34-24 win over the Buccaneers, handing Tampa Bay its first loss since Week 12 of last season. Matthew Stafford was impressive once again, the defense got after Tom Brady and special teams played an error-free game.


Here are 10 crazy stats coming out of the win, putting a bow on the team’s statement victory against Tampa Bay.

1
Rams scored on 6 straight drives for 1st time under McVay
The Rams had one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2017 and 2018 under McVay, ranking first and second in points scored, respectively. Yet, they still never accomplished what Matthew Stafford and the offense did on Sunday.

Los Angeles scored on six straight possessions against the Bucs, finding the end zone four times and kicking two field goals. The streak stretched from the beginning of the second quarter to the middle of the fourth, when the Rams snapped it by punting with 4:50 left in the game.

First time in parts of 5 seasons under Sean McVay the @RamsNFL have scored on 6 consecutive drives.

4 TDs (all passing for Stafford) + 2 FGs stretching from late 1Q to early 4Q.

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) September 26, 2021

2
Brady’s 1st regular-season loss with 400 yards, 0 INT
Prior to Sunday’s game, Brady had thrown for at least 400 yards with no interceptions five times in the regular season. He was 5-0 in those games, but the Rams changed that with their win over the Bucs this weekend.

The Eagles also beat Brady in Super Bowl LII when he had 505 yards and no interceptions, but this was the first time he lost a game in that fashion during the regular season.

3
Stafford becomes 3rd QB ever with 4 TD and 0 INT vs. Brady
It often takes a great passing performance in order for an opponent to beat Brady, and that’s exactly what the Rams got on Sunday from Matthew Stafford. He threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, becoming just the third quarterback to post a four-touchdown, zero-interception game against Brady.

The only other two to do it are Drew Brees (twice) and Alex Smith. It’s an obscure and surprising stat, but it shows how rare it is for someone to outduel Brady the way Stafford did.

Matthew Stafford threw for 343 yds, 4 TD & 0 Int in the Rams' win over the Bucs Sunday.

Stafford is just the 3rd QB to have a 4 TD-0 Int game when starting against Tom Brady.

The other 2 are Drew Brees (who did it twice) & Alex Smith. pic.twitter.com/uIIQc8thPV

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 26, 2021

4
Rams have trailed for 2 minutes this season
The Rams have played 180 total minutes so far this season and they’ve spent very little time playing from behind. According to the team’s postgame notes, they have led for 120:37, have been tied for 42:19 and have only trailed for 2 minutes and 4 seconds all year. That came after their special teams blunder against the Colts, but it took just two minutes for Stafford and the offense to regain the lead with a quick touchdown drive.

They won’t be able to sustain this for the entire season, but as long as they continue to grab early leads and limit opposing offenses, the Rams will be tough to beat.

5
Rams snapped Bucs’ 10-game winning streak, 9-game stretch with 30-plus points
The Buccaneers came into Week 3 having won their last 10 games dating back to last season and scoring at least 30 points in nine straight contests. The Rams ended both streaks by beating the Bucs and holding them to only 24 points, cruising to a huge victory over the defending champions.

The Rams let the Bucs know after the game, too.

[t.co] pic.twitter.com/h05uf8pf88

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 26, 2021

6
3 straight 1st-quarter shutouts for Rams
We’re just three weeks into the season, but the Rams still haven’t allowed a single point in the first quarter. They’re one of just four teams that hasn’t allowed any first-quarter points, matching the Giants, Panthers and Bills as the only four to pitch three straight first-quarter shutouts.

The Rams have also scored first in all three games, which is a big reason they’ve only trailed for 2:04 this season.

7
Kupp has back-to-back 2-TD games for 1st time in his career
Everyone seems to love having Stafford in Los Angeles, but there may not be anyone benefiting more from the move than Cooper Kupp. He has 26 catches for 367 yards and five touchdowns this season, getting off to a ridiculously strong start.

With another two touchdowns against the Buccaneers, Kupp has back-to-back games with at least two touchdowns for the first time in his career. He’ll try to make it three straight next week against the Cardinals.

8
Jackson was NFL’s 2nd-fastest ball carrier of Week 3
If you came into this season questioning whether DeSean Jackson can still run, it’s time to stop. The answer is yes, Jackson still has speed to burn. He caught three passes against the Buccaneers and still managed to post two of the 15 fastest speeds in the NFL for Week 3, according to Next Gen Stats.

He hit 20.9 mph on his 40-yard reception, making him the second-fastest ball carrier of the week, behind only Trenton Cannon (21.7 mph).

On his 75-yard catch, he was clocked at 19.94 mph, which was 15th in the league this week. So yes, he can still run by even the fastest defenders.

9
All 11 of Rams’ TD drives this season have been 70-plus yards
With four more touchdown drives on Sunday, the Rams now have 11 total on the year. That’s impressive considering they’ve only played three games, but if you dive a little bit deeper, the offense looks even better than it does on the surface.

Not a single one of their 11 touchdown drives has spanned fewer than 70 yards. Against the Buccaneers, their possessions that ended in touchdowns were for 95 yards, 75 yards, 75 yards and 75 yards. They have yet to score a cheap touchdown this season.

The Rams have had 11 touchdown drives this season, and not a single one of them spanned less than 70 yards.

I can't get over that stat.

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) September 27, 2021

10
Stafford ties Kurt Warner’s TD record through 3 games
Stafford’s four touchdown passes against the Buccaneers give him nine on the year, which is tied with Warner for the most ever by a Rams quarterback in his first three games. Warner set that mark in 1999, the same year he won NFL MVP and the Rams went on to win the Super Bowl.

A sign of what’s to come or just a coincidence?

Matthew Stafford has 9 Pass TD, tied with Kurt Warner (1999) for the most ever by a Rams QB in their first three games of a season.

That year, Warner won MVP and the Rams won the Super Bowl