What the Rams Proved in Week 12

The Los Angeles Rams improved to 9 - 2 after they dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that was never really close. They started off hot and took an early lead, and didn't let up on the gas until the final whistle was called.

Their offense was on fire, and their defense has started to come alive in the second half of the season. Specifically, their secondary, they've been criticized for their lack of starpower guarding receivers, but it's looking like they're going to be the next wave of stars. Cobie Durant, Kamren Kinchens, Kam Curl, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. are all players in their secondary who have taken a considerable leap forward, and have their defense looking like one of the scariest in the NFL.

What They Proved

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on during warmups before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Rams proved that they're the best team in the NFL, and they now sit atop the entirety of the NFC after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys. This team had Super Bowl hopes before the season started, and that goal is closer than ever now.

Baker Mayfield was the leading MVP candidate for the first couple of weeks into the season, but now, there's no denying that the frontrunner is far and away Matthew Stafford. His biggest competition for the award didn't show up in Week 12; Jonathan Taylor, and his only competition in the quarterback department, Drake Maye, didn't have a good game either.

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Stafford, on the other hand, threw for 3 touchdowns and 273 yards while also having blazing efficiency. He started the game a perfect 12/12 passing, and the only reason the 13th pass was incomplete was because a defender made a play on the ball at the last second.

He's been on an absolute heater, and unless he gets injured, the MVP is his. His first MVP award in a season where he had no training camp experience shows how Stafford is truly special, and how they don't make quarterbacks like him anymore. He's a pure gunslinger of the football, regardless of scheme or concept.

He's executing Sean McVay's modern NFL scheme perfectly, and there's no individual player who's on the same level as Stafford. The Rams control their destiny, as the new number one seed in the NFC, it's up to them how long they can maintain this success.

Their next opponents are the Carolina Panthers, who benefited from the Buccaneers' loss. Good luck to Bryce Young trying to throw against this Rams defense right now.

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