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The Los Angeles Rams are back home in Week 3 after beating the Indianapolis Colts on the road last week, but their next opponent will be their toughest yet. They’ll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are also 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.
Sean McVay and Rams players have downplayed the notion that this will be a measuring stick game for them, but a win over the defending champions will further establish Los Angeles as one of the three or four best teams in the league.
It’s just that getting a win against the Bucs is easier said than done. The Rams are understandably underdogs, even though they’re at home. Tom Brady leads the league in touchdown passes with nine and Tampa Bay’s run defense looks just as good as it did last season when it ranked first.
The Rams won’t have to go up against Antonio Brown (COVID-19) or Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder), who have both been ruled out already, but this is still the most talented team on their regular-season schedule.
There’s no reason to believe the Rams can’t pull off the upset – technically speaking – at home against Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers look like a team destined to put up a ton of points this season and march their way deep into the playoffs again. Brady has the benefit of throwing to an elite receiving corps, which he never really had in New England, so the loss of Brown isn’t devastating, nor is Pierre-Paul’s absence with the way his replacement, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, has looked through two games.
The Buccaneers will leave Los Angeles with a narrow victory over the Rams, getting into a shootout at SoFi Stadium. Brady will avoid costly mistakes and take care of the ball, while Tampa Bay’s defense will get a couple of key turnovers to limit the Rams a bit.
Final score prediction: Buccaneers 30, Rams 27
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