Tag: rams buccaneers

Rams inactives: Matt Gay, Tremayne Anchrum active vs. Bucs

Gay will make his debut for the Rams against his former team on Monday night.

The Los Angeles Rams enjoyed a healthy week of practice leading up to Monday night’s game against the Buccaneers, seeing no starters miss any of the three sessions due to injury. Everyone came into this one expecting to play, which left no surprises for their list of inactives.

Backup center Brian Allen was listed as doubtful and is inactive, as expected. The Rams’ other healthy scratches are Raymond Calais, Trishton Jackson and Brycen Hopkins.

Tremayne Anchrum, J.R. Reed and Matt Gay are all active for L.A. against the Bucs. Austin MacGinnis wasn’t called up from the practice squad, so it’ll be Gay on solo duty at kicker in his Rams debut.

On the Buccaneers’ side, there are no real surprises. Ali Marpet is the biggest loss for Tampa Bay, but he was ruled out prior to Monday, so that was expected.

Rams-Bucs uniform matchup won’t feature a lot of color

The Rams will wear their Bone uniforms, while the Bucs are rocking their all-pewter alternates.

When the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field on Monday night at Raymond James Stadium, you might notice a lack of color. For two teams with bright palettes that include royal blue, yellow and a vibrant shade of red, pewter and “Bone” will be the stars of the show.

The Buccaneers will be wearing their all-pewter uniforms against the Rams, which is an alternate combination that they’ve worn just once this season. Los Angeles, on the other hand, will sport its popular all-Bone look.

The result? A lot of gray and off-white, with subtle pops of color. It’s not often that neither team wears a colored jersey in a game, but we’ll get a taste of that on Monday night.

The Rams are undefeated in their Bone uniforms, going 3-0 in them so far. They beat the Cowboys, Eagles and Washington while wearing their light-colored uniforms, but haven’t worn them since Week 5.

The Buccaneers crushed the Broncos 28-10 in their first (and only) game wearing all-pewter this season. In that game, the Broncos wore orange jerseys, so it’s not as if the Rams couldn’t wear their royal ones.

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Rams can make big jump in NFC playoff seeding with win vs. Bucs

If the Rams win on Monday night, they’ll rise all the way to the No. 2 seed.

The Rams and Buccaneers will cap off Week 11 on Monday night with a prime-time showdown between two contenders in the NFC. Just a half-game separates these teams, with the Bucs sitting at 7-3 and the Rams 6-3.

There’s a lot riding on this game in the playoff picture as both squads try to fight for position in a highly competitive conference. Currently, the Rams sit sixth in the NFC, while the Bucs are fifth, trailing the Saints by one game in the South.

A win would vault either team up the standings, but the Rams can make an especially big jump. If they beat the Buccaneers on Monday night, they’ll go from the No. 6 seed as a wild card all the way up to No. 2, leading the NFC West and trailing only the 8-2 Saints. A loss would drop them to the No. 7 seed and into third place in the NFC West.

They currently own tiebreakers over both the Seahawks and Packers, which is why even if all three teams get to 7-3, the Rams would be the No. 2 seed. As of now, Seattle holds the No. 2 seed in the NFC, with the Packers being third.

The Rams have already beaten the Seahawks once, so they have the head-to-head tiebreaker there. They haven’t played the Packers and won’t play them in the regular season, but the Rams are 6-1 against NFC opponents, while the Packers are 5-2. A win on Monday would improve the Rams to 7-1 in the conference, giving them the tiebreaker over Green Bay, too.

If L.A. beats the Bucs, Tampa Bay would drop to the No. 6 seed, the Seahawks would slide to No. 5, and the Packers would remain the third seed. The Cardinals are also squarely in the mix as the No. 7 seed, while the Eagles lead the NFC East with a paltry 3-6-1 record.

If the Saints win out, the Rams can’t overtake them for the No. 1 seed. And New Orleans is 7-1 against the NFC, so Los Angeles has some work to do in order to win that tiebreaker, too. Hypothetically, if the Rams win tonight and beat the 49ers next week, and the Saints lose to the Broncos in Week 12 – which is admittedly highly unlikely – the Rams would take the No. 1 seed.

The top seed in each conference has a bigger advantage in this expanded playoff format, too. With seven teams making the postseason, only the No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye, unlike in recent years. They’ll also get home-field advantage, too, which is a benefit in itself.

Rams trying to beat Tom Brady for first time since 2001

The Rams are just 1-5 against Brady in his career.

There’s only one team in the NFL that Tom Brady has a losing record against, and that’s the Seattle Seahawks. He’s had just about every team’s number throughout his career, owning a 226-67 record in the regular season during his 21 years in the NFL.

The Rams have had a lot of trouble beating him, just as most teams have. In six games against the Rams, including the postseason, Brady is 5-1. Two of those wins came in the Super Bowl, most recently in the Patriots’ 13-3 win in Super Bowl LIII two seasons ago.

The only time Brady has lost to the Rams was in his first season as a starter way back in 2001. That game was on Nov. 18, a 24-17 win by St. Louis, where the Rams held Brady to just 185 yards passing and picked him off twice.

Of course, Brady got revenge on the Rams less than three months later when he led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory over St. Louis, 20-17. If the Rams can beat Brady and the Bucs on Monday night, it’ll mark just their second win against him.

In six games against the Rams, Brady has thrown for 1,399 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been sacked six times, but never more than twice in one game. There’s no doubt Los Angeles will have its hands full against the Buccaneers, especially with this being the best receiving corps of Brady’s career.

Sean McVay said last week that the Buccaneers offense “is a nightmare” to defend, largely because of the way Brady is playing.

“It’s a great challenge,” McVay said. “We all know what a great and accomplished player Tom is and I think when you put the weapons around him, he does a great job of getting a bunch of different playmakers involved. He’s obviously processing things really well. I think he’s throwing the football really well, on all three levels.”

Rams Week 11 preview: 5 questions with Bucs Wire

Previewing this Week 11 matchup between the Rams and Bucs.

After signing Tom Brady, trading for Rob Gronkowski and adding both Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone from pretenders to contenders in the NFC South. They’ve lived up to expectations so far with a 7-3 record, seeking their eighth win of the year when the Rams visit them on Monday night.

Ahead of this pivotal Week 11 showdown, we checked in with Bucs Wire managing editor Luke Easterling to gain some insight on the state of Tampa Bay’s offense and defense, highlighting areas where the Rams might be able to capitalize.

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction, Game Preview

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Broadcast

Date: Monday, November 23
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET
Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Network: ESPN

[jwplayer u1UpvV8e]

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Los Angeles Rams (6-3) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM

Why Los Angeles Rams Will Win

The Rams are starting to force more and more takeaways. The offense is having a few turnover issues – like against Miami – but the other side has come up with seven turnovers in the last three games.

Tampa Bay isn’t all that bad at hanging on to the ball – except against New Orleans – but the Ram defense has stepped up in a big way overall. It’s going to stop the run, but …

– CFN Experts Picks: NFL

Why Tampa Bay Buccaneers Will Win

Tampa Bay offense kicked it all back in – running game including, helped by a Ronald Jones home run – in a 46-point explosion against Carolina, and it appears to only have a problem against the Saints.

Tom Brady got past his bad performance, spread the ball out well, and the offense used everything to get back on track. The Ram offense need to run well to win, but it’s going against the NFL’s best run D – so to pull this off, it’ll be on …

Fantasy Football Player To Watch

QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
The yards have been there, and he’s been relatively steady for roughly two touchdown passes a game … until the last two weeks. He didn’t throw a TD pass against Seattle and gave up just one against Miami. Tampa Bay has allowed just one 300-yard day so far, but LA probably can’t win unless Goff comes close.

What’s Going To Happen

Tampa Bay’s offense continues to get the headlines for good and for bad, but it’s the defensive side that’s the team’s real barometer. The Buccaneer defensive front will take over in the second half to overcome a mediocre day from Brady.

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction, Line

Tampa Bay 26, Los Angeles Rams 23
Bet on Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers with BetMGM
Tampa Bay -4.5, o/u: 48
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 4

5: The Crown: Season 4
1: A Nashville Christmas Carol

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Rams at Bucs: 5 key matchups to watch on Monday night

Jalen Ramsey will once again be tasked with shutting down an elite receiver.

Monday night’s matchup between the Rams and Buccaneers will be a star-studded one, featuring big names such as Tom Brady, Jared Goff, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of big-name players who will be on the field at Raymond James Stadium, making this a must-watch battle between two NFC contenders. Tampa Bay will be one of the Rams’ toughest opponents to date, and the same goes for L.A. being a tough test for Tampa Bay.

It’ll take a complete team effort for the Rams to win this one, but it could come down to the individual matchups within the game. Here are five of the biggest that could decide which team comes away with a victory.

Sean McVay leaves no doubt: Buccaneers offense ‘is a nightmare’ to defend

Brandon Staley and the Rams will have their hands full against the Bucs on Monday night.

One week after facing a potent Seahawks offense that’s led by Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Rams will once again have their hands full against the Buccaneers – who are led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback of their own.

Sean McVay and the Rams will pay the Bucs a visit in Tampa Bay, hoping to slow down what’s been one of the best offenses in the entire league. They rank sixth in scoring, fifth in passing and although they’re only 14th in total yards, this is as explosive and dangerous an offense as the Rams will face.

Whether it’s Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Ronald Jones or even Rob Gronkowski, the Bucs can beat you in several ways – and McVay knows how difficult it’s going to be for L.A.

“It’s a great challenge. We all know what a great and accomplished player Tom is and I think when you put the weapons around him, he does a great job of getting a bunch of different playmakers involved,” McVay said Thursday. “He’s obviously processing things really well. I think he’s throwing the football really well, on all three levels. Really, they have a great running game too. I mean, you look at the success that Jones has had. We all know what a great player (Leonard) Fournette is. So from a personnel standpoint, when you look at their line, all the skill players and then Tom Brady leading the way, it is a nightmare. They’re one of the best offenses for a reason, you see how explosive they are. I think what says as much about them as anything is when you watch the response that they had from a disappointing outing against the Saints a couple of weeks ago. What they did against the Panthers was a very decisive, definitive victory. This is a great team. They’re a great defense. They’re very competitive on special teams and so it’s going to be a great challenge to try to go get our seventh win.”

The Rams need a win to keep pace with the Seahawks in the NFC West after they knocked off the Cardinals on Thursday night. The Bucs are 7-3 and are coming off a dominant 46-23 win over the Panthers in Week 10, looking much better than they did in their 38-3 loss to the Saints one week prior.

There’s almost no doubt the Buccaneers are going to be around for the playoff push later this year, making this a crucial game for Los Angeles in the postseason picture. Tampa Bay could be the team the Rams are competing against for wild-card positioning in December.

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Brandon Staley has waited a long time for the chance to stop Tom Brady

Staley said he’s thought about this opportunity “every day of my life.”

In his first season as a defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley has been tasked with drawing up game plans to stop Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson and Josh Allen. Admittedly, it hasn’t been the toughest slate of quarterbacks thus far, but it’s about to get much tougher.

On Monday night, he and the Rams will take on the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. Despite being 43 years old, Brady hasn’t lost any of the juice he showed when he was with the Patriots, and is now leading the NFL in pass attempts for the Bucs.

Staley, 37, has watched Brady from afar for a long time, but not just as a fan. He’s thought about this opportunity his entire life. At least, that’s what he told reporters on Thursday in advance of Rams-Bucs in Week 11.

Staley apparently wasn’t kidding when he made that claim, which just goes to show how committed and passionate he is about football. Brady has had a long, decorated career in the NFL and Staley has seen him develop into a Hall of Famer since he first came onto the map in college at Michigan.

Brady has far better weapons now than he probably ever had with the Patriots. He’s throwing to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski, making him as dangerous as ever.

The Rams have the secondary and pass rushers to keep Brady in check, but much of this game will come down to whether Staley’s scheme can counter Tampa Bay’s strengths.

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Rams open as road underdogs vs. Buccaneers in Week 11

The Rams are underdogs for the first time since Week 3.

After beating the Seattle Seahawks at home on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams are turning their attention to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At 7-3, the Bucs are firmly entrenched as one of the better teams in the conference, boasting a star-studded cast of players on offense.

The Rams defense will once again be tested by an outstanding receiving corps, but after locking down DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the secondary showed it can cover anyone in this league. That’s not enough to make the Rams the favorites over Tampa Bay, though.

According to BetMGM, the Buccaneers are favored by 3.5-point favorites against L.A. The game is in Tampa Bay, which gives the Bucs an edge, especially with fans being allowed to attend. The over/under is set at 48.5 points, with money lines of +155 and -182 for the Rams and Bucs, respectively.

This is the first time the Rams are underdogs since Week 3 against the Bills. They had been the favorites in six consecutive games, covering just three times in that span.

Tampa Bay has been an underdog just twice this season, against the Saints and Packers. The Bucs are 5-5 against the spread this year, while the Rams are 5-4 ATS.

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