By Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakDTR)
LOS ANGELES, CA — Over the NFL offseason, no two teams were touted as the NFC’s best more than the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rams traded for Matthew Stafford with the hope that he could take them to the promised land and get them over the hump. The Buccaneers meanwhile “ran it back”, returning everyone from their Super Bowl winning roster.
For a Week 3 game, a lot is on the line. With Matthew Stafford at the helm, the Los Angeles Rams are looking as good, if not better than they did during their Super Bowl run it 2018. On the other side, the Buccaneers haven’t lost a NFC game since losing to the Rams on Monday Night Football last November.
There’s a very good chance that these are the two best teams in the NFC. Both teams are 2-0 through the first two games of the season. In Football Outsiders overall DVOA, the Rams and Buccaneers rank second and third. Both teams boast the fourth and fifth rated offense. This is a matchup between two juggernauts.
The Rams demolished the Chicago Bears in the opening week and then edged out the Colts on the road last Sunday. The Buccaneers meanwhile got lucky against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s first game of the season before outclassing the Falcons last week.
While there will still 14 games remaining after Sunday, a win for either team could mean pivotal when it comes to the number one need and the only first-round bye. That bodes especially true for the Rams. After this week, the Rams host the red hot Arizona Cardinals and then travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. A losing record during this three game stretch would put them in an early hole in the NFC playoff race and NFC West division race.
Contrarily, the Buccaneers don’t have another “difficult” game on the schedule. Over the next three weeks, they’ll play the New England Patriots who are starting a rookie quarterback, the Miami Dolphins led by Jacoby Brisett, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
A win for the Rams or the Buccaneers could catapult them for greatness this season.
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