Matthew Stafford ‘turn off the lights’ rolls the Los Angeles Rams as Hollywood watches

INGLEWOOD, Calif .– Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald found quarterback Matthew Stafford after a decisive victory over defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave him a big hug and said to him: “I love you, man!”

In front of a star-studded crowd that included four-time NBA champion LeBron James, actor Jason Sudeikis and rapper-producer Dr. Dre, Stafford propelled the Rams to a 3-0 start as he passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-24 victory over the previously undefeated Bucs at SoFi Stadium.

“He’s playing the lights,” Donald said. “That’s why he’s here, we expect that from him and I know he’s going to keep doing what he’s doing and even at a higher level.”

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady had 432 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a high 14 yards and a score, but found himself under constant pressure and was sacked three times.

“It’s just a good defense,” said Brady, who has been pressured by 17.8% of his losses, the league’s lowest since arriving last season in Tampa Bay, but who saw a rush towards the Sunday passes which put pressure on him 27% of the time. “They have good pass-rush patterns, they have good pass-rushers, they mix things up a little bit on you, so it’s hard to really just get started.”

Players were hesitant to admit that Sunday’s win over the Bucs provided them with some sort of metric in their pursuit of Super Bowl LVI, but Donald, a catalyst for the Rams’ 2018 Super Bowl run, said this team had “to sure “composition to make it happen.

“It’s only three games, another long season, but obviously that’s the ultimate goal, that’s what we’re chasing,” said Donald, who registered his first sack against Brady in four games. “It’s the only thing I’m chasing.”

Both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter, and the Rams took a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Stafford composed it after the break.

Facing a third and 10 from his own 25-yard line, Stafford continued his progress before finally finding receiver DeSean Jackson for a 75-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 21-7 lead in practice. opening of the second half. .

“He pushes it so easily on the pitch,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said of Stafford. “You’re right in front of him once, he finds a guy wide open on the pitch and makes him understand it. A lot of guys see him but they can’t make him understand it. He’s a special player.”

Rams coach Sean McVay rushed to the sidelines to celebrate the long scoreline with Jackson, who had just come off in a Week 2 game without a goal but was signed on a free agent contract from a year during the offseason to pose a deep threat that the Rams lacked last season.

“It electrified the stands, the fans, the whole team,” said Jackson, who became the ninth player in NFL history with at least 10 touchdowns from 75 yards and finished Sunday with three receptions for 120. yards.

“I was just in the moment, having fun,” McVay said. “There were a lot of good reasons to be excited for our team today.”

Brady responded with a quick nine-play, 75-yard strike that he capped off with a 1-yard goalie for a touchdown that brought the Bucs to under a score, but Stafford responded with his own touchdown when he found receiver Cooper Kupp for a 10-yard touchdown and the Rams kicked a 48-yard field goal in the practice that followed to get away.

Kupp caught nine passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Stafford’s 75-yard touchdown pass was his third 50-plus touchdown this season, matching the number of over 50-yard touchdowns the Rams have had in 2019 and 2020 combined with former quarterback Jared Goff.

In three games in Los Angeles, Stafford has nine passing touchdowns, which tied him to Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in 1999 for the most touchdowns in Rams history in three games.

“I was the newcomer and they gave me a hug which was awesome,” said Stafford, who played 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions and was acquired through a successful offseason trade. “I just try to be myself every day, do my best every day and see where it takes us.”

The Rams will stay at SoFi Stadium next Sunday and open the divisional game against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

Brady will return to New England, where he played 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls, to face former coach Bill Belichick and the 1-2 Patriots.

ESPN editor Jenna Laine contributed to this report.