Sunday’s slate of NFL football will soon come to a close at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium, as the Rams welcome the Buccaneers to the West Coast for an NFC heavyweight fight.
After starting the 2025 season red-hot, Tampa Bay has dropped its last two contests and is now clinging to a half-game lead in the NFC South with a 6–4 record. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been able to keep the Buccaneers' offense afloat, but the defense has allowed 28 and 44 points in back-to-back games, leading to what could turn into an uphill climb down the stretch of the season.
The Rams, meanwhile, sit at 8–2 and are riding a five-game winning streak behind the dominant play of 37-year-old Matthew Stafford—which we'll get to later. Defensively, L.A. has been among the league’s most stout, allowing the second-fewest points per game at 17.2.
Needless to say, we’re in for a good one in Inglewood. Here are three bold predictions for Rams vs. Buccaneers.
Chris Godwin will log double-digit catches in return to Buccaneers lineup
Amid a season filled with injuries, the Buccaneers are getting a much-needed reinforcement back as according to multiple reports, wide receiver Chris Godwin will be back in the lineup for the first time since early October on Sunday night.
Godwin, 29, signed a three-year, $66 million extension with Tampa Bay amid his recovery from surgery on a dislocated ankle. He briefly returned earlier this season, but suffered a fibula injury and has been out since Week 5.
With Godwin returning—and Mike Evans still on injured reserve—look for Mayfield to pepper the pass catcher, even on a pitch count, to the tune of 10-plus receptions as Tampa Bay looks to get back on track.
Rams will force Tampa Bay offense into three-plus turnovers
Get back on track they won’t, however.
Through 10 games, the Rams have not only allowed the second-fewest points per game in the NFL, but are also tied for the third-most takeaways with 18—including 11 during their current five-game win streak.
While Mayfield has taken care of the football throughout the majority of the 2025 campaign, throwing just three interceptions, he’s also registering the second-highest turnover-worthy play rate of quarterbacks who have started at least 10 games, according to Pro Football Focus.
With that, I'm predicting Mayfield and the entire Tampa Bay offense to press on Sunday night, and as a result, turn the football over three-plus times against this stout L.A. defense.
Matthew Stafford will continue his MVP season, hand Buccaneers their third straight loss
It’s been Stafford’s world to begin his 17th NFL season, and we’re all just living it.
Through 10 games, the 37-year-old has completed 66% of his passes for 2,557 yards and an NFL-leading 27 touchdowns—six more than the next closest quarterback—while throwing just two interceptions. If the season ended today, he’d likely be the league’s MVP.
On the topic, expect Stafford to continue playing at his league-pacing level on Sunday night against Tampa Bay's struggling defense. In what I'm predicting to be a 31–28 Rams win, look for the veteran caller to throw for 300-plus yards and account for four total touchdowns—all while bringing L.A. to 9–2 through the first 12 weeks of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rams vs. Buccaneers: Three Bold Predictions For Sunday Night's Heavyweight Battle in L.A..
