National Football League

Matthew Stafford's heroics rescue Rams, top Tom Brady's Bucs

Updated Jan. 24, 2022 12:28 a.m. ET

What. A. Game.

In the first half of the NFC divisional bout between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles looked like it was going to chug on to the NFC Championship Game like a runaway freight train.

L.A. took a 20-3 lead into halftime, a position in which most teams might feel comfortable. But when a man named Tom Brady is taking snaps on the other side, no lead is safe, and L.A. learned that the hard way, as its 27-3 third-quarter lead morphed into a 27-27 tie late in the fourth.

The rally was aided by a series of miscues from the Rams, including a Cam Akers fumble that set up a game-tying score from Leonard Fournette with just 42 seconds remaining.

It just so happened, though, that 42 seconds was all Matthew Stafford needed. The Rams QB found Cooper Kupp streaking up the sideline for his first completion of the decisive drive before dialing up a deep shot to the same target, who sped to the 12-yard line as time waned to set up a short-yardage field-goal attempt.

Gay had more than enough leg to convert the kick this time, and L.A. snuck out of Tampa with a massive sigh of relief, punching a ticket to next week's NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Stafford finished with 366 passing yards on a 28-for-38 clip, two passing TDs and one rushing score, plus the ever-important game-winning drive.

His late theatrics were wholly needed, given his team's gaffes. The Rams committed four turnovers, their most all season, and the team had never won a game in the Sean McVay era when committing four or more turnovers (0-6 since 2017).

The Rams are now just the fourth team since 2000 to escape a playoff matchup with a win while turning the ball over at least four times. Previous units were 3-49 (.058) since 2000 when surrendering four or more TOs in playoff contests.

If there were ever a time to make history, this was it, and in the biggest spot of his career thus far, Stafford showed exactly why L.A. gave up so much — Jared Goff, two first-round picks, one third-round pick — to acquire him from Detroit this past offseason.

He has made history by disposing of the GOAT, and now Stafford will look to continue his tour de force next week against San Francisco. Until then, L.A. is riding high on the heels of a momentous win, and Stafford is a team hero.