How Will the Rams Fare Against the Buccaneers in 2025?

The 2022 Los Angeles Rams were much different than the team heading into the 2025 NFL season. For starters, they were coming fresh off a Super Bowl win and were struggling. It seems they used up all their magic for one Super Bowl run, and now they were facing the consequences.

They just couldn't seem to get these things sorted out, and it led to one of the most disappointing seasons ever for a reigning Super Bowl champion. 2022 was also the last time the Rams played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when Tom Brady was still their starting quarterback.

However, they'll face off again in 2025, where the Rams will be at home and have the advantage over the Buccaneers. Their starting quarterback is Baker Mayfield, and another peculiar thing about the year 2022 is that's when Mayfield spent his lone year with the Rams, and it single-handedly revived his career.

He joined the Rams and showed that he still had untapped potential, which prompted the Buccaneers to give him a shot after Brady retired, and how well that move has worked out for them. Ever since joining them in 2023, they've made the playoffs in back-to-back years and are always a team nobody wants to see on their schedule in the regular season.

This'll be the first time Mayfield faces off against the Rams since joining the Buccaneers, and it should make for an exciting matchup where the Rams may have found their equal. There are games where the Rams should be favored, such as against the New Orleans Saints, and games where they may struggle to hold up, like against the Baltimore Ravens or the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, this is the first time so far that I've seen on their schedule where both teams are evenly matched, and the game could go either way. I think what will determine this game will be how creative the head coaches can get at getting their best playmakers the ball, and the Rams have the advantage there as Sean McVay is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL.

Todd Bowles is an excellent defensive coach, but the Rams have an amazing defense of their own. I think, despite how close it may be, the Rams pull this one out due to their increased offensive firepower and get a good win midway through the season.