Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during warmups before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Rams QB Matthew Stafford furthers MVP case with performance vs. Buccaneers

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Nov 23, 2025 11:52 PM ET

Already firmly in the MVP conversation, Matthew Stafford further solidified his case as the front-runner on "Sunday Night Football." Stratford lit up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while leading the Rams to a 34-7 win, their ninth victory of the season.

The 37-year-old veteran put up one of his best performances of the season, which is saying something. Stafford completed 25-of-35 passes for 273 yards and threw three touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 122.7.

Stafford also played another clean game, extending his streak without an interception to eight games.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford is having a great season

On pace for one of his best statistical seasons of his career, especially from an efficiency standpoint, Stafford now has 2,830 passing yards and a league-leading 30 touchdown passes, making him the first quarterback since Tom Brady did it in 2021 to record 30 touchdown passes in his team's first 11 games.

9⃣ has been UNREAL. pic.twitter.com/VrFjaOswkl
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 24, 2025

Up until throwing only two touchdowns against Seattle last week, Stafford made history by throwing at least four touchdowns with zero interceptions in three straight games. During that span, he threw 20 touchdowns.

And even more important for a quarterback with more seasons behind him than in front of him, Stafford's elite play has propelled the Rams to the top of the NFC.

Despite a career that's seen the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft accumulate 62,639 yards and 407 touchdowns, Stafford has never come close to being named the league's MVP. In fact, he's only made two Pro Bowls during his 17-year career.

But of course, Stafford, like most all-time greats, wants to win above all else. So he would probably rather lift the Lombardi Trophy for the second time instead of taking home any individual hardware.

Los Angeles, now at 9-2, has the best record in the conference, but it only holds a one-game lead in the NFC West due to the success of the 8-3 Seattle Seahawks and 7-4 San Francisco 49ers.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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