Matthew Stafford joined Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers in an exclusive NFL club after his dominant performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in just the first quarter
21:57 ET, 23 Nov 2025
Matthew Stafford showed out in just the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(Image: Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Matthew Stafford further cemented his Hall of Fame credentials in just the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Heading into the Rams’ matchup against the Buccaneers in Los Angeles, Stafford had been holding Father Time at bay, proving himself to be one of the favorites to win MVP, despite his advanced age. And against Tampa Bay’s defense, Stafford showed that he had much more left in the tank.
Playing against Baker Mayfield, Stafford showed the Buccaneers superstar that there are levels to the game. The game comes after Mayfield’s wife shared a message about how their marriage difficulties were amid a new baby announcement.
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Coming into the game, Stafford needed three touchdown passes to join Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks to throw 30 touchdowns with fewer than five interceptions in the first 11 games of a season. And Stafford did so in just the first half against Tampa Bay, throwing touchdown passes to Davante Adams twice and Colby Parkinson.
In the first two quarters of play, Stafford completed 19 of 23 pass attempts for 210 yards with the aforementioned three touchdowns and zero interceptions. At one point, the veteran completed 12 of 12 attempts before he threw his first incompletion.
The reaction on social media claimed that Stafford had done enough to solidify himself as the MVP, as well as put the Rams in the perfect position to compete for another Super Bowl run.
Matthew Stafford has thrived playing under Sean McVay in Los Angeles(Image: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There were some that felt that Matthew Stafford wasn’t a Hall of Famer because l he never made All-Pro and has just two Pro Bowls in his seventeen season career. He’s probably going to win league MVP and could lead his team to another SB. He’s a HOFer,” one comment on X read.
Another account added, “Matthew Stafford Rams tenure might be the best stint a player ever had on a second team this late into their career. Changed his entire perception for most fans I’m sure. Went from talented guy who never won anything to Super Bowl champ and likely league MVP.”
Before the matchup, Rams head coach Sean McVay stated that he was “fortunate” that the organization had a player like Stafford to lead them on and off the field week in and week out.
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“Obviously, I know Tampa feels that way about Baker but you got two guys that elevate the people that they’re around, instill a belief, which I think is some of the most powerful things that you can offer as a quarterback with the way that you lead and the way that you compete that’s authentic to you and I think Baker’s always done that throughout his career,” the head coach said.
“Matthew’s always done that but what he did was he was himself and I think when you look back on it, I don’t know that many people are surprised.
“But it’s an incredible, it’s an impressive feat that’s a real testament to his, you know, competitiveness but also his mental capacity to be able to handle and absorb so much information in a short amount of time.”
In the same game, star wideout Davante Adams etched his name in history, registering the 1,001 catch of his career, which is the 16th most all-time in NFL history.
