The NFL moved into the divisional round playoffs Saturday with the top seed from each conference hosting games, and both losing. Now, the No. 2 seeds from each conference host games on Sunday with intentions of winning and hosting their respective conference championship games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are the defending Super Bowl champions, are the No. 2 seed in the NFC this postseason. The Bucs will host the No. 3 Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, where the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl last season in their home digs.
Tampa Bay defeated the Philadelphia Eagles last week in the wild card round while the Rams beat their NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals.
The winner of Sunday's game in Florida will host the NFC Championship game on Sunday (01/30/22) against the San Francisco 49ers, who knocked off No. 1 Green Bay on Saturday night at a frigid and snowy Lambeau Field.
Aside from the Buccaneers aiming to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles, and the third in franchise history, quarterback Tom Brady looks to extend his record of eight Super Bowl titles. Brady is having the best season of his professional career, and the Buccaneers are statistically better than their 2020 title-winning team.
The Rams hope to make it back to the Super Bowl since the 2018 season when they met Brady and his New England Patriots squad.
Temperatures will be chilly—per Florida standards—Sunday afternoon in Tampa with 58 degrees at kickoff and light winds.
Here's everything to know about the Rams-Buccaneers game on Sunday afternoon.
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, January 23, 2022, 3:00 p.m. ET
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida
Records: Los Angeles (13-5); Tampa Bay (14-4)
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
TV: NBC/Peacock/Universo (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya, Kathryn Tappen)
National Radio: Westwood One (Dave Pasch, Ross Tucker, Mike Golic)
SIRIUS: 82 (Rams), 85 (TB), 88 (National)
XM: 225 (Rams), 226 (TB), 88 (National)
SXM App: 818 (Rams), 829 (TB)
Favorite: Tampa Bay (-3) — According to FanDuel
Over/Under: 48.5
Weather: 58 degrees at kickoff, sunny and light winds
All-time head-to-head: Rams lead, 16-9
Playoffs head-to-head: Rams lead, 2-0
All-time playoff records: Rams (23-27, .460); Buccaneers (11-9, .550)
Last postseason game:
L.A. Rams — Won, 34-11, vs Arizona (1/17/22)
Tampa Bay — Won, 31-15, vs Philadelphia (1/16/22)
Quick Hits
- These two teams have met twice in playoffs history, with a combined total of 26 points in those games. The Rams won, 9-0, in 1980 and then beat the Buccaneers,11-6, in St. Louis following the 1999 season.
- Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is older than both Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan, who would await in the NFC Championship for the winner of this game.
- The Buccaneers are trying to become the eighth team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles—and the first since Brady and the Patriots in 2004.
- Under coach Sean McVay, the Rams have clinched the NFC West three times in the past five seasons and their fourth playoff berth since he took over in 2017.
- Rams quarterback Matt Stafford finished the 2021 season ranked second in touchdown passes (41), third in passing yards (4,886) and sixth in passer rating (102.9).
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Scott McDonald is a Newsweek deputy night editor based in Cape Coral, Florida. His focus is assigning and writing stories ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
