Why the Rams Look Unbeatable Following Dominant Win vs. Buccaneers
On a night when the Los Angeles Rams were honoring their most dominant player in franchise history, Aaron Donald, they returned the favor to their Sunday night opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, crushing them, 34-7.
There is a sense of uneasiness amongst teams in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles blew a 21-point lead in Dallas, the Detroit Lions barely squeaked one out against the New York Giants in overtime, the Buffalo Bills looked lost against the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts are suddenly fighting for a division title after looking to run the table in the AFC South.
That uneasiness is that the Rams have become the best team in the sport, with no stoppage in sight.
The Rams might be unbeatable
Sunday morning, I wrote about the risk that the Rams faced with playing a potentially motivated Buccaneers quarterback,
Of all the teams I have watched this season, including my picks for Super Bowl LX between Buffalo and Detroit, Los Angeles has secured themselves as the best team in the sport until further notice. They have checked off numerous boxes for ways to win football games after Sunday night, including the emergence of a newly stout secondary.
There was brief concern over the short-term absence of safety Quentin Lake, but the Rams have shown they'll be just fine without him. On the perimeter, they have found their new No. 1 cornerback in Cobie Durant, who has had a terrific All-Pro-level two weeks of play against the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka. Next week, it will be rookie sensation Tetairoa McMillan.
Sure, you can absolutely argue that there might be one or two weaknesses of this Rams football team, especially in the offensive trenches. However, it is far and few between. Two sacks each for second-year pass rusher Jared Verse and defensive lineman Kobie Turner showcase a violent pass rush that can dominate opposing offenses and leave no one to chance.
Offensively, this unit looks incredible. Matthew Stafford is having a historic run with the best play of his entire career while cementing his status as the league MVP frontrunner; Puka Nacua remains an elite playmaker; Davante Adams is a touchdown machine; head coach Sean McVay is seemingly unstoppable at the moment with an excellent culture and offensive mastery; and the tight end room is bustling with plays across the board.
The Rams will be on the road for four of their last six games, starting with a trip to the East Coast to play the Carolina Panthers, who have proven to be a tricky opponent for the NFC's best this season. This is their testing ground for what they are capable of with just two more home games left on the schedule.
Why Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson didn’t care about breaking Micah Parsons’ contract record
Week 12’s wild escape against the Giants left Aidan Hutchinson thinking more about lessons than style points. Detroit blew coverages, missed tackles, and still found a way to win 34-27 in overtime, a result Hutchinson called the mark of a good team that can survive “all the bad stuff” and still finish. At 7-4 heading into a Thanksgiving showdown with the Packers, the Lions are learning how to win ugly.
That same perspective carried straight into Hutchinson’s contract negotiations. As detailed by ESPN, his camp had a clear choice: take Detroit’s latest offer, heavy on guarantees but shy of Micah Parsons’ massive $47 million-per-year deal with Green Bay, or drag things out in an effort to nudge the market even higher. The second route would have meant public pressure, holdout noise, and likely trade chatter. Hutchinson wanted no part of that.
Agent Mike McCartney told ESPN the talks were sometimes frustrating but never hostile, with both sides committed to staying at the table until they were satisfied.
In the end, the Lions put down roughly $180 million over four years, with about $45 million per season in new money, a figure that trails only Parsons among non-quarterbacks while still locking Hutchinson into Detroit long term.
Hutchinson admitted he understands the unwritten responsibility stars have to push the market, but he was blunt about his priorities. Chasing an extra one or two million or insisting on topping Parsons’ number simply was not worth prolonging the process when he already knew where he wanted to be.
Parsons remains the financial and statistical benchmark. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noted, the Packers star has posted at least 10 sacks in five straight seasons, a streak topped only by Reggie White since sacks became official in 1982. That is the rarefied air Hutchinson now lives in competitively, even if he chose not to chase Parsons dollar-for-dollar.
In his mind, securing life-changing guarantees, avoiding drama, and staying exactly where he wanted to play mattered more than winning the headline battle. If the Lions turn this core into deep playoff runs, no one in Detroit will care that his contract came in just below Micah Parsons’.
