Toast of Los Angeles

No championships were won at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon, but the smile on Matthew Stafford’s face, the one Fox kept showing through the L.A. Rams’ showdown with the Buccaneers, was wide enough to make you believe otherwise. And over the phone, a half hour after it was over, Stafford made it abundantly clear that his glow still hadn’t dimmed.

“I’m having a blast,” he volunteered. “I’m having a great time.”

Winning, as always, helps. And the Rams did win the game that Stafford had just finished.

But this felt like more than just that. Maybe it’s being out of a situation that so often felt hopeless, as much as he tried to make it, well, not that. Maybe it’s getting to see where he can take his game, given advantages he’s so often seen other quarterbacks granted. Maybe it’s the coach he’s working with. Maybe it’s living in Southern California. Maybe it’s just the newness of getting to start over and reinvent himself, to a degree, as a professional athlete.

Or maybe it’s all of those things. And the stage he got to enjoy them on Sunday afternoon.

It wasn’t often that Stafford got to play in the kind of game everyone was watching over his 13 seasons on the Lions, which is exactly what Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium was. The defending champion Bucs in town. A raucous crowd on hand. Real, true-to-life stakes being fought over in September. And a mano a mano heavyweight quarterback matchup.

Sixty minutes of football later, we know this: The stage sure wasn’t too big for the 33-year-old, and as a result he’s not done getting to perform on this kind of platform. Stafford absolutely sparkled against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers, throwing for 343 yards, four scores without a pick, and a 134.0 passer rating. And the rest of the Rams followed his lead, taking control early and holding a double-digit lead for the game’s final 22 minutes.

“It was a lot of fun going up against Tampa,” Stafford said. “Obviously, Tom’s playing at a really high level. They’re a really well-coached team, so we knew we had our hands full and I was just proud of how we played. It was a total team win. I thought our defense did a hell of a job, and we were able to put enough points on the board there to get the win. But as far as something being unique, I mean I’m just enjoying my situation right now.

“I’m enjoying playing ball for the Rams, leading these guys, and I’m having a blast doing it. That’s the biggest thing I took away from today.”

If he and Sean McVay have their way, the fun’s just beginning in L.A.

And by the way, on this Sunday of Week 3, that fun in L.A. wasn’t just confined to what the Rams were doing in their new palace.

Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers pulled off one of the biggest shockers of the NFL season, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium to make a statement in the AFC West. Justin Herbert’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 32 seconds left gave Los Angeles a stunning 30-24 victory. 

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense had opportunities to win the game in the fourth quarter. In a tied game at 24-24, Mahomes threw an interception with 1:42 left to give Herbert and the Chargers the ball with an opportunity to win the game. Herbert took advantage thanks to a DeAndre Baker pass interference penalty on fourth-and-9 at the Chiefs’ 35-yard line to extend the drive. A gutsy fourth-down call by Chargers head coach Brandon Staley paid off, which led to the winning touchdown three plays later. Mahomes heaved the ball into the end zone with no time left, but the Hail Mary pass was short. 

Herbert withstood every punch Mahomes and the Chiefs offense threw, tossing two touchdowns to Williams in the second half to take the lead twice. He finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards and four touchdowns to lead Los Angeles, while Williams led the Chargers with seven catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Chiefs rallied from a 14-0 deficit to take a 17-14 lead in the second half. Kansas City had spotted the Chargers the early lead thanks to some costly first-half turnovers. The Chiefs turned the ball over on their first three possessions of the game, all of which were inside the Los Angeles 40-yard line. An interception credited to Mahomes off a drop from Marcus Kemp was the first turnover, followed by a Tyreek Hill fumble, then a Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble — his second in two weeks. Dating to last week, the Chiefs turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions — the first time this has occurred since Mahomes became the starting quarterback. 

Kansas City fell to 9-3 in games where Mahomes trailed by double digits in his career (including the postseason). The Chiefs fell to last place in the AFC West at 1-2 while Los Angeles improved to 2-1.