TAMPA, Fla. – Matthew Stafford stood on the sideline helplessly watching Tom Brady be Tom Brady, leading another exhilarating comeback.
This time, though, the seven-time Super Bowl champion left too much time on the clock, giving Stafford a chance to create some playoff magic of his own.
Turns out, 42 seconds was just enough for the Los Angeles Rams quarterback to pull off a Brady-like finish that sent the franchise to the NFC championship game for the second time in four seasons with a 30-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Stafford, a former No. 1 draft pick in his first season with the Rams after playing his first 12 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. “I mean, we sure let them back in the game with a bunch of mistakes on offense. Our defense played outstanding. We’ve got to clean some stuff up, do a little better job in the turnover department.
“This is a tough team, man, this is what we’re all about. Just happy to get a win and keep on moving.”