Trailing 27-3 after two quarters, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers found a way to tie the game with 42 seconds left. The Los Angeles Rams, however, escaped with a 30-27 win Sunday in a conference semifinal matchup at Raymond James Stadium.
After Ryan Succop’s second field goal of the game, the Bucs’ offense scored its first touchdown of the game at the end of the third quarter, when Leonard Fournette found the pay zone with the ball in hand.
The fourth quarter then featured a series of turnovers and a missed field goal that benefited the defending Super Bowl champions. With just over three minutes left in regulation, Brady found Mike Evans on 55 yards to close the gap to just seven points.
Back on offense, the Rams saw wide receiver Cooper Kupp drop the ball and return the prized item to the holder of seven championship rings. What had to happen happened and Fournette tied the game with 42 seconds left in the final quarter.
The Los Angeles team, however, had not said its last word. Quarterback Matthew Stafford notably found Kupp on 44 yards and the Rams got deep into the Buccaneers’ area. Kicker Matt Gray finished the job with a 30-yard field goal on the last play of the game.
The center of the winners concluded his game with 28 successful passes on 38 attempts for 366 yards and two majors. He also crossed the goal line with the ball in hand. For his part, Kupp had nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown.
In the National Conference Finals, the Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium. The “Niners” have got the better of their Californian rivals in the last six meetings between the two teams, including twice this season.
