'Steal somebody's soul': Stafford relishes last-second win vs. Bucs

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford booked a spot in the NFC Championship Game for the first time in his career after a spectacular 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Though the victory wasn't nearly as easy as Stafford hoped, he sure won't forget it anytime soon.

"I would have loved to have been taking a knee up three scores," Stafford said postgame, according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today. "But it's a whole lot more fun when you've got to make a play like that to win the game and just steal somebody's soul."

The Rams dominated the Buccaneers for most of the game and opened a 27-3 lead midway through the third quarter. However, Tampa Bay stormed back thanks to L.A.'s three lost fumbles in the second half, tying the contest with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

With only one timeout left, Stafford led a stunning 63-yard drive that included a 44-yard connection to Cooper Kupp in the final seconds, allowing Matt Gay to kick the game-winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.

"All the guys on the sideline were like, 'Man, you were in a dark place,'" Stafford said. "I said, 'Sometimes, you just have to go to those places and make some plays happen.' I was enjoying the moment. In my mind, I live for those kind of moments."

Stafford, who joined the Rams during the offseason after spending his first 12 NFL seasons on the Detroit Lions, finished the afternoon with 366 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-38 passing. He also added a score on the ground.

The 33-year-old won his first two career playoff games this campaign after going 0-3 in the postseason with Detroit.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.