INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A day after one Los Angeles team hoisted a championship trophy, the other Los Angeles team sent a message loud and clear: they plan to be next.

The Rams didn’t just beat the Saints on Sunday — they dismantled them, 34–10, at SoFi Stadium behind another masterclass from Matthew Stafford. The veteran quarterback continued to play the best football of his Rams tenure, going 24-of-32 for 281 yards and four touchdowns in a performance that oozed command, rhythm, and confidence.

“I just have total confidence where you can call the game through him,” Sean McVay said after the win. “I thought Matthew was in total command.”

At 6–2, the Rams are starting to look and feel like the team that hoisted the Lombardi three seasons ago.

Stafford opened the game with surgical precision — 8-for-8 on the Rams’ first drive, spreading the ball to five different targets before finding Tyler Higbee wide open off play action for an easy touchdown. From that point on, the tone was set.

The Saints, prideful but overmatched, couldn’t slow down the Rams’ rhythm or Stafford’s chemistry with his playmakers. Puka Nacua, back from an ankle injury, caught Stafford’s first two passes and finished with seven receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown — celebrating that score by “rocking the baby,” a nod to his first child born earlier in the week.

Davante Adams continued his hot streak, adding two more touchdowns to tie Tony Gonzalez for 8th on the all-time list (109). It’s hard to imagine a more fitting connection right now than Stafford to Adams — automatic, efficient, and utterly demoralizing for defenses.

For Stafford, this was his second straight four-touchdown game — the first time in his career he’s done that. Over his last two games, he’s thrown for nine scores, zero picks, and looks as comfortable as he ever has in McVay’s offense.

Through eight games, Stafford’s stat line speaks for itself:

194-of-274 passing (70.8%), 2,147 yards, 21 TDs, 2 INTs, 116.2 passer rating.

That’s MVP-level production.

While the offense set the pace, the Rams’ defense slammed the door. Los Angeles forced three consecutive three-and-outs to open the game, with rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske recording his first career sack and celebrating by quite literally kicking down the door of the sideline tunnel.

By the time the Saints finally mustered a field goal early in the second quarter, the Rams already looked in full control. New Orleans never threatened again — their only touchdown came in garbage time at the end of the first half.

Linebacker Nate Landman continues to be a revelation in the middle, forcing yet another fumble (his third of the season) and leading a front seven that swarmed Taysom Hill and neutralized Alvin Kamara all afternoon.

It wasn’t perfect. Second-year kicker Joshua Karty missed two kicks — an extra point and a 39-yard field goal — prompting McVay to note, “It’s got to get better,” McVay said. “We’re going to have to figure out how to be able to fix this, but it can’t continue like this.”

Still, the Rams shrugged off those miscues with the kind of resilience that defines championship-caliber teams.

Kyren Williams punched in a short touchdown to make it 34–10 early in the fourth, moving into the franchise’s top 10 all-time in rushing scores (29). By then, SoFi was rocking — and not just for football.

McVay provided an update on Nacua’s chest injury, stating that he was cleared to return for the second half. However, since the team was in control of the game, there was no need to put him back in.

Los Angeles, City of Champions

McVay opened his postgame press conference with a nod to the Dodgers’ World Series triumph the night before.

“Hopefully we can continue to do good stuff like they did,” he said with a smile.

McVay continues to share on the Dodgers’ World Series win

“What a Game 7. What a job by them, coming back from down 3-2. In the team meeting room, there are a lot of guys that were fired up, really our whole team. So congratulations to Dave Roberts.”

Stafford, a lifelong friend of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, echoed that sentiment. “I thought they did a hell of a job,” he said. “Yamamoto was unbelievable in the series… That’s what it takes to win.”

For Stafford, Kershaw’s latest ring isn’t just a moment of pride — it’s motivation. And for Los Angeles fans, it’s hard not to dream about another parade, this time draped in blue and gold.

The Rams will get their next big test next Sunday in San Francisco against the 6–3 49ers — a matchup that will tell us whether this team is merely hot or truly special.

But one thing is certain: in a city of champions, the Rams are making their case to be next.