The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a lopsided loss to in-state rivals the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season. A win here can potentially push the Rams closer to second place in the NFC West. Here are our Los Angeles Rams Week 9 predictions as they take on the Buccaneers.

When the Los Angeles Rams visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9, they will look to return to the win column. Keep in mind that the Rams have lost three of their previous four games. In their latest loss to the Niners, the Rams scored just 14 points. It was the fourth time in 2022 that LA scored fewer than 15 points. They surely aren't playing like the champs.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are on an unexpected five-game losing slump and are unable to establish any sort of offensive balance or rhythm. In a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, Tampa Bay ran for only 44 yards on 15 touches. Tom Brady passed for 325 yards but was unable to carry the team to victory.

With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Los Angeles Rams in their Week 9 game against the Buccaneers.

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4. Allen Robinson II steps up as WR1

In Sunday's loss to San Francisco, Rams WR Allen Robinson II grabbed five of seven targets for 54 yards. Before that, he had 63 yards and a TD against the Panthers in Week 6. Those two games have been the finest stretch for Robinson so far this season.

Entering Week 9, remember that star receiver Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury late last week, so Robinson's role might grow dramatically if Kupp is forced to miss any time. If so, Robinson might be in line for more targets than usual. And since Robinson is not exactly a deep ball threat, target volume will be crucial for his production.

On the flip side, there is some cause for caution. Despite playing 90 percent of the snaps, the Rams are increasingly utilizing him as a blocker. Still, with Kupp likely out this week, the game plan should change for the Rams.

We see him being WR1 for the Rams in Week 9, and we expect him to cop over 60 yards and grab another touchdown.

3. Darrell Henderson Jr. struggles once more

Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. ran the ball four times for 16 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards in their defeat last Sunday.

Keep in mind that he played in Week 8 despite not being 100 percent. Shortly before kickoff, reporters covering the Rams began claiming that undrafted rookie Ronnie Rivers was taking first-team reps and would start.

Rivers did start in Week 8, and while Henderson saw more action, he only played 41 percent of the snaps against the 49ers. Malcolm Brown also out-carried Henderson.

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These are ominous signs for the veteran running back. We see him struggling again in Week 9 and playing behind Rivers anew. Heck, he may even play behind Cam Akers, who wasn't traded earlier this week. In fact, we find it hard to imagine him going over 30 yards from scrimmage against the Buccaneers.

2. Matthew Stafford does a little bit better in Week 9

In his second meeting with the 49ers this season, Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 22-of-33 pass attempts for 187 yards and a score. He also ran for a 1-yard touchdown.

The running touchdown was actually pretty nice to see since Stafford isn't known as a rushing QB. Another plus was that Stafford didn't turn the game over, but having just one passing touchdown just isn't really enough.

Against the Buccaneers here, it's very difficult to see him having a huge game on the road. Take note that Tampa Bay allows just 194 air yards per game so far this season. And with Kupp likely out, Stafford would have to look elsewhere for long-tom connections. As things stand, Rams fans better get ready for a messy performance.

Still, Stafford shouldn't do worse than how he did last week. We have him going over 220 yards with two passing touchdowns here against the Bucs.

1. Rams continue dominance over the Buccaneers

We see this as possibly a low-scoring affair. We also see the Rams still having a bit of an edge against an uncharacteristically inconsistent Tampa Bay side. Let's not forget that Sean McVay's team is still fourth in the NFL with a 45.5 percent third-down conversion rate. They also have the 13th-best total DVOA rating.

This means that for the Buccaneers to win, they have to get contributions from not just Tom Brady but mostly everyone. That's a tall ask for a team on a five-game slide.

Meanwhile, the Rams are also 8-1 versus the Buccaneers in their previous nine games. Brady is also winless against the Rams as the Buccaneers' quarterback.

This isn't going to be a high-scoring shootout. It might be an ugly slog, but we're picking the Rams to win in Tampa Bay.