The Bengals opted for Chase rather than an offensive lineman, which would have given their franchise quarterback greater protection.Īlthough Cincinnati still have one of the NFL's most porous offensive lines, Burrow became the first quarterback to reach the Super Bowl after leading the league in times sacked (51). Unlike the Rams, Cincinnati used the draft to turn around their fortunes in the past couple of years, selecting Burrow with the first pick in 2020 and receiver Ja'Marr Chase, his former college team-mate, with the fifth pick in 2021. Donald and the Rams' defence piled the pressure on Burrow in the second half Burrow suffers from Bengals' Achilles heel The three-time Defensive Player of the Year finished with eight pressures, including two sacks. Stafford found Kupp five times on the drive, capped by his third touchdown pass, to put the Rams back in front and finish with 283 passing yards.ĭefensive tackle Aaron Donald then made a tackle to stop the Bengals getting a first down before forcing quarterback Joe Burrow to throw the ball away under pressure on fourth and one. With the Super Bowl on the line, the 34-year-old relied on the man he helped to secure the receiving triple crown of most catches, yards and touchdowns in the regular season. LA eked out a field goal and, with 6mins 13secs on the clock, Stafford knew this was the time to show the Rams were right to trade Jared Goff and three draft picks for him last March. The receiver did not return to the game and, after the Bengals went 20-13 up early in the third quarter, the defences took charge. Van Jefferson's wife leaves Super Bowl to give birth.The Bengals hit straight back to make it 13-10, but on the Rams' next possession Beckham dropped a catch and immediately clutched his left knee. Stafford tied for a career-high 41 touchdowns in the regular season before claiming his first play-off win - in his 186th NFL game - while Beckham scored his first play-off touchdown.īeckham's second opened the scoring on the Rams' second possession of Super Bowl 56, before Stafford made an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kupp to give them a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter. Stafford and Beckham, in particular, have enjoyed a new lease of life in LA after being starved of success with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants respectively. The Rams gave up significant draft capital to bring in Stafford, linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, while Odell Beckham Jr was picked up as a free agent in November. Cooper Kupp (left) finished the 2021 season with 178 catches, 2,425 yards and 22 touchdowns from 21 games Stafford relies on go-to man Kupp The gamble paid off as they not only reached their fifth Super Bowl but delivered a Hollywood ending. Victory also vindicated their decision to return to Los Angeles from St Louis six years ago.Īlthough they reached the NFL's championship game at the end of their third season back in California, losing to the New England Patriots, they then traded away a flurry of future draft picks to rebuild their squad.īuilt at a cost of $5bn (£3.7bn) by Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, the SoFi Stadium earned the right to stage the first Super Bowl in the LA region since 1993 and the Rams went all in to ensure they were part of the big show. With the game taking place at SoFi Stadium, the Rams are only the second team to win a Super Bowl in their own stadium after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers achieved the feat last year. The wide receiver, 28, was named the game's Most Valuable Player, adding to the Offensive Player of the Year award he won last week. With just one minute 25 seconds left, Cooper Kupp scored his second touchdown to give the Rams a second NFL title. But the Rams' star-studded roster produced when it mattered most, with quarterback Matthew Stafford leading a game-winning 15-play drive.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |