Tremendous Bowl LVI wouldn’t’ve felt whole with out a minimum of one Matt Stafford to Cooper Kupp landing. Finally, the pair lit up the NFL on a weekly foundation in Stafford’s first 12 months with the Los Angeles Rams.
Their storybook season was once capped with a dramatic championship win Sunday of their house stadium over the Cincinnati Bengals and Kupp was once named the sport’s MVP after catching a couple of touchdowns from Stafford, who was once bought 365 days in the past in a blockbuster business with the Detroit Lions.
Suffice it to mention his quick chemistry with Kupp made his transition to Hollywood a relative breeze.
Kupp gained the receiving triple crown within the common season, was once named the league’s offensive participant of the 12 months, and stuck 25 of 32 goals for 386 yards and 4 touchdowns because the Rams took down the Arizona Cardinals, the protecting champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers previous within the playoffs.
The 28-year-old unanimous All-Professional completed Sunday with a team-high 8 catches, 10 goals, 92 yards and two touchdowns. His scoring performs will likely be replayed for future years however Kupp’s statline doesn’t replicate simply how grasp he was once past due for the Rams.
Kupp rushed for a a very powerful first down on a 4th & 1, compelled a number of key consequences and stuck 4 passes for 39 yards plus the game-winning landing on L.A.’s ultimate pressure on my own.
The Bengals’ defensive unit was once relentless in opposition to the run, proscribing L.A.’s 3 working backs to simply 30 yards on 19 blended carries and that good fortune restricted play-action alternatives. General, the secondary made Stafford’s task tough and disguised protection smartly. They picked him off two times however on the finish of the day there’s best such a lot they might do to restrict a participant who simply finished one of the vital all-time nice WR seasons.
What increased Kupp’s Tremendous Bowl LVI efficiency from memorable to MVP-calibre was once the reality he stepped up and changed into simpler after Odell Beckham Jr., left the sport past due in the second one quarter with a non-contact knee damage – the similar left knee Beckham required surgical operation on when he tore his ACL in 2020 with the Cleveland Browns in a sport in opposition to the Bengals.
Beckham was once signed via L.A. in November after an unpleasant break up with Cleveland and had after all carved out a key position on this Rams offence. OBJ had 19 catches on 23 goals for 236 yards and one rating within the playoffs and ahead of his damage had two catches for 52 yards and stuck the sport’s first landing.
Any individual observing the sport may sense in an instant the deflating impact his damage briefly had at the Rams. They to begin with appeared discombobulated with out Beckham. Stafford had finished 10-of-12 passes to that time however after Beckham went down he ignored two of his subsequent 4 passes and threw an end-zone interception to Jesse Bates III.
Between no Beckham, and the reality tight finish Tyler Higbee was once put on injured reserve, there was once much more drive on Kupp to step up within the 3rd and fourth quarters and he did precisely that.
Improbably, Sunday’s sport marked the second one consecutive 12 months by which a group gained the Tremendous Bowl of their house stadium. It was once additionally some other 12 months that noticed the league’s oldest participant hoist the Lombardi Trophy, best this time it was once somebody instead of Tom Brady. Rams chief Andrew Whitworth, the primary 40-year-old in NFL historical past to be a beginning left take on, spent the primary 11 years of his NFL profession with the Bengals.
DID BLATANT MISSED PENALTY LEAD TO MAKEUP CALL?
The momentum had already began moving in favour of the Bengals ahead of halftime with the Beckham damage. Then, quarterback Joe Burrow went backyard to Tee Higgins at the first play from scrimmage within the 3rd quarter. Higgins didn’t burn Jalen Ramsey in protection, even though, and Ramsey was once noticed having a look to the officers as Higgins crossed the target line. That’s for the reason that replay confirmed Higgins obviously grew to become Ramsey round via grabbing his facemask because the ball was once in flight.
Facemask? Offensive cross interference? It was once a ignored name undeniable and easy.
That play weighed closely at the consequence because the fourth quarter wound down and tensions rose with each and every snap in a one-score sport.
Stafford led a Rams pressure that began at their very own 21 and after the two-minute caution it was once 3rd and target with the ball at Cincinnati’s eight-yard-line. The Bengals have been two performs clear of successful however a flag for defensive protecting was once known as on Logan Wilson after the linebacker apparently made a textbook protection play in opposition to Kupp.
Former VP of NFL officiating Mike Pereira mentioned after the sport he did not suppose the penalty in opposition to Wilson will have to’ve been known as.
That decision was once adopted via two extra consequences ahead of Stafford in the end discovered Kupp finally zone. The remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.
Rams lovers have transform relatively acquainted with getting those breaks within the playoffs. If you happen to have in mind, the Rams additionally benefitted from a arguable past due name (or non-call) within the 2019 NFC Championship after Nickell Robey-Coleman’s notorious non-PI name in opposition to the Saints.
After all, the grasp on Wilson isn’t the one reason why the Bengals misplaced, and Rams lovers can credibly level to the non-call at the lengthy Higgins TD and phone it a wash.
RAMS D LINE WREAKS HAVOC IN SECOND HALF
It was once the main strategic storyline heading into the sport. May just Cincy’s o-line restrict the efficacy of L.A’s d-line and, if that is so, for a way lengthy? Seems the solution was once lower than 4 quarters.
The Bengals safe Burrow relatively smartly within the opening part ahead of some changes from Rams defensive co-ordinator Raheem Morris had his gamers humming over the general half-hour.
L.A. began working extra stunts with Von Miller off the threshold. Burrow had extra to consider and not more time to make his reads. The Rams registered six in their seven sacks in the second one part. Aaron Donald and Miller each and every completed with two sacks whilst Leonard Floyd, A’Shawn Robinson and Ernest Jones added one apiece.
PODIUM-WORTHY PLAYS
In honour of the continuing Olympics, under are 3 Tremendous Bowl LVI performs worthy of a medal.
Donald’s ‘Ring me!’ collection
Cincinnati was once two first downs clear of conveniently being in field-goal vary however Donald made possibly a very powerful defensive play of the sport. It was once third & 1 close to midfield with 48 seconds ultimate in legislation when Samaje Perine took a handoff to the appropriate and sprinted ahead. Donald shed his block, grabbed the 240-pound Perine and dragged him all the way down to the bottom ahead of he reached the road to achieve. An exquisite show of energy and method even via Donald’s elite requirements.
The very subsequent play, Donald sealed the deal for his group when he swiped his manner in the course of the inner of the o-line and got here with reference to his 3rd sack of the sport when he wrapped up Burrow and compelled an incompletion on fourth down. Donald roughly singlehandedly ended that ultimate Bengals pressure and, extra importantly, didn’t permit the Bengals the chance to have rookie Evan McPhereson ship the sport to extra time.
‘Mixon’ in some trickery
Cincinnati used deception successfully on its first landing when Joe Mixon took a toss from Burrow and located Higgins finally zone. It was once simply the 5th time a non-QB has thrown a landing cross within the Tremendous Bowl and the primary since Trey Burton and Nick Foles hooked up at the Philly Particular 4 years in the past.
It was once the primary cross Mixon had tried in his five-year NFL profession. The Rams attempted to go back the favour with a trick play of their very own later within the sport and ran however Kupp couldn’t connect to Stafford.
Chase’s sprawling clutch
Ja’Marr Chase capped his remarkable rookie marketing campaign with a five-catch, 89-yard efficiency within the Tremendous Bowl. He was once held out of the tip zone however did arrange a highlight-reel one-handed clutch within the opening quarter whilst he was once being protecting carefully via Jalen Ramsey.
Completely RIDICULOUS to be doing this within the Tremendous Bowl as a rookie. @Real10Jayy__
: #SBLVI on NBC
: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu percent.twitter.com/eWToObhl2E— NFL (@NFL) February 14, 2022
MISSED EXTRA POINT IMPACTS BETTING MARKET
The anthem duration went over, the coin toss landed on heads, and Sean McVay was once doused with blue Gatorade. There was once no scarcity of bets to make at the giant sport however Tremendous Bowl LVI bettors most probably had one particular play in thoughts when all was once mentioned and carried out – gripes referring to more than a few calls or non-calls however.
A botched grasp from Johnny Hekker at the further level strive following the Rams’ 2nd landing very much impacted the unfold, which most commonly toggled between Rams -3.5 and Rams -4.0 all week. Relying on the place and while you wager the road, that ignored level both grew to become a win right into a loss or push or vice versa.
The sport completed below its 48.5-point general. That is unquestionably in step with how the Bengals performed this season. With the Bengals protecting they ended up 9-3 in opposition to the unfold as an underdog this season and 7-1 ATS particularly as a street underdog. Unders went 9-3 this season when Bengals have been the underdog, together with within the Tremendous Bowl.
