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Rams' wild Super Bowl victory over Bengals completes bold, all-in plan
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- Rams' wild Super Bowl victory over Bengals completes bold, all-in plan
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams ' 2021 season, which essentially took on a Super Bowl-or-bust theme, received its Hollywood ending Sunday night as Sean McVay and his team overcame a series of potentially crippling twists and turns to pull off a 23-20 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Bengals .
In doing so, the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in their own stadium – becoming the second team to do so in as many years – a feat that brought both relief and redemption to one of the most star-studded teams in the league.
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Throughout the buildup to Super Bowl 56, McVay repeated a simple yet challenging message to his team.
"Stay in the moment," the coach said again and again.
Back in the Super Bowl three years after an embarrassing championship loss to the New England Patriots to cap the 2018 season, McVay knew all too well how negatively pressure can impact players -- and even coaches -- and force them into uncharacteristic mistakes.
MORE: Sean McVay becomes youngest NFL coach to win Super Bowl as Rams beat Bengals
SUPER BOWL TAKEAWYS: Cooper Kupp comes through in the clutch, Rams put pressure on Joe Burrow
So, faced with a shot at redemption this week, McVay cautioned his players not to let the magnitude of the challenge overwhelm them. He stressed that they couldn't press if faced with adversity, but that they would need to remain disciplined and rely on what had got them to this point.
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Despite a harrowing second quarter, which featured the game-ending injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. , and a sputtering third quarter, the Rams managed to do exactly what McVay preached.
And in the end, it was the biggest stars who came through for the Rams as Cooper Kupp , who finished as Super Bowl MVP after hauling in eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, woke from a quiet second half to bail Matthew Stafford out with one clutch catch after another in the final five minutes of play. Then Aaron Donald , the longtime anchor of the defense, single-handedly crushed Joe Burrow and the Bengals' hopes for a comeback with a monstrous sack with seconds remaining in regulation.
Mission accomplished.
After one aggressive gamble after another -- shipping off premium draft picks for big name stars -- the Rams finally got their championship and strengthened their claim on a fan base they have looked to lock down since moving to Los Angeles in 2016.
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It wasn't pretty though.
The Rams had orchestrated an impressive start to the game with touchdown drives capped by Stafford touchdown passes to Jr. and then Kupp, the latter of which gave them a 13-3 lead over Cincinnati just minutes into the second quarter.
"I just don't feel deserving of this," Kupp said. "I'm just so thankful for the guys I get to be around, for the coaches, for my family. I just don't have words, I'm just so thankful for everyone, everyone that's been in my life and has encouraged me, has pushed me, has been there for me every step of the way."
But the Bengals didn't flinch.
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Five different times this season (three times in the regular season, twice in the postseason), Burrow directed either a fourth-quarter comeback or game-winning drive. The most recent came in the AFC championship game when the Bengals rallied after falling in a 21-3 hole and clawed all the way back to beat Super Bowl favorite Kansas City 27-24 in overtime.
So what was one more comeback against a heavily favored opponent?
It's said that teams take on the persona of their strongest leader. And the cool, unflinching, and even gutsy, demeanors of both Burrow and coach Zac Taylor could be seen as the Bengals methodically put together an impressive drive that was capped by trickery -- a pass from running back Joe Mixon to wide receiver Tee Higgins to pull within 13-10, and then the momentum completely shifted the Bengals' direction thanks to a series of unfortunate events for the Rams.
First, Beckham went down clutching his knee after trying in vain to adjust to a pass thrown behind him. Beckham, whose presence not only gave L.A. another top-flight playmaker but also eased pressure on Kupp, did not return to the game.
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Then, five plays after Beckham's exit, Stafford underthrew a pass intended for Van Jefferson in the end zone, and Cincinnati's Jessie Bates III picked it off. Halftime did nothing to reverse the wave as Burrow connected with Higgins on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the third quarter, and Stafford promptly threw another interception -- this time off of the hands of wide receiver Ben Skowronek and into the clutches of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, which set up a 38-yard Evan McPherson field goal. Later in the quarter, the Rams tried to create a spark with a reverse-pass from Kupp to Stafford, but the receiver's toss sailed high and over the head of his quarterback, and the Rams had to settle for a 41-yard Matt Gay field goal that only cut the score to 20-16.
The Rams can thank their lucky stars that they have such a talented defense, because the unit anchored by Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd harassed Burrow throughout the second half, holding the Bengals in check and essentially keeping their team in the game. Burrow was sacked seven times on the night, with two each by Donald and Miller.
But as the clock began to become a factor, pressure mounted on McVay's offense.
When the game reached its most crucial points, the Rams went to their bread and butter: Stafford to Kupp, Stafford to Kupp, Stafford to Kupp again including for the game-winning touchdown -- and then Donald slammed the door with the sack of Burrow, and strutted up the field, pointing to his ring finger.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl win over Bengals completes bold plan
