This is what the Los Angeles Rams had in mind when they mortgaged future draft picks for Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller and, of course, Matthew Stafford. The franchise is currently one win away from its second-ever Super Bowl title and first on the West Coast.
It’s an impressive rise for a team reduced to starting John Wolford in a playoff game a year earlier. The Rams opened as a 4.5-point favorite, per Tipico Sportsbook, for a a Super Bowl 56 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals that will take place at their home field in Inglewood, CA.
Los Angeles’ all-in approach was prosperous, but it won’t matter if the only banner raised at SoFi Stadium is merely a conference title. The Rams have to derail a Bengals team that’s punched above its weight class to unseat the Chiefs and claim the AFC side of the biggest game of the season. Cincinnati won’t be swayed by a big moment or being an underdog on the road against a dynamite passing offense. LA coach Sean McVay is going to have to devise his best gameplan of the season to handle them.
Here’s where he should start.