Category: Super Bowl LVI

How the Rams set the Bengals up for failure on Super Bowl LVI’s most important drive

Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick shows how the Rams used run looks to pass against the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI’s most important drive.

The Los Angeles Rams had three healthy running backs who were ready to set the pace in Super Bowl LVI. That did not happen. Cam Akers rushed for 21 yards on 13 carries, Darrell Henderson only carried the ball four times for seven yards, and Sony Michel picked up only 2 yards on two carries. In total, the backfield had 19 carries and only gained 30 yards.

With all this said, as the clock continued to tick, the Rams still refused to abandon the run. Many were asking why.

Across Twitter, analysts were asking why the Rams continued to run it up the middle, gaining few to no yards.

The Rams stuck with it because the tight formations forced the Bengals to stay within the hashemarks. Since the defense was getting behind the line of scrimmage, clogging the middle and dominating the run; the Rams had one drive at the end of the game to exploit the Bengals pursuit and they did.

Let’s check out each play in that drive to see how the Rams reached the red zone…

In the fourth quarter, in order to set up that last drive, the Rams kept their tight end lined up outside the offensive tackle as a blocker selling the run.

The Rams noticed that when they would run play-action off this look, the Bengals defense would drop into zone.

So, when the last drive started, the Rams knew they would continue to run the ball and then once they decided to pass, it was just a matter of finding who was open.

On the very next play after the run, from the same look, Kupp motions and then takes a jet sweep with only one guy on the outside to beat. (clip below)

 

Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton stayed in his zone as Kupp motions. Kupp knew he was getting picked up by no. 24 on the other side, so just as long as he followed his blocks, he would have a chance to beat his guy in open space.

The Rams kept the up-tempo and tight formation to keep the Bengals at the line of scrimmage. As they continued to call run plays condensing the defense, the Rams then spread the field wide.

Once the Rams knew that the Bengals would drop into zone keeping an eye on the flat, Stafford only had to find the gaps in the middle of the field and identify mismatches.

With the Rams’ up-tempo offense, the Bengals had no time to adjust.

On the next play, a linebacker was across from Kupp and even though Van Jefferson runs a perfect route in that open zone, Stafford goes to his number one receiver, Kupp, who is mismatched against a linebacker in the slot.

On the new set of downs, the Rams used the run to first condense the Bengals defense, then spread them wide (putting a guy in the flat), in order to exploit the middle of the field as shown above. They continued the plan for the entire drive.

On very next play after the run, using that same look, the slot runs a seam route, and the Rams get a running back into the flat.

As you can see, Stafford is still seeing the middle of the field wide open in between the Bengals zone. This sets up the throw of the game.

As Kupp is lined up on the outside, the Rams run a Hi-Lo concept, so if the corner creeps inside and takes away Kupp, the underneath would still be open.

Stafford does an amazing job to look off the safety in the middle of the field putting the ball right on the money giving the Rams a new set of downs.

After six straight throws by Stafford, the Rams come out in a spread look, and instead of throwing it, they go back to the ground game leading to their most effective run of day; giving them a new set of downs with less than two minutes left in the game.

We all know what happened next. Kupp took over with underneath routes to get inside the end zone.

In the end, the Rams offense had to switch up their entire game plan in the fourth quarter. They knew the Bengals were honoring the run, so they took those tight looks, disguised the ground game and took advantage of the Bengals’ zone defense. Once the Rams found the openings in the secondary, the Bengals simply didn’t have the time to adjust.

Kupp ended up getting the mismatches the Rams needed to get inside the red zone, take the lead, and become Super Bowl champions.

Why Matthew Stafford’s no-look pass to Cooper Kupp was a Hall of Fame play

Is Matthew Stafford a Hall-of-Famer after the Rams’ win in Super Bowl LVI? Hard to say, but one throw to Cooper Kupp was Canton-worthy.

[mm-video type=video id=01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k/01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k-7ed793f619a03117089a996c14909562.jpg]

The debate is rolling thick and fast right now as to whether Matthew Stafford is a Hall-of-Famer after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI. It’s a discussion I’d rather table until Stafford does a few more things in his estimable career (or not), but I have no doubt that when his team needed him the most to do something incredible against the Bengals’ defense in the fourth quarter of that game, Stafford came through with a ridiculous throw that should be in Canton (in some form or fashion) right now.

There’s already a decent library of ungodly Super Bowl throws, but it’s hard to to any better than this. With 3:06 left in the game, and the Bengals up 20-16, the Rams had second-and-7 from the Cincinnati 46-yard line. Stafford needed Kupp on this play, and he made that clear before it happened.

“Nice job digging in on that cheese,” Stafford told Kupp after the drive ended in Los Angeles’ game-winning touchdown. “Might be the best no-looker we got all year.”

It’s hard to argue that point. Even Patrick Mahomes, the current master of the off-platform, no-look pass, was impressed.

The dots show the conflict Cincinnati’s defense was in on that side, with Kupp heading over intermediate coverage, and tight end Brycen Hopkins taking the sit route underneath.

The overhead view shows the Bengals in Cover-3, with safety Von Bell as the robber underneath. After the game, Kupp brought up the fact that the Rams’ frequent use of no-huddle in that last drive forced the Bengals to stay in zone coverage — then, it was up to Kupp to find the gaps in those zones.

“[Head coach] Sean [McVay] did a great job — we were in a hurry-up in that last drive to keep them from setting some rushes, but also to keep them in zone calls, where you can put some pressure on them, and get some calls they feel comfortable playing,” Kupp said. “Zone some stuff off, and allow Matthew and I to find soft spots in there.”

On that play, though, Kupp was as surprised as anybody.

From the end zone view, you can see the extemporaneous nature of the throw and catch far more clearly.

The view Mahomes reacted to shows just how nuts it really was. If Bell doesn’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe — if he stays up top to react — he’s got at least a deflection, if not a game-deciding interception. Stafford had to have stones the size of two mansions to even attempt that throw into such tight coverage. He’d already thrown two interceptions in the Super Bowl, and he led the league with 20 picks thrown in the regular and postseason combined. We were a few Von Bell steps away from an entirely different discussion regarding Stafford’s legacy. But Stafford’s ability to move defenders with his eyes and his specific location, and his faith in Kupp, won the day.

“Yeah, they were playing a tough coverage for the play, to be honest with you,” Stafford said from Disneyland after the fact, sitting next to Kupp and Aaron Donald. “They had a safety [Bell] inserting into the right spot, and I just tried to move him enough to give Coop a chance to get behind him — move him with my eyes and my body, and was able to get it done. Great job by Cooper, trusting me there. I’m going to put it in a good spot, and he went in there and caught it, and made a big play.”

As ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky (Stafford’s teammate in Detroit in 2015, and the Lions’ primary quarterback in 2008, the year before Stafford was drafted first overall) pointed out in his own breakdown of the play, Stafford did a brilliant job of putting Bell on a string, and leading Bell where he needed Bell to go.

There are players who are able to make the biggest and best plays in the most important situations of their professional lives. We always wondered if Matthew Stafford would become such a player. Now, there is no doubt. When the Rams needed him most, Stafford came through with the gutsiest, almost stupidest, and in the end, most impactful throw he’s made in his 13-year career.

Whether that gets Stafford himself into Canton is a separate discussion, but the throw was Canton-worthy from the second it was completed.

4-Down Territory: Rams’ Dream Team, Bengals’ fixes, Aaron Donald’s legacy, worst-to-first?

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling review Super Bowl LVI, and posit which team could be the NFL’s next worst-to-first.

Each week in “4-Down Territory,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire, take on the NFL’s (and occasionally the NCAA’s) most pressing topics. In this week’s episode, our fearless experts get into why the Rams’ Dream Team plan actually worked, how likely it is that the Bengals get back to the Super Bowl, which other NFL team could mirror Cincinnati’s worst-to-first path, and what Aaron Donald’s legacy is if he actually retires.

You can watch the video right here:

[mm-video type=video id=01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k/01fvz35p3t7as7sk729k-7ed793f619a03117089a996c14909562.jpg]

Super Bowl 56 TV ratings rise for Rams’ victory over Bengals

Super Bowl 56 delivered super ratings for NBC

The numbers are coming in and Super Bowl 56 was a TV bonanza for NBC and the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at SoFi Stadium, 23-20.

The game saw the numbers rebound from a year previous when NBC also had the contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Per The Hollywood Reporter:

The broadcast averaged 99.18 million viewers on NBC and an additional 1.91 million on Telemundo for an over-the-air tally of 101.09 million viewers. Multi-platform figures, including streaming on Peacock and other digital outlets, are still to come and are likely to add several million more viewers to the total.

The 99.18 million viewers for the NBC telecast is an 8 percent improvement over last year’s game, which brought in 91.63 million viewers on CBS and 96.4 million across all platforms (which may be an undercount due to Nielsen issues at the time). Super Bowl LV drew the smallest audience for the game since 2007.

Just your everyday conversation between Eminem and Al Michaels

The greats, Al Michaels and Eminem, were complimenting each other’s work

Super Bowl 56 has come and gone. The memories will last.

The day after we got another one as video surfaced of Eminem, one of the halftime performers, chatting it up with legendary broadcaster Al Michaels.

There is no generation gap between people who are icons in their respective industries.

“You’re the best in show,” Michaels told the rapper, in a video posted to Instagram.

“You’re the GOAT [greatest of all-time],” Eminem reciprocated. “I’m telling you, I was telling your wife — since I was a little kid, all the way until now, I watch (bad) games when you’re doing them, just because, right?”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZ9GEp9g5go/

And another sports, um, Giant, weighs in on halftime.

From a failed fourth down to Aaron Donald’s last stand: Every important play in Super Bowl LVI

Super Bowl LVI was a back-and-forth thriller, and here’s every important play in the game in chronological order.

The 2021 NFL season was the longest ever, and perhaps improbably, it also gave us perhaps the greatest postseason we’ve ever season. Game after game was decided in nail-biting fashion, and Super Bowl LVI was no exception.

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, but it was never a sure thing until the end. The Rams shot out to a 13-3 lead, watched Joe Burrow and the Bengals mount comeback after comeback, got their defense together at the best possible time, and in  the end, Cincinnati’s Achilles heel — an offensive line that could probably get blasted by a good SEC defensive front — turned things in L.A.’s favor.

It’s always good to look back at close games like this to see when and how things turned, especially when there were so many twists and turns. With that in mind, here are, in chronological order, all the truly important plays in Super Bowl LVI.

Rams radio voice delivers on Cooper Kupp’s game-winning TD grab

The Rams’ radio call of the game-winning touchdown

It was a 1-yard pass but it was one for the ages as Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp with a back-shoulder throw with 89 seconds left in Super Bowl 56 and the Los Angeles Rams went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams’ radio play-by-play voice delivered: “Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown!”

 

A Triple Crown season and an MVP Super Bowl performance by the classy Super Cooper Kupp.

Super Cooper Kupp grab gives Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl 56 victory

Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl champs

The Los Angeles Rams lost Odell Beckham Jr. to a knee injury. The pressure then all went to Triple Crown winner Cooper Kupp.

The 2021 Triple Crown winner caught a 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford with 1:29 left in Super Bowl LVI Sunday at SoFi Stadium to give the Rams a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The victory was the Los Angeles Rams’ first Super Bowl triumph. The franchise had previously won a Super Bowl as the St. Louis Rams.

The pass from Stafford to Kupp capped a 15-play, 79-yard drive that ate up almost 5 minutes.

Earlier, it appeared as if Kupp had caught a TD pass but it was nullified by penalties on both teams on the play.

The Bengals’ final drive ended when Aaron Donald nearly sacked Joe Burrow and forced a wild throw that Semaje Perine could not grab for a first down.

Kupp had 8 catches for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Watch: Full Super Bowl 56 halftime show starring rap, hip-hop legends

Enjoy the legends of rap and hip-hop as they stunned at halftime of Super Bowl 56

The halftime show of Super Bowl 56 provided tons of entertainment for those at SoFi Stadium and the viewing audience at home.

The stage was amazing. The choreography was stunning. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Eminem lit it up.

You can check the performance out on the video below.

Super Bowl 56 Halftime Show a powerhouse production and performance

The Super Bowl LVI halftime show hit all the right notes.

The Super Bowl 56 halftime show brought together the legends of rap and hip-hop on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem delivered a huge performance on the biggest sports stage.

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg kicked off the halftime show.

They were followed by 50 Cent.

Then Mary J. Blige took the stage and dazzled. Kendrick Lamar appeared in a series of boxes that read Dre Day.

Dancers had sashes that also read Dre Day in green lettering.

And then, Eminem made an explosive entrance.

Eminem performed and Dr. Dre headed over to the piano, as the show brought Snoop Dogg pack into the performance.

Dr. Dre and Snoop then performed together.

All the performers joined together on the stunning stage.

How impressive was the lineup? Bengals rookie kicker remained on the sideline during the performance to take in all the highlights.