Football games aren’t won on paper, obviously, and the Bengals have been defying odds all year long.
Still, it’s impossible to avoid this much as we head into Super Bowl LVI: The Rams have an advantage in almost every part of the game that matters.
Their defense is anchored by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, two of the best players of their generation.
Sean McVay’s always efficient offense has been re-wired to become even more dynamic thanks to Matthew Stafford’s arm.
Oh, and the Rams are playing at their home stadium, too.
The Bengals keep finding a way to do the inexplicable — like stopping Patrick Mahomes after he torched them in the first half of the AFC Championship game, or win a game in which Joe Burrow is sacked nine times — but their final test is daunting.
At least on paper.
When the Bengals pass
Cincinnati Enquirer
The Bengals are headed to the Super Bowl thanks in large part to their newly found franchise quarterback Joe Burrow and rookie superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase, who played with Burrow at LSU when they won the national championship in 2019, caught 81 passes for 1455 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first season as a pro and made the All-Pro team. Chase leads an unusually strong wide receiver trio featuring himself, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Higgins also had over 1000 yards this year. The offensive line has been pretty shaky, especially in the postseason, but Burrow and his talented cast of receivers have been able to overcome the pressure their offensive line allows.
Avoiding Aaron Donald and Von Miller will be tough, but the Bengals are equipped to create offense and big plays under pressure.
EDGE: Rams
When the Rams pass
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Stafford has been a godsend for the Rams this season. He’s given them a physical presence that Jared Goff didn’t have, opening up their playbook and allowing the Rams to be a more balanced passing game. Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham are probably the best wide receiver duo in the league right now and the Rams are solid up front with stud tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein on the edge.
This Rams passing game isn’t as reliant on play action as teams in the past were and it’s made them a more dangerous offense in key moments.
The Bengals passing defense may not have many big names outside of safety Jessie Bates, but they play very well together and shut down the Chiefs offense in the second half of the AFC Championship game.
EDGE: Rams
When the Bengals run
Cincinnati Enquirer
Despite having one of the better running backs in the NFL in Joe Mixon, the Bengals had a fairly inconsistent running game during the season. A lot of this was due to the poor play of their offensive line, which hasn’t gotten much better in the playoffs. Still, Mixon and backup running back Samaje Perine have the capability to create big plays and make defenders miss in the open field when they get a crease. The Bengals running game isn’t good, but they do have their moments where they can be functional and be a source of explosive plays.
Getting past the Rams defensive line won’t be easy, but if Mixon and Perine can get past the frontline, the Rams have an exploitable group of linebackers.
EDGE: Rams
When the Rams run
(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Rams running back Cam Akers has been one of the biggest stories of the postseason. Just six months after tearing his Achilles heel, Akers is back on the field and giving the Rams a steady, explosive presence in the backfield. He teams up with Sony Michel, who started seven games in his first year with the Rams. The Rams ranked 24th in the NFL in yards per attempt (4.0), but they still do have talented players that function in this running game.
The Bengals run defense just got shredded by the Chiefs, so this might be an area where the Rams can rip off big chunks of yards.
EDGE: Rams
Special teams
Cincinnati Enquirer
Bengals
The Bengals special teams have been led by rookie kicker Evan McPherson, who they took in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. McPherson has been crucial during their run to the Super Bowl, hitting two game winning field goals in the Divisional Round and AFC Championship game. McPherson made 84.8% of his kicks this season and has yet to miss in the playoffs.
Rams
Matt Gay has been great for the Rams this year. The third-year kicker made 94.1% of his kicks in the regular season and has had a couple clutch kicks for the Rams en route to this Super Bowl berth.
EDGE: Bengals
Coaching
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Bengals
The Bengals are led by Zac Taylor, who isn’t always a game-day advantage for Cincinnati. Taylor has had issues managing the clock in crucial situations, but his players have bailed him out more times than not. Still, Taylor is overseeing one of the most efficient passing offenses in the league with a host of young playmakers. He deserves some credit for that and he’s been at the top of an organization that went from 2-14 to a Super Bowl berth in two seasons.
Rams
Sean McVay is reaching the second Super Bowl of his short head coaching career, leading an incredibly talented group of players into their SoFi stadium. Zac Taylor used to be the quarterbacks coach with McVay prior to being the head coach in Cincinnati.
EDGE: Rams
Venue
(AP Photo/Morry Gash) ORG XMIT: CAMG
The Super Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. That gives the Rams a home game for the Super Bowl, following up the Buccaneers who accomplished that feat a year ago.
EDGE: Rams
Who's hot
. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
No one is hotter than Joe Burrow and the Bengals right now. Their offense isn’t always clean due to youth and offensive line problems, but they are completely electric when all things are clicking. Ja’Marr Chase has a knack for knifing through defenses for long yards and he’s been great for the Bengals in clutch moments when they need a big play. This is the one of the most talented groups of offensive players in the league and just about all of them are on their rookie contracts. This is a passing of the torch toward a new era of NFL stardom.
The Rams wide receivers are also playing incredible football as of late. Odell Beckham and Cooper Kupp both had over 100 yards in the NFC Championship game. Stafford, Beckham and Kupp all look incredibly comfortable with each other now, which should be expected since Beckham has actually had time to get connected with his teammates and the offense.
Who's not
Cincinnati Enquirer
The Bengals offensive line is absolutely not hot right now. They’ve allowed a lot of defensive linemen to look like Pro Bowlers in the playoffs, but luckily Burrow was able to bail them out of a handful of sacks against the Chiefs. They’ll need one last heroic effort from Burrow to get past a strong defensive line in the Super Bowl.
The Rams could also stand to get a little more juice out of their run blocking, but they’re not in as bad of a spot as the Bengals.
Why the Bengals can win
Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports
This may sound simple, but the Bengals can win the Super Bowl because they can score. It’s too hard to hold down Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Mixon and Boyd for too long — even for good defenses. All of those players have the ability to create offense without the help of their teammates and Burrow can be a big play machine when the offensive line breaks down. If the Bengals pull this thing off, it’ll be on the backs of their young offensive core.
Why the Rams can win
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY
The Rams can win the Super Bowl if their defensive line dominates a matchup that is heavily slanted towards them on paper. The Bengals offensive line is bad, bad, bad. Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd should be able to turn up the heat and make life difficult for Joe Burrow and the Bengals. If their three stars can beat up a bad offensive line, that will greatly tilt the odds in favor of the Rams.
Prediction
(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
The Bengals have been 2021’s team of destiny, but getting past a Rams roster that’s perfectly fine-tuned to beat them will be tough. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are good. Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey is a collection of Hall of Fame talent that can slow down the upstart Bengals.
Rams, 27-20
