The Super Bowl is finally here, and we have a shocking matchup. Despite turnover issues and key injuries to offensive weapons, the Los Angeles Rams overcame the toughest division in the NFL and won the NFC. That alone would be surprising, but the real marvel is the Bengals in the AFC.
Two years ago, the Bengals had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Last year, they had the fifth overall pick and a quarterback coming off of a gruesome knee injury. This year, they are in the Super Bowl.
This type of jump is unheard of, but the job is not done. The Bengals didn’t have their eyes set on a Super Bowl appearance. They want to win it all.
The Bengals have +180 odds to beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, but they’ve been underdogs all year. Can they piece it all together one last time? Here are their keys to upsetting the Rams.
Sunday, February 13, 2022 – 06:30 PM EST at SoFi Stadium
This is one of the worst matchups imaginable for the Bengals. The offensive interior is garbage in Cincinnati, and it has hurt them in every game. The Bengals barely beat the Titans because Burrow was sacked more than many thought possible.
What makes this matchup terrible is that the Rams have the best defensive tackle in the NFL. Aaron Donald is one of the best defensive players in the history of football, and he is poised to attack a specific weakness.
The Bengals can’t plan to stop Donald. However, they can do things that will minimize his impact. They can double-team him on every play. Some plays may require him to be triple-teamed. They can bring in extra blockers for max protection.
These things will help, but it will ultimately come down to execution by the interior linemen. If they can buy Joe Burrow enough time, he will make the most of it. If they expect him to run for his life and also make elite throws, they will lose.
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We saw this last year with Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. The best quarterback of this generation couldn’t overcome poor offensive line play in the biggest game of his career. Don’t ask Joe Burrow to do that.
The Rams have two elite receivers despite losing Robert Woods to an injury. Cooper Kupp has had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, but the emergence of OBJ has taken the offense to another level in the postseason.
Adding Beckham Jr. is why the Rams are in the Super Bowl. His impact is that important to this passing attack. He can separate, and his catch radius is useful for a risky quarterback like Matthew Stafford. Stafford likes to throw 50-50 balls, and OBJ can catch them.
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Cooper Kupp is going to dominate in this game. That is a key for the Rams, and you can expect it to happen. The real question is if the Bengals can make him the only target in the offense. He might cook you once or twice, but focusing too much on him will give OBJ the space necessary to torch you himself.
There’s no perfect way to stop this offense, but you can’t let both Kupp and OBJ have career days. You have to take one of those threats away, and it’s more realistic to take away the WR2.
This is the biggest pet peeve of the Bengals offense. Every team has talent gaps, and flaws are expected with a roster as young as Cincinnati’s. However, there is no excuse for terrible playcalling.
The Bengals need to stop running the ball on first down. The rushing attack is not a specific strength for this team, and it won’t help if you run on first down.
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All this does is force you into passing situations for the rest of the series. If you throw on first down, you have options on second down. A second-and-long means you almost have to throw the ball.
Analytics suggest to throw the ball when you have a lot of yards to gain. You can throw a couple of runs to keep the defense honest, but this strategy is bad for the Bengals, and they need to put the ball in Joe Burrow’s hands-on first down if they want to be the right NFL pick in this game.