KEYS TO THE GAME
With yet another team playing the Super Bowl in its home stadium, the edge would seem to go to the Rams when they take on the Bengals at Sofi Stadium. Or not. Here are some keys to the big game that fans should keep an eye on:
COACHING CONNECTION
Sean Mcvay and Zac Taylor have few secrets. They know each other too well.
Mcvay, finishing his fifth season as Rams coach, hired Taylor in 2017 when Mcvay joined Los Angeles. Taylor was his assistant wide receivers coach for one year, then quarterbacks coach. LA went to the Super Bowl that season, and Taylor turned his work with
Jared Goff into the head coaching job at Cincinnati.
They also are the youngest pair of coaches to square off in the Super Bowl ever. Mcvay is 36, Taylor is 38.
NO. 1 QBS
The paths to the Super Bowl couldn’t have been more different for LA’S Matthew Stafford or Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.
The most common denominator was that both were the first overall selection in their respective drafts: Stafford in 2009, out of Georgia; Burrow in 2020, out of LSU.
Stafford, though, languished in Detroit for a dozen years. It took a massive trade to the Rams to get him on a contender -- and look what he has done.
Burrow had only a 2-7-1 record in 10 starts as a rookie before being sidelined by a knee injury. But in his second pro season, well, he’s in the Super Bowl.
CONTAINING COOPER
The Rams have the most dangerous offensive weapon in the game, unanimous All-pro receiver Cooper Kupp. No matter what route he runs, Kupp makes plays. Lots of plays.
He won the receiving triple crown in 2021 with 145 catches for
1,947 yards and 16
TDS. Kupp’s 2,152 yards from scrimmage this season, including the playoffs, are the most by a receiver in NFL history.
The Bengals don’t have a shutdown cornerback and will need pressure on QB Stafford to slow Kupp. That might not work because Kupp catches everything thrown his way, has the strength to break tackles and turn short passes into long gains.
He also has help from fellow WRS Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. Slowing Kupp’s production is a must for Cincinnati to win.
CHASING JA’MARR
The 2021 rookie receivers class was as good as any in recent memory. No one stood out more than the Bengals’ Ja’marr Chase.
The fifth overall draft pick out of LSU, Chase didn’t even play his final college season in 2020 because of the pandemic. Still, he had more than 100 yards receiving in his first NFL game, a win over Minnesota. He wound up with seven games over 100 -- two of them over 200 yards -- and 81 receptions for 1,455 yards overall, scoring 13 touchdowns.
His work overshadowed that of fellow rookie wideouts Jaylen Waddle of Miami, Devonta Smith of Philadelphia, Elijah Moore of the Jets, Amon-ra St. Brown of Detroit, and tight end Kyle Pitts of Atlanta.
RUNNING IT
This Super Bowl is not likely to come down to running games -- the Rams ranked 25th running the ball but sixth against it, Cincinnati was 23rd rushing, fifth against it. On the other hand, teams can’t simply chuck it up every play.
The Bengals have the most accomplished RB in the game with Joe Mixon, who finished third in the league with 1,205 yards rushing yards. He must find ways to avoid unanimous All-pro DT Aaron Donald and revitalized LB Von Miller, among others.
LA uses more of a platoon now that Cam Akers is back from a torn Achilles tendon. Akers and Sony Michel have power and speed.
Their challenge is steering clear of Bengals LB Logan Wilson and an underrated front seven.
ANDREW’S TEAMS
Andrew Whitworth has been one of the NFL’S stalwart offensive tackles for 16 years, the last five for the Rams after 11 with
-- you guessed it -- the
Bengals. With him on the team, the Rams have gone 61-29, made the playoffs four times and the Super Bowl twice. As a Bengal, Whitworth, now 40, was part of a 91-82-3 record and six postseason trips, though no playoff wins. His major task figures to be trying to minimize Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ top pass rusher.