Last team standing
1983 championship.
A tearful Donald said after the game, “I wanted it so bad. I dreamed this.”
Added McVay, at 36 the youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach: “For the offense to be able to find a way, and then Aaron to be able to finish it off, it’s poetic, man.”
Ten points because of two plays in a span of 22 seconds at the outset of the third quarter put Cincinnati ahead for the first time.
Tee Higgins’ 75-yard score made it 17-13 and was followed one play later by Chidobe Awuzie’s pick. Evan McPherson tied Adam Vinatieri’s postseason record with his 14th field goal, a 38-yarder. The rookie didn’t miss in the postseason.
Higgins beat All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the first play of the second half — the receiver clearly tugged Ramsey’s face mask on the play. After Stafford was intercepted on the next play, the Bengals got McPherson’s field goal.
They tried to hold on as all of southwest Ohio held its breath.
“I was disappointed in my performance overall,” said Burrow, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year who was 22 of 33 for 263 yards and a touchdown. “That’s going to propel us into next year ... we’re not satisfied with what we did this year.”
Not after the 15-play march in which Kupp also converted a fourth down with his run.
“We wanted to be in attack mode and pressure them as much as possible,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”
Kupp even earned the MVP honor despite often being double-teamed after fellow wideout Odell Beckham Jr. — who had a touchdown catch on Los Angeles’ second drive for the game’s first score — went out with a knee injury in the second period. Kupp finished with eight receptions for 92 yards.
One fear for Rams followers was ill-advised throws by Stafford, and he had two. His deep pass moving left was picked in the end zone late in the first half by Jessie Bates III. On his second interception, rookie Ben Skowronek could only deflect it —directly to Awuzie.
Other than Matt Gay’s 41-yard field goal later in the third quarter, it was all defense until the Rams’ decisive drive.
“World champs, baby!” McVay proclaimed. Energized from the outset, the crowd of 70,048 at the stadium that opened in 2020 roared to introductions of each team by The Rock. Then the Bengals fans, far louder than their Rams counterparts early on, got to rocking when Trey Hendrickson sacked Stafford, leading to a punt.
L.A.’s defense responded by holding on third and fourth downs with a yard to go at midfield. Ernest Jones knocked down a pass for Ja’Marr Chase to turn over the ball, and the excellent field position set up the first touchdown.
Beckham, who joined the Rams in Week 10 after being exiled from Cleveland, easily beat Mike Hilton on a corner pattern for the 17-yard score. Then Beckham showed off his moonwalk in the end zone.
Kupp’s first touch was a short throw from Stafford he turned into a 20-yard gain when Bates III fanned on a tackle. That would not be the last whiff by the Bengals, and it cost them mightily at the end.
The most intriguing matchup, Offensive Rookie of the Year receiver Chase against
All-Pro Ramsey, got real juicy late in the opening quarter. Chase brilliantly tracked Burrow’s throw and made a one-handed grab over Ramsey for a 46-yard gain to the L.A. 11. The drive went no further and McPherson made a 29-yarder.
Beckham took advantage of two defenders colliding to pick up 35 yards on the next drive, Darrell Henderson got 25 while covered by Hendrickson dropping back — huh? — and Kupp was wide open in the right corner of the end zone for his 11-yard score.
“It just comes down to this team and the way we prepared, they way we loved on each other, trusted each other,” Kupp said.
As has been their wont when behind in the playoffs, though, the Bengals responded with a 75-yard drive capped by the trickery of Joe Mixon. He was so efficient running that the secondary was sucked in when Burrow handed off, and Mixon lobbed a 6-yard TD pass to Higgins.
It remained 13-10 until halftime, with Beckham’s left knee injury most notable; he had to be helped off the field and didn’t return.
Thanks greatly to Kupp, though, the Rams finished it off.
“We always talk about there’s something special about being a part of something bigger than yourself,” McVay said. “These guys play for one another.”