Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds has the final say in the Los Angeles Rams’ 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI; join Neil and the guests on the special Super Bowl highlight show Inside the Huddle Tuesday at 9:00 pm on Sky Sports NFL.
Even when the Los Angeles Rams took a 10-point lead at the start of Super Bowl LVI, we should have known all along that the NFL title game was drawing to a close.
The Cincinnati Bengals went from 13-3 to a 20-13 lead, but the Rams eventually rallied to win 23-20 and take home the Vince Lombardi trophy. Here are my top five takeaways from Super Bowl LVI…
In the second half of the Super Bowl, the Rams were in serious trouble. Their lead was canceled and they couldn’t move the ball one iota as their attacking moves after the break read like an interception, field goal, punt, punt and another punt. It’s time to tear up the textbook and just get the ball into the hands of the team’s best players.
Matthew Stafford did just that, passing the ball to Cooper Kupp on a pivotal fourth down play and throwing four passes to his record-setting receiver in a 15-game 79-yard play that led to the game-winning one-yard touchdown. hit Kupp with one minute and 25 seconds left.
This march saw the most draws (15) in the history of the Super Bowl in the fourth quarter. It saved the Rams season, thanks to Stafford and Kupp.
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Then it was time for the Rams’ biggest star to finish the game. Aaron Donald took over that Super Bowl in the second half and could easily have been named MVP.
With the Bengals threatening to send the game into overtime, Donald pulled Samaji Perin from behind on the third and first downs and then forced Joe Burrow to not complete the game on the fourth down. Game over!
The Rams sacked Burrow just once in the first half, but ended the game with a Super Bowl-record seven QB takedowns. Donald registered two of them, as did von Miller.
The Rams put pressure on a staggering 41.5 percent dropping in the game, while their best regular season record was 26.6 percent. With Odell Beckham Jr. scoring a key touchdown in the first half, the Rams’ stars were in the spotlight of Sunday’s Super Bowl.
