The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals will go head-to-head at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
As always, the focus will be on the two quarterbacks.
The Rams are led by Matthew Stafford, who was acquired from the Detroit Lions in an off-season trade.
This is Stafford’s 13th year in the NFL, but it’s the first time he’s had any success in the playoffs. Before this postseason, the 34-year-old had never won a playoff game. In fact, he had only played in three postseason contests before arriving in Los Angeles.
Stafford is the more experienced quarterback in this matchup, but what Bengals pivot Joe Burrow lacks in experience, he makes up for in poise. Nothing seems to rattle the young quarterback. He’s calm under pressure, and he rarely rushes throws or makes bad reads during the game.
“Being led by a guy like Joe Burrow, whose composure is always (so evident), I feel like nobody can get under his skin,” Als running back William Stanback said. “He has such good control of the game and the understanding of being a top quarterback. He just knows how to win. He’s been winning ever since he left Ohio State.”
In 2020-21, the 25-year-old’s rookie season came to an abrupt halt when he suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 11 against Washington. Burrow, who is the son of former Alouette defensive back Jim Burrow, tore his ACL, MCL and suffered damage to his PCL and meniscus on the play. He went through rehab all off-season and managed to come back healthier and better than ever.
PLAYMAKERS
This game will feature some of the elite wide receivers in the NFL.
Bengals rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase has put together an unbelievable season. The 21-year-old finished the regular season with 81 receptions, 1455 yards and 13 touchdowns in 17 contests.
Chase is blessed with elite speed, but he’s also an intelligent route-runner and he knows how to create plays when the ball is in his hands.
“His patience, man” Alouettes receiver Geno Lewis said about what impresses him most about Chase.
“What the defensive back is doing (to cover Chase) doesn’t really matter. Whatever the DB is giving him, he takes that and makes it (work for him). Even if the DB is in a position that (Chase) is trying to get to, he’ll make him think he’s going one way and he’ll mess the DB up.
“He makes plays. He catches everything and has great hands. I’m a big believer in hands and catching stuff. Sometimes you might not run the best route, sometimes you might run the wrong route, but at the end of the day, if you come out there and catch the ball and make the plays it’s a game-changer. DBs can be on you like glue, but if you catch the ball it doesn’t matter.”
The Bengals star caught his first touchdown pass of the playoffs during Cincinnati’s AFC Title Game victory over Kansas City. He’s also surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark in twice in the post-season.
If you appreciate greatness, you’ll also love what Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was able to accomplish this year.
Kupp has been very productive for years, but he took his game to another level over the last few months. The 28-year-old led the NFL in catches (145), receiving yards (1947) and touchdown receptions (16). His 114.5 receiving yards per game were also tops in the league.
Clearly, playing with a great quarterback like Stafford has helped Kupp take his game to new heights.
“Having speed can be a blessing,” added Lewis. “Not everybody is born with that God-given ability – that Tyreek Hill speed. Being able to be quick and deceptive changes the game for you.”
The Rams addition of Odell Beckham Jr. after his release from Cleveland has paid off in a big way. The former New York Giant star has been a nice complement to Kupp and he seems to have good chemistry with Stafford in this Rams offence.
“He’s been balling,” Lewis said of OBJ.
“He works hard. He’s one of the most athletic players I’ve ever seen. He could literally play any sport. You need to appreciate guys like that because they have greatness you might not see for a long time again. I’m happy for him, man. I’m so happy he gets the opportunity to do that.”
As good as Chase, Kupp and OBJ have been, Lewis believes that another receiver, Tyler Boyd, will be named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday.
“He’s going to be the X-factor of the Super Bowl,” he said of Boyd. “I feel he’s probably going to be the reason why the Bengals are going to get the edge over the LA Rams. The Bengals will win, 24-21.”
Another X-factor in this game could be Bengals running back Joe Mixon, who rushed for a career-high 1205 yards in 16 games this season.
The 25-year-old is also a capable pass-catcher, as he added 314 yards on 42 carries during the regular season.
Mixon has been a little quiet during the postseason (he’s averaging 3.7 yards per rushing attempt), but he could break the game open at any time.
“(Mixon) has great balance and a strong lower body. I’ve even been using him when I play Madden,” Stanback said with a chuckle. “He’s been a beast. I feel like the Bengals are just starting to get the recognition for all the hard work they’ve been putting in. They have a lot of good young guys that can take it to the next level.”
IN THE TRENCHES
The other key matchup to keep an eye on will take place in the trenches. The Cincinnati offensive line has struggled to protect Burrow at times and LA has one of the best defensive fronts in the game.
The Rams’ defence is led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is a seven-time First-Team All-Pro and a three-time winner of the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
If the Bengals can’t contain Donald, they’ll need to make sure Burrow gets rid of the ball quickly because the veteran defender will probably be in his grill all night.
“He’s a master of the game,” Als defensive tackle Michael Wakefield told MontrealAlouettes.com. “This man watches so much film and you can tell by the way he plays. When he sees something coming, he’s going to do something that might not make sense, but he does it because he knows what’s coming. He’s a technician. He’s not the biggest, he’s not the strongest, but he knows how to work his hands and move his feet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another defensive lineman like him.”
Burrow is the first quarterback in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl despite being sacked more than 50 times (51) during the regular season. He was also sacked nine times during Cincinnati’s Divisional Round victory over the Tennessee Titans.
To no one’s surprise, Wakefield is picking the Rams to win, and he believes Donald will be named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday.
PREDICTIONS
Alouettes players made their Super Bowl predictions in the lead up to Sunday’s game. Of the players that responded, 82 percent believe the Rams are going to win on Sunday. Obviously, that means 18 percent of the voters are going with the Bengals.
Even though most of the players on the Als roster are going with the Rams, there are a few who are confident the Bengals can get it done.
“I’ve got the Bengals,” Stanback said. “I think they’re going to pull it off. I won’t be surprised if the Rams come out and have their way with them. I think it’s going to be a good dog fight. But I truly believe the Bengals are going to come away with it. I’ll go with 21-17 for the Bengals.”
