Crowe: Super Bowl LVI Insights -- and Prediction
John Crowe, Sports Contributor
Crowe: Super Bowl LVI Insights -- and Prediction
The Bengals made their way to Los Angeles as AFC Champions by making their way through the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs, knocking off the top two seeds in the conference on the road with come-from-behind victories. Meanwhile, the Rams sandwiched home wins over the Cardinals and 49ers by holding on to send Tom Brady to retirement with a victory over the defending champion Buccaneers. LA had to rally from 10 down in the fourth quarter to become NFC Champions in beating San Francisco.
So far, we’ve been top-notch in our picks, going 10-2 with only the 49ers nipping the Packers and the Bengals beating the Chiefs in our loss column. That’s a lot better than our Bold Prediction back before the season as we picked the Browns vs. Packers for this game. Well, at least we picked a team from Ohio for the Big Game, so we weren’t THAT far off, right? According to Yahoo Sports Friday, the Rams, playing at home at SoFi, are four-point favorites.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAs for who’ll win the final game of the 2021 season and win their first Super Bowl Championship in their current city (the Rams won in St. Louis in 2000), we’ll get to that in a moment. But, first a few keys for each team.
The Bengals will win if…
The Cincy offensive line gives Joe Burrow enough time to avoid Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and friends on the Rams defensive front. Burrow was sacked a league-high 51 times in the regular season and another 9 times in a win over the Titans in the Divisional Round. The Chiefs got to Burrow in the first half too before Cincinnati’s offense got rolling in the second half to cement its comeback from a 21-3 deficit. If Burrow gets in rhythm, watch out, especially if tight end C.J. Uzomah can play after he injured his knee in the AFC Championship Game. Uzomah is on track to play per head coach Taylor but officially listed as questionable.
Ja’Marr Chase can get free from Jalen Ramsey two-to-three times. Chase is the sure-fire Rookie of the Year with 81 catches, 1,455 yards, and 13 touchdowns but will have his hands full trying to get away from arguably the top cover guy in the league in Ramsey. The one caveat there is that Ramsey may not be on Chase for most of the game as the Rams may opt to put Ramsey in the slot and double Chase with safety outside the numbers.
Joe Mixon runs for 88+ yards. Getting the run game going will give Burrow a nice breather from what will be an onslaught of pressure from the Rams. The Bengals are 6-0 when Burrow runs for 88 or more yards this season.
Players to watch: Tyler Boyd and Samaje Perine. Boyd is the third weapon in the wide receiver triumvirate of Chase, Tee Higgins, and Boyd. He’s been off the radar in the three playoff wins with only 10 catches for 62 yards on 14 targets, but this might be his time to shine. As for Perine, he could be the key to a screen game to offset the Rams pass rush much like his 41-yard touchdown catch and run started the comeback in Kansas City.
The Rams will win if…
Matthew Stafford avoids the costly turnover. Stafford threw 17 interceptions during the regular season with eight of those coming in the Rams’ five losses. He’ll be leaning greatly on his trusted number one wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the league’s top wide receiver with 145 catches in the regular season (25 postseason catches). But, spreading it out to Odell Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson and tight end Kendall Blanton will be musts as the Bengals to try to lock down Kupp. Forcing the ball when it’s not needed will not be Stafford’s friend this Sunday. The Rams will be without TE Tyler Higbee, who was put on injured reserve Friday.
The Rams run for over 100 yards. The combination of Cam Akers, Sony Michel, and Darrell Henderson, who returns from IR, will try to keep the explosive Bengals off the field while also taking the pressure off Stafford. If Trey Hendrickson and the front 7 can limit them, Cincinnati may be able to force the issue with Stafford. Ironically, the Rams averaged 99 yards rushing during the regular season, but have only eclipsed the 100-yard mark once in three playoff wins.
The secondary doesn’t come back to bite them. Remember, Eric Weddle has retired a few weeks ago and now he’s starting the Super Bowl. Not only do the Rams have to try to defend the Bengals from catching the ball, but they also have to limit the yards after the catch when they do complete the pass.
Players to watch: Sony Michel and Leonard Floyd. Michel’s been here before. He rushed for 94 yards and the game’s only touchdown in Super Bowl LIII for the Patriots against the Rams. Akers comes in the game with an injured shoulder so Michel will get plenty of touches. Look for him to be a difference-maker as he looks to become a two-time Super Bowl champion. As for Floyd, he can roam free with all the attention that Donald and Miller will be getting from the Bengal’s offensive line.
So, who wins? The heart says Bengals but the head says Rams.
Winner: 30-24 Rams
Enjoy the game everyone and remember, tails never fails. Get those prop bets in early and often.