Los Angeles Rams Win Super Bowl 56 With Late TD against Bengals, Cooper Kupp Named MVP
A thrilling comeback by the Los Angeles Rams arrived on Sunday as they edged the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. LA’s Cooper Kupp was the recipient of a late touchdown pass courtesy of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The game featured the Rams’ Odell Beckham Jr. looking like a major factor early, scoring the game’s first touchdown and racking up receiving yards. However, a first-half injury brought his time on the field to an end for the game.
Los Angeles Rams stars were clutch late
In Super Bowl 56, the Los Angeles Rams struck early and looked like they’d control the game.
OBJ’s 17-yard pass from Stafford made it 7-0 in the first quarter, with the Bengals later answering with a field goal. Unfortunately for the Rams, they saw Beckham Jr. go out with a knee injury in the second quarter. They scored another TD, missing the extra point, while the Bengals put seven points on the board to trail 13-10 at the half.
In the second half, Joe Burrow and the Bengals looked like they were headed to a win as the Rams were without OBJ.
A four-yard touchdown was the difference late in the game thanks to the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp. That was his second touchdown of the game. Kupp finished with eight receptions for 92 yards.
The third quarter opened with an explosive play as Burrow threw to Tee Higgins for a 75-yard touchdown pass. That put Cincinnati up 17-13, and they’d recover the ball with an interception on the first play of the Ram’s next drive.
A Bengals field goal made it 20-13 in their favor. The Rams managed to add a field goal in the third quarter to close the gap to just four points.
In the fourth, the defense was key on both sides as the teams traded possessions. Ultimately, it was the veteran Matthew Stafford who found Cooper Kupp in the end zone for a four-yard score, making it 23-20.
The Bengals had a final chance to get the ball within scoring range with about 1:25 on the clock. However, their last three plays came up unsuccessful, including a pass attempt on 4th-and-1 by Burrow where he was pressured by Aaron Donald and threw the ball nowhere.
Following the game, tight end Cooper Kupp was given the Super Bowl MVP award and was at a loss for words.
“I don’t feel deserving of this,” Kupp said. “The guys standing here challenged me, they pushed me. I am just so grateful.”
Bengals suffer disappointing loss after magical run
Joe Burrow was looking to complete a triple threat in football. He could’ve won the Heisman Trophy, national championship, and Super Bowl within just two years. Burrow ended his Super Bowl with a 22-for-33 performance that included 263 yards and a touchdown. However, the Rams also sacked him seven times for a loss of 43 yards.
Higgins was his top receiver, finishing with four receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had five catches for 89 yards. On the ground, it was Joe Mixon with 15 carries for 72 yards. He also had a sweet trick play where he tossed the ball to Higgins for one of his TDs.
“Just proud of them. You know, it’s a hard road to get to the Super Bowl and our guys represented us the right way. Our fans are proud of them. They made our organization really proud,” head coach Zac Taylor said following his team’s loss.
“We think we’ve got a really special group that’s going to continue to build on us and fight to get back,” Taylor said as far as what’s next.
Bengals amongst Super Bowl 57 contenders?
The Bengals entered Super Bowl 56 as four-point underdogs and were SOD’s ATS pick ahead of the game. Now they’ll likely take some time to process the loss and rest up after a long season. It won’t be long before they start preparing to get back to the Super Bowl next year, though.
According to ESPN, odds have already surfaced for next year’s Super Bowl winners at Caesars Sportsbook. The Cincinnati Bengals are listed at 12-1 overall. Ahead of them are the reigning champion Rams (10-1), the Bills (7-1), and the Kansas City Chiefs (13-2).
The Packers, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers sticks around, are 15-1, followed by the Cowboys (16-1) and Buccaneers (18-1).
Contending teams won’t have to worry about seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady getting in their way. That is unless he decides to “un-retire” and give it another run.
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