Keys to Victory: Cincinnati Bengals vs Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI

Author:
Elise Jesse
Publish date:
Feb 13, 2022 12:21 PM EST

Today the Bengals will put everything out on the field against the Rams in hopes of bringing the first ever Lombardi trophy back to Cincinnati.

The Rams didn’t have to travel for this game and got to spend the week sleeping in their own beds, which would normally call for an advantage, but the Bengals have played particularly well on the road this season, posting a 7-3 record (including postseason).

If that is any indication of how the Bengals will play today, we should see a focused, no nonsense type of game from Cincinnati.

Here are three keys to victory.

Protect the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year

The Rams knew exactly what they were doing when trading for Von Miller mid-season. He joined Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, A’Shawn Robinson, and Greg Gains to create the most menacing group of defenders in the National Football League. The offensive line will be under immense pressure trying to block that many pass rushers. Brian Callahan and Frank Pollack have had their work cut out for them this week trying to build a creative game plan to hold off a vicious defensive front.

This season Joe Burrow has had an average of less than 3 seconds in the pocket before facing pressure and has been sacked 63 times in 19 games. That number isn’t exactly encouraging when going against a defense that finished the year with 51 sacks. If the offensive line can be good enough to give Burrow just a little bit of time in the pocket, it will be extremely beneficial in helping the team become World Champions by the end of the night.

Create Turnovers

Cincinnati’s defense has been elite towards the end of big games when a game-changing play is needed. If the Bengals secondary can somehow stifle Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, and Odell Beckham Jr.'s efforts on Sunday, then they will be in a really good position to win it all by putting the ball back in Burrow’s hands. Lou Anarumo and the rest of the staff has had two weeks to game plan. Jessie Bates, Eli Apple, Mike Hilton, and Vonn Bell have had two weeks to study the Rams’ offense and their star’s tendencies. Mastering the art of understanding what guys like Kupp like to do in certain situations will go a long way in coming up with a takeaway.

Play a Clean Game

The mental side will be one of the more important aspects of Cincinnati’s game today. The players cannot let the moment get too big for them. Yes, this is the biggest day of all of their careers, but getting rattled and trying to do things outside of their assignments, or not doing exactly what their job is for each play can mean a loss on the biggest stage in the world. Clean execution and mistake free football will be two of the biggest priorities for all three phases on the Bengals sideline if they want to dance in that Super Bowl Confetti on Sunday night.

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