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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Cooper Kupp was about the only possibility the Los Angeles Rams had on offense at the end of Super Bowl LVI. As it turned out, he’s the only a person they essential.
Kupp scored a 1-yard landing with 1:25 remaining to cap a extraordinary drive in which he also converted a fourth-down try with a run, caught a several huge passes and drew two key defensive penalties.
The NFL Offensive Player of the 12 months throughout the regular period, Kupp experienced a historic marketing campaign. And he was the major purpose the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the Tremendous Bowl. Kupp ended with 8 catches, 92 yards and two touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP.
Kupp’s greatest perform was not the closing touchdown but a 7-yard operate on fourth-and-1 from the Rams’ 30-yard line. That held the push going when the Rams’ offense was sputtering. Kupp drew a keeping penalty afterwards in the generate that was just as large, and a large amount a lot more controversial.
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Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson was called for holding on Kupp on a third-down incompletion. The call saved the Rams, who bought a first down at the Bengals’ 4-yard line with less than two minutes to play. It was really hard to say Wilson did more than enough to earn the penalty, but the flag was thrown anyway.
Kupp experienced a landing taken off the board due to offsetting penalties, but on the next play there was one more defensive penalty on a Bengal trying to guard Kupp, this one particular on Eli Apple. Kupp scored two plays immediately after that.
The Bengals arrived at midfield but with 39 seconds left, Aaron Donald received to Joe Burrow on fourth down, and Burrow had to toss wildly. It fell incomplete. That clinched the initial Tremendous Bowl championship for the Rams in Los Angeles. The Rams’ only other Super Bowl title arrived in St. Louis in the 1999 season.
The Bengals permitted a 92-garden drive to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers to drop Super Bowl XXIII in the closing moment. Replace the 49ers with the Rams, and John Taylor with Kupp. It is really much more heartbreak for the Bengals. They could not incorporate Kupp, who skipped the Rams’ final Tremendous Bowl visual appeal with a torn ACL, when it mattered.
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Rams take early guide, Bengals rally
The Rams led 13-3 in the second quarter. There was no way the Bengals had been going to fold, two weeks after coming again from 21-3 down to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship recreation.
The whole momentum of the video game improved on again-to-back again plays early in the 3rd quarter. Tee Higgins got absent with grabbing Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s facemask on a deep move, acquired cost-free when Ramsey went to the floor and had a 75-lawn landing. That gave the Bengals the guide.
Then on the Rams’ next perform, Stafford tried out to hit Ben Skowronek, who was replacing the injured Odell Beckham Jr., about the middle. Skowronek seemed to hesitate, then the ball went off his outstretched fingers and to Chidobe Awuzie for the interception. The Bengals couldn’t get in the end zone right after that, but kicked a discipline intention for a amazing 20-13 direct.
The Rams got a industry target back as the defenses tightened up for the relaxation of the 3rd quarter. The Bengals led 20-16 heading into the fourth quarter. Cincinnati was 15 minutes from its initially Super Bowl title.
Rams offense has hassle moving the ball
The Bengals defense played pretty properly through 3 quarters. The Rams retained stubbornly hoping to operate the ball and experienced no success. Early in the fourth quarter the Rams’ jogging backs experienced 23 yards on 16 makes an attempt.
Without having a feasible functioning sport and Beckham (not to mention Tyler Higbee, who injured his knee in the NFC championship activity, and Robert Woods, who tore his ACL in November), the Rams’ offense failed to have quite a few choices. The Bengals protection had its times this year, and it was very good on Sunday towards a banged-up Los Angeles team.
The Rams’ protection stored the staff in the video game. They experienced to acquire some prospects and went for it on fourth-and-1 at their personal 30 with about 5 minutes remaining. Kupp took an close-all-around for 7 yards, and that started off a prolonged drive that showcased a good deal of Kupp. For the initially time since just before Beckham’s injuries, the Bengals were back again on their heels.
Two Bengals penalties against Kupp gave the Rams a possibility to rating, and on 2nd-and-objective Stafford threw him the go-ahead landing with a tiny more than a minute to go. Donald completed it. His pressure on Burrow sealed a championship.
The Rams had been full of stars. Their biggest ones arrived up when the Rams wanted it most, and were the rationale they received the Lombardi Trophy.
