Superbowl LVI Preview : Part I

By a large cast

The 2021 NFL season was a rollercoaster. No side seemed comfortable with favouritism, upsets occurred all over the place, COVID (along with other injuries) wreaked havoc on rosters, while quarterbacks familiar with dominating storylines did so more for their off-field endeavours. Both Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady will be in the MVP discussion for their exploits through the regular season, but Rodgers grabbed headlines through some bizarre anti-vaccination rants and what appeared evidence of straight up lying, while Brady – after yet another season belying his 44 years of age – finally hung up the cleats after falling short of an 8th ring.

It’s probably fitting that after such a season, the Superbowl features a matchup that next to nobody would have predicted prior to the season, as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals. It also features two quarterbacks who appear near universally liked and who will both be competing for their first Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Rams’ Matt Stafford is an experienced NFL quarterback, but didn’t have a playoff win on his resume after 12 fruitless years leading the hapless Detroit Lions before being traded to the Rams last off-season. The Bengals’ Joe Burrow meanwhile is in just his second NFL season, and his first full one after a gruesome knee injury curtailed his rookie year as the number one overall pick.

To preview the big game, we had four NFL mad Sportsfreak regulars and one newcomer weigh in on a series of questions. Hamish Girvan (Chiefs) and Scott MacLean (49ers) will be licking their wounds after their teams fell a round short, while Stephen Gallagher (Buccaneers), Ryan Nixon (Falcons) and Sportsfreak rookie Jonathan Paterson (Browns) are a little further removed in their disappointment.

1. Which Superbowl narrative will be most fun to follow?

HG: The new kid on the block vs the veteran – the number one draft pick in 2020 (Joe Burrows) versus the 2009 number one pick Matt Stafford – both quarterbacks. It’s only the second time that two quarterbacks taken with the first pick have squared off in a Superbowl, following Peyton Manning and Cam Newton’s matchup in 2016.

SM: There’s plenty to pick from about the game, but let’s talk about the venue itself. SoFi Stadium is a beyond state-of-the-art facility built on the site of the fabled Hollywood Park racetrack. Featuring massive 4K HD screens above the field, at US$5.5 billion so far the stadium has cost more than 2 ½ times that of the next most expensive venue in the world (the Raiders new stadium in Las Vegas), or in soccer-football terms nearly four times that of Tottenham Hotspurs’ new digs in London. It’s also the Rams’ home venue. Prior to last season, no team had ever played a Superbowl in its home stadium. Now it’s happened in consecutive years.

SG: I’d say it’s all about the story of the Cincinnati Bengals, purely based on the fact that they are indeed the Cincinnati Bengals. They hadn’t won a playoff game since 1990 and were coming off winning only four games in the previous season. Getting to the Superbowl this season? Whack!

RN: The coaching matchup. They’re the two youngest coaches in the NFL at present, while Bengals coach Zac Taylor was on the Rams staff when they went to Superbowl LIII, serving as Sean McVay’s quarterbacks coach. The following season he took up a role with the Bengals, struggling for the first two seasons before it all clicked into gear this season. Both coaches are highly regarded for their offensive prowess, and it will be interesting to see if Taylor can get the job done over his old boss.

JP: What is Joe Burrow going to wear on his way into the stadium? I remember having a bet on the Patriots in a game a few years ago, only to see a photo of Derrick Henry getting on the team plane dressed like a member of BoyzIIMen and thinking “No f#cking way he loses this game!”. What happened? The Titans rode Henry to an epic win in Tom Brady’s last home game at Foxboro. I got the same vibes seeing the ice cold drip Joey Brrrrow was rocking ahead of the AFC Championship Game, and I genuinely believe that if he shows up to the game rocking something equally cool, the line will move 1.5 points instantly.

2. What must the Bengals do to win?

HG: Utilise their wide receivers, who are all top drawer. Rookie wunderkind Ja’Marr Chase played with Burrow for LSU at college level and their understanding of each other has been key to their success this season. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are also both “A-List” receivers. If tight end CJ Uzomah is available after his injury in the AFC Championship Game, he will add yet another dimension to their high-powered passing attack.

SM: Believing they can win won’t be a problem – after all they’ve beaten the top-seeded Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs on the road to get here. Their no-name defense needs to step up again and frustrate Matthew Stafford like they did to Patrick Mahomes in the AFC title game, while their offensive line – which conceded a playoff record nine sacks in the win over the Titans – needs to keep Rams stars Aaron Donald and Von Miller at bay. If they do that and let Joe Burrow use the weapons at his disposal; Joe Mixon, rookie sensation Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and a hopefully healthy C.J. Uzomah, then they might just stun everyone one more time.

SG: Let Joe Burrow do his thing. He scrambles well when there’s pressure in the pocket, but tee him up with Ja’Marr Chase and he’s gonna be hard to stop. Chase, the most outstanding rookie this season, has done well to link back up with his college quarterback and it shows. Burrow is a calm and confident player. Nothing seems to phase him, so I expect him to be ice cold in the Superbowl. Also, don’t forget about the impact Joe Mixon can have on a game by running hard.

RN: Protect Joe Burrow at all costs. The Bengals have surrounded their young quarterback with plenty of weapons, but their offensive line has resembled Swiss cheese at times this season. Against a formidable pass rushing unit featuring Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd, Burrow’s going to face plenty of pressure throughout. That pressure may just nullify the value of Ja’Marr Chase and company, particularly on the deeper routes.

JP: Pass successfully on first down. Or just pass more on first down in general. Far too many times in the AFC Championship Game we saw Joe Mixon running into the pile for a 1 or 2 yard gain on first down, setting up obvious passing situations on second and third and long. Full respect to Chris Jones and company, but the Rams D-Line is a different group of animals, and the Bengals are going to have to play this game on the front foot if they are going to have a chance. Luckily, they just happen to have a top 5 QB and the best three man WR group in the league, so now all they need is a coach happy to lean on their strengths rather than to outthink himself.

3. What must the Rams do to win?

HG: Simple – get the ball to wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Why he’s not higher up in this season’s MVP conversation is something else, as he’s put up astonishing numbers. Stafford is the classic pocket passer and won’t run, so getting the ball out quickly is key and Kupp’s ability to separate at the line allows him to do that. The Rams also have a menacing defense and if they can get Burrows off his game they should be OK.

SM: Beat the burden of expectation. They’re meant to win this, as they’ve shelled out draft picks to build this roster, and they’re in their own building. Almost all of their chances rests on the shoulders of quarterback Stafford, who the Rams went and got to run their offense over their former #1 pick in Jared Goff, and he’s not short of options starting with receivers Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. If Stafford’s on form the Rams win this but if he’s not – and he’s had his struggles at times this season – then it could easily become the Bengals’ game to lose. If it does turn into a defensive struggle though, then it’ll be over to Donald, Miller, and Jalen Ramsey to make the impact they’ll need.

SG: 9 link with 10. It’s clear that Matt Stafford’s favourite target is Cooper Kupp this season – and they’ve done some remarkable things. Kupp’s the obvious receiver, but Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson are excellent options too. Also, their defense is tough. If the likes of Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Von Miller have a say, it’ll be a big say.

RN: Stay out of their own way. The matchup on paper seems good for the Rams. Jalen Ramsey is the best corner in the league and has the tools to handle Ja’Marr Chase one on one, which will allow the Rams to scheme up ways to get after Joe Burrow and limit his time looking for open men. Then it’s simply a matter of controlling the game when in possession and avoiding crippling turnovers. They’re a team that likes to throw the majority of the time, so there is risk involved and it makes it harder to bleed the clock when in front, but they simply can’t repeat the mistakes of the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Those turnovers are the reason we’re talking Joe Burrow in the Super Bowl instead of a third straight season of Patrick Mahomes.

JP: The same thing that the Bucs did last year- terrorise the quarterback. They have the players to do it, and Cincy’s O-Line has put up some very shaky performances including the 9 sack debacle in the divisional round against Tennessee. If Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd can recreate the terror that Jeffrey Simmons, Harold Landry, and Bud Dupree did, then all Matt Stafford will need to do is not implode and the Rams will hoist the Lombardi for the first time since they came back to LA.

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