Commentary by Ben Prescott, sports editor
The 2022 Super Bowl features an unexpected matchup of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams at the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. Both teams have exciting narratives in their arsenal, as well as high powered offenses to make for an interesting game.
The odds have been stacked against the Bengals since the beginning of the NFL preseason. According to the website Pro Football Reference, the preseason odds of the Bengals winning the Super Bowl were at +15000. For reference, the New York Jets had the same odds to win the Super Bowl, but finished the season with a 4-13 record. Going against the odds, the Bengals won their first playoff game since 1990 and are now making their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988.
At the helm of the Bengals offense, second-year quarterback Joe Burrow is coming back from a torn ACL in the previous season. In his comeback of the regular season, Burrow completed 366 of 520 passes for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. He has led the offense to score an average of 27.1 points per game, the team becoming the seventh most productive offense in the league. Burrow has been able to put up these numbers while being sacked a league-high of 51 times.
It helped to have the Bengals draft wide receiver Jamar Chase, Burrow’s former Louisiana State University teammate. Chase has been the leading receiver for the Bengals with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Bengals also have an exceptional run game with running back Joe Mixon, who ran the ball 292 times for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns.
On defense, the Bengals have a bend-but-don’t-break mentality. Heading into the playoffs, the Bengals had the eighth ranked run defense in the NFL, but only had the 26th ranked passing defense. The Bengals have allowed an average of 22.1 points per game in the regular season.
The Rams are the more experienced postseason team, making the playoffs four out of the last five seasons. The franchise made the Super Bowl in 2018, but the team personnel was much different than it is today.
The main difference came after trading quarterback Jared Goff and some draft picks to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford. In his first regular season with the Rams, Stafford connected 404 out of 601 passes for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. The Rams offense has averaged 27.1 points per game, the eighth best output in the league.
MVP candidate and wide receiver Cooper Kupp has made the transition easy for Stafford, with 145 catches for a league-high of 1,947 yards in the regular season. Kupp has also scored 16 touchdowns.
The Rams made some highly publicized moves during the season by signing former Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the team in Week 10. Many had written Beckham off after his production dropped with the Browns, but since joining the Rams, Beckham caught five touchdowns in the last seven weeks of the season. The Rams also traded for the 2016 Super Bowl MVP and outside linebacker, Von Miller.
On defense, the Rams already boast the likes of three-time the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. With Donald, Miller and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, the Rams have 50 sacks, the third most in the league. On the back end of the defense, All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey has 16 defended passes and four interceptions on the regular season. Overall, the Rams have allowed 21.9 points per regular season game.
On paper, the Rams have the most complete team with big names at almost every position. In the trenches, the Rams have the upper hand going against an average to below-average Bengals offensive line. With the Bengals allowing the most sacks in the regular season, it is going to be difficult for the Bengals to account for Donald, Miller and Floyd.
But in what seems to be the mantra for the Bengals’ 2021 season, they have found a way to win games. Burrow deserves credit in this for his ability to make plays when his protection falls apart. If Burrow’s pocket awareness is on point, rushing the quarterback can prove to be a difficult job.
Based on the regular season numbers, the game has the odds of being a shoot-out with two top-10 offenses going against each other. Seeing the Stafford and Kupp connection on offense can be intimidating for the Bengals defense, but the Bengals offensive line can keep the team in the game if they are able to hold up just long enough for Burrow to make his reads. There is a lot on the line for both teams in the this year’s Super Bowl. Not only would this be Cincinnati’s first title, but also Burrow has the chance to become the first quarterback to win a college national championship, the Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl. Stafford, Kupp, Beckham, Donald and Ramsey all have a chance to win their first Super Bowl as well.
Personally, I think that the Bengals offensive line will get the job done on Sunday. When the Tennessee Titans played the Bengals in the postseason, the Titans sacked Burrow nine times, tying an NFL playoff record. Regardless of this, the Bengals won this game by a score of 19-16. Burrow was still able to throw for 348 yards by using quick and short passes, letting his receivers do the work. If the Bengals find themselves in trouble from a protection standpoint, they can still get the job done with the depth they have at receiver. With this in mind, I think the Bengals can win the 2022 Super Bowl, but by a small margin.
Kickoff for the 2022 Super Bowl is at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. NBC will broadcast the game.