The Los Angeles Rams have defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to be Super Bowl champions for the second time.
With the win, the Rams, whose only other NFL title came 22 years ago when they were based in St. Louis, joined last year’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only teams to win a Super Bowl on their home field.
In a venue built for champions, the Los Angeles Rams carried off the crown jewel: a Super Bowl trophy.
It took a precise 79-yard drive capped by Cooper Kupp’s 1-yard touchdown reception with 1:25 remaining for a 23-20 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals to give the Rams their first NFL title since the 1999 season — and their first representing Los Angeles since 1951.
They did it in their home, the $5 billion SoFi Stadium, making the Rams the second consecutive host to win the championship after Tampa Bay became the first a year ago.
The winning series, during which Kupp’s 4-yard touchdown reception was negated by offsetting penalties, ended soon after with the NFL Offensive Player of the Year easily beating Eli Apple in the right corner of the end zone for the winning score.
Kupp had four receptions for 39 yards on the championship drive.
Even with that brilliant, decisive march to the Lombardi Trophy, it was LA’s “fearsome fivesome” that made the difference. Led by Aaron Donald and Vin Miller, they sacked Joe Burrow a Super Bowl record-tying seven times, shutting down the Cincinnati offense after a 22-second spurt to start the second half gave the Bengals the lead.
Fittingly, Burrow was under pressure on fourth-and-1 and threw incomplete, setting off a football fiesta this city has not seen since the LA Raiders won the 1983 championship.
Stafford completed 7 of 11 for 57 yards on the 15-play, 79-yard series.
Earlier Stafford became the sixth player to throw for 6,000 yards in a single season.
He joined Drew Brees, who had 6,404 yards in 2011, Peyton Manning with 6,387 in 2013, Eli Manning had 6,152 and Tom Brady 6,113 in 2011 and Dan Marino with 6,085 in 1984. Stafford needed 209 yards to reach 6,000, and he got that with a 16-yard pass to Brycen Hopkins in the third quarter.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
They *should* be back, but you're right, there's no guarantees. In their favour is that they have a young offense packed at the skill positions (so not expensive against the cap yet) and a defense which looks 1 or 2 players short of dominating. They got to the Super Bowl with the 29th ranked offensive line and have the 3rd largest cap space, so unless the front office is completely barking they'll go out and hire the best free agent linemen they can get their hands on. Of course, this is Cincinnati, and their front office is barking, so they'll probably draft another WR in the 1st round and stock their defense with 10 more free agent CBs!
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Will they be back? Remember Dan Marino The AFC is much deeper then the NFC. It won't be easy
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
The second half was some really ordinary football which was a shame. Both execution and play calling. Certainly no Bills v Chiefs.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Feel like Bengals should have pushed on but at least you know they’ll be back in the (very) near future. Well done Rams, especially without OBJ for most of the game.
JGK
Roar Guru
Bengals went into their shell after extending their lead early in the 3rd. Didnt even get a shot at field goal.