Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "joe-burrow"
Up for the Kupp!
Los Angeles Rams 23 Cincinnati Bengals 20
In a pulsating Superbowl LVI at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly overcame the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 with a touchdown by Cooper Kupp in the final two minutes of the game.
Kupp, whose superb season had seen him take the triple crown for wide receivers, most touchdowns, receptions and yards, and who was the only player, other than Aaron Rodgers, who won the award, and Tom Brady, mentioned in the voting for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the overall NFL, had 92 yards receiving and two touchdowns and deservedly won the game’s MVP award.
The game got off to a slow start but then on the Rams’ second possession, quarterback Matthew Stafford found Odell Beckham Junior (OBJ) with a 17-yard pass for the game’s opening touchdown. The Bengals replied when Joe Burrow’s 45-yard pass to J’Marr Chase put them in a scoring position after Chase had left star corner back Jaylen Ramsey for dead. But they could not capitalise on the move and Evan McPherson’s field goal made the score 7-3.
The first play of the second quarter saw Stafford find OBJ with a 35-yard pass and this preceded the 11-yard pass that gave Kupp his first touchdown; Johnny Hekker dropped the ball for the point after so the score was 13-3. Burrow hit back with passes to Mixon and Tee Higgins then Mixon, receiving a flip from his quarterback, found Higgins with a six-yard pass to bring the Bengals back to 13-10. Interestingly it was Mixon’s first ever pass in the NFL and he had thrown only one previously when in College … and that also went for a touchdown!
But then disaster struck for the Rams as OBJ, under no immediate pressure went down with a knee injury that subsequently put him out of the game; up to that time he had two catches for 52 yards and his touchdown. Stafford ended the half with an interception when Jessie Bates took the ball away in the end zone and the half ended with the Rams, having control early, still leading 13-10 but with the Bengals coming back strongly.
There was a sensational opening to the second half when, with his first touch after 12 seconds, Burrow threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Higgins, who, in fairness, was a trifle lucky in not getting called for a face mask offence when beating Ramsey. The Bengals thus went into a 17-13 lead. And things got even worse for the Rams for, from the restart, Stafford was intercepted by Chidobe Awuzie to put the Bengals back in charge. The Bengals could not fully capitalise but it did lead to McPherson’s 38-yard field goal that put the Bengals 20-13 in front.
Stafford replied by driving the Rams downfield with passes to Darrell Henderson, Kupp and back-up tight end Brycen Hopkins, playing in place of the injured Tyler Higbee and who had only one catch in the regular season, but finished the Superbowl with four catches for 47 yards, before Matt Gay cashed in with a field goal to make it 20-16.
The Rams were fighting back and their defence, with Aaron Donald and Von Miller, in the forefront, began to take control of the Bengals’ offence and Burrow’s protection was subjugated to such a degree that he was sacked seven times in the closing stages.
What could be described as a turning point came with four minutes 45 seconds remaining when, on an important fourth down, Borrow threw a perfect short pass to Tyler Boyd for a first down but the receiver who had not dropped a pass all season failed to look the ball into his hands, dropped it and it was turned over to the Rams.
And they made the most of their opportunity, embarking on a thrilling 15-play drive that saw Stafford eventually find Kupp with the final dramatic touchdown, after a series of penalties, in a relatively penalty-free game, had kept their drive alive. With one minute 38 seconds remaining the Rams were in front 23-20.
And their defence dominated those last 98 seconds so Sean McVey became the youngest coach to win the Superbowl, replacing Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin in that position by less than one year.
It was a valiant effort by the Cincinnati Bengals who two seasons previously had won only six games in two years and who had moved from last to first in their division in the space of the 2021 season. But all credit must go the Los Angeles Rams, and in particular their decision to sign quarterback Matthew Safford from the Detroit Lines to mastermind such a performance and, of course, to the mercurial Cooper Kupp; their game plan turned out to be perfect.
Gerry Wolstenholme
In a pulsating Superbowl LVI at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly overcame the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 with a touchdown by Cooper Kupp in the final two minutes of the game.
Kupp, whose superb season had seen him take the triple crown for wide receivers, most touchdowns, receptions and yards, and who was the only player, other than Aaron Rodgers, who won the award, and Tom Brady, mentioned in the voting for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the overall NFL, had 92 yards receiving and two touchdowns and deservedly won the game’s MVP award.
The game got off to a slow start but then on the Rams’ second possession, quarterback Matthew Stafford found Odell Beckham Junior (OBJ) with a 17-yard pass for the game’s opening touchdown. The Bengals replied when Joe Burrow’s 45-yard pass to J’Marr Chase put them in a scoring position after Chase had left star corner back Jaylen Ramsey for dead. But they could not capitalise on the move and Evan McPherson’s field goal made the score 7-3.
The first play of the second quarter saw Stafford find OBJ with a 35-yard pass and this preceded the 11-yard pass that gave Kupp his first touchdown; Johnny Hekker dropped the ball for the point after so the score was 13-3. Burrow hit back with passes to Mixon and Tee Higgins then Mixon, receiving a flip from his quarterback, found Higgins with a six-yard pass to bring the Bengals back to 13-10. Interestingly it was Mixon’s first ever pass in the NFL and he had thrown only one previously when in College … and that also went for a touchdown!
But then disaster struck for the Rams as OBJ, under no immediate pressure went down with a knee injury that subsequently put him out of the game; up to that time he had two catches for 52 yards and his touchdown. Stafford ended the half with an interception when Jessie Bates took the ball away in the end zone and the half ended with the Rams, having control early, still leading 13-10 but with the Bengals coming back strongly.
There was a sensational opening to the second half when, with his first touch after 12 seconds, Burrow threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Higgins, who, in fairness, was a trifle lucky in not getting called for a face mask offence when beating Ramsey. The Bengals thus went into a 17-13 lead. And things got even worse for the Rams for, from the restart, Stafford was intercepted by Chidobe Awuzie to put the Bengals back in charge. The Bengals could not fully capitalise but it did lead to McPherson’s 38-yard field goal that put the Bengals 20-13 in front.
Stafford replied by driving the Rams downfield with passes to Darrell Henderson, Kupp and back-up tight end Brycen Hopkins, playing in place of the injured Tyler Higbee and who had only one catch in the regular season, but finished the Superbowl with four catches for 47 yards, before Matt Gay cashed in with a field goal to make it 20-16.
The Rams were fighting back and their defence, with Aaron Donald and Von Miller, in the forefront, began to take control of the Bengals’ offence and Burrow’s protection was subjugated to such a degree that he was sacked seven times in the closing stages.
What could be described as a turning point came with four minutes 45 seconds remaining when, on an important fourth down, Borrow threw a perfect short pass to Tyler Boyd for a first down but the receiver who had not dropped a pass all season failed to look the ball into his hands, dropped it and it was turned over to the Rams.
And they made the most of their opportunity, embarking on a thrilling 15-play drive that saw Stafford eventually find Kupp with the final dramatic touchdown, after a series of penalties, in a relatively penalty-free game, had kept their drive alive. With one minute 38 seconds remaining the Rams were in front 23-20.
And their defence dominated those last 98 seconds so Sean McVey became the youngest coach to win the Superbowl, replacing Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin in that position by less than one year.
It was a valiant effort by the Cincinnati Bengals who two seasons previously had won only six games in two years and who had moved from last to first in their division in the space of the 2021 season. But all credit must go the Los Angeles Rams, and in particular their decision to sign quarterback Matthew Safford from the Detroit Lines to mastermind such a performance and, of course, to the mercurial Cooper Kupp; their game plan turned out to be perfect.
Gerry Wolstenholme
