The Cincinnati Bengals arrive at Super Bowl LVI as one of the NFL’s biggest surprises, a team well ahead of schedule, with a young roster that doesn’t have enough scar tissue to be concerned about much of anything.
Joe Burrow is the focal point, and for good reason. The second-year star quarterback has embodied the confidence that exudes throughout the Bengals locker room, leading an offense that is one of the most explosive in the league despite some shaky play up front. He’s surrounded by some terrific skill position talent, headlined by Ja’Marr Chase, who some believe to be the heir apparent to the crown of best receiver in the game.
However, this Bengals team hasn’t gotten to the Super Bowl simply by bludgeoning other teams in shootouts, instead finding some well-timed balance this postseason with a defense that has been stingy when it matters most. It isn’t a defense full of household names like the one on the other sideline, but they have been rock solid through three playoff games and are brimming with confidence after shutting down the vaunted Chiefs attack for the entirety of the second half of the AFC title game.
Still, Cincinnati comes into L.A. as 4.5-point underdogs against the Rams. If they are going to pull the upset, there are a few areas they’ll have to excel in.
Quick Passing Game
It’d be disingenuous to make a key “protect Joe Burrow,” because let’s face it, this Bengals offensive line isn’t going to suddenly become an impenetrable wall that gives Burrow time all game. They also probably aren’t going to be able to run the ball particularly effectively between the tackles, which means the best way to alleviate pressure on their young quarterback is for the quick passing game to find success. Screens will certainly be a part of that, and we saw how their screen game can be a big boost in the AFC title game when Samaje Perine broke a 41-yard touchdown to get the Bengals into the end zone for the first time.
However, this goes beyond screens, as the Bengals receivers are going to have to get quick separation and Burrow is going to have to be sharp with his reads to hit the open man early in the play. Getting Chase involved in that, even as he’s expected to see plenty of attention from Jalen Ramsey and the Rams secondary, will be important. Tee Higgins also figures to play a crucial role in that short passing game given the attention Chase demands, and if he can work the short-to-intermediate routes to help move the sticks and keep the Bengals offense on the field, Cincinnati can find some spots for the shot plays with the occasional max protect call or moving the pocket to buy Burrow a little time. Forcing the Rams line to be thinking about getting hands up for those underneath routes rather than pinning their ears back to get to Burrow is going to be important for Cincinnati to find consistent offense.
Getting Pressure With Four
This is an area where the Bengals have been terrific all season. They blitz only 20.5 percent of the time (the seventh fewest in the NFL) but are 14th in the league in hurry rate (10.8 percent), which is a testament to Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and the rest of their defensive front. Losing Larry Ogunjobi hurts their ability to create pressure from the interior of the line, but Hendrickson and Hubbard showed in the second half of the AFC title game how they can wreak havoc without needing additional help.
That is particularly important against a team like the Rams, which is among the best in the NFL at creating big plays in the passing game. L.A. was third in 20-plus yard pass plays (65) and first in 40-plus yard pass plays (18) during the regular season, and when given time to work downfield routes, Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., and Van Jefferson are very difficult to keep up with. Being able to keep safety help over the top and still getting pressure on Stafford is the best way to not only keep a lid on the Rams’ big play abilities, but also to create turnovers by Stafford, who is still prone to the occasional poor decision under pressure. If the Bengals defense can give their offense a short field a time or two, that’s the type of thing that can swing this Super Bowl in their favor.
Second Half Adjustments
The constant thread of this postseason has been the incredible job done by this Bengals team and coaching staff — particularly on the defensive side of the ball — to make halftime adjustments to take away the focal point of the other team’s game plan. The Rams are as good as there is in the NFL at coming out hot when on script, as they did against Arizona and Tampa, but they also have an unfortunate tendency to turtle up a bit once they take a lead. The Bengals have been as resilient a team as we’ve seen this postseason, and while they surely would like to not find themselves behind early on, there has to be a lot of confidence in that locker room that they can take an early punch and come back with the necessary counters to get them across the finish line.
Against a Rams team that can get tight, the Bengals will want to simply stay in touch early and then lean on their ability to adjust as a team, because few teams have been better at stringing together stops in key spots late in games and pouncing as the other team starts to pucker up.