Matt Stafford tossed a game winning one yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 1:29 left in the game Sunday night, sending the Los Angeles Rams to a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It is the first title for the Rams in the city of Los Angeles.
Stafford threw two scores in the first half, one to Odell Beckham Jr. and another to Kupp for a 13-10 halftime lead. Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow also had one in the first 30 minutes, a six yarder to Tee Higgins. The Bengals took the lead on the third play of the second half. Burrow was able to find Higgins down the left sideline for a 75 yard pass and catch, after LA defender Jalen Ramsay had fallen down on the play. On the replay, it looked as if Higgins hauled down Ramsay by his facemask but there was no penalty on the play. Evan McPherson later in the quarter added a 38 yard field goal to make it 20-13 Cincinnati. Matt Gay responded with a 41 yard field goal for Los Angeles. The game winning drive took 19 plays and covered 72 yards in 4:48, aided by two Bengals penalties on goal to go situations. A tackle for no gain on 3rd and 1 at the Rams 49 yard line by Aaron Donald, and also a hit by Donald on Burrow on 4th and 1 that forced an incompletion in the final minute ended the game. LA finishes the season 16-5, Cincinnati at 13-8. The only other title in Rams history was in 1999 when the franchise was in St. Louis. Sean McVay at 36 years old becomes the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl.
Stafford and Kupp were the offensive leaders for Los Angeles. Stafford was 26-40 passing for 283 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Kupp made eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns and was named the Super Bowl MVP. Beckham Jr. had an apparent knee injury in the second quarter and didn’t return. Burrow in the Super Bowl in just his second year in the league, went 22-33 for 263 yards and one touchdown. Higgins had four catches for 100 yards and both Cincinnati touchdowns, while Ja’Marr Chase has five grabs for 89 yards. LA also becomes the second team ever to host the big game in their home stadium, and now the second in a row to win it after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did so last season. The Bengals were appearing in their first Super Bowl since a loss to San Francisco in 1989. They are now one of three teams to appear in at least three Super Bowls and not win one (0-3), with the others being Minnesota and Buffalo who are 0-4.
Here are the final standings in the third annual Eastern Maine Sports NFL pick’em contest, with Jeff Hoak clinching it during Conference Title game Sunday and sneaking past Chris Lessner by one game to win for the second time:
Jeff Hoak 179-105-1
Chris Lessner 178-106-1
Anthony DelMonaco 162-122-1
Cassidy Lessner 160-124-1
Marc Calnan 156-128-1
