Los Angeles Rams 23-20 Cincinnati Bengals: Cooper Kupp TD seals comeback win in Super Bowl LVI

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The Rams gave Los Angeles a story that will be remembered for all time.

Their 23-20 victory in Super Bowl LVI came thanks to a cast of heroes including Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. And despite being intercepted three times, quarterback Matt Stafford came up big when it mattered.

They overcame adversity in the shape of a knee injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jnr but uncertainty reins over some of their key actors, among them head coach Sean McVay.

But that is for another time. The likes of Stafford, Beckham, Donald, veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller celebrated while blue and yellow ticker tape covered the field of the $5.5billion arena.

Victory was sealed by the 35th come-from-behind fourth quarter victory of Stafford’s career.

The quarterback, traded to the Rams, lifted his first Vince Lombardi Trophy alongside Rams legend Donald, who sealed the win with his third sack of the game. Beckham scored the first touchdown and Kupp reeled in two of his own.

And despite struggling on the ground all game, it means redemption for head coach McVay after the Rams heartbreak in Atlanta four years ago.

It means the end of a remarkable season for Cincinnati, led by the transformative figure of quarterback Joe Burrow.

With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins causing havoc through the air – Higgins had 100 yards and two touchdowns; Chase 89 yards – the Bengals put themselves in touching distance of a famous victory.

But Kupp’s second score of the evening, scored with 1min 25 secs remaining, put the Rams in position. The defense – so ably anchored by Donald since 2014 – did the rest.

This was the Rams 11th home game at SoFi Stadium with supporters, most played in front of more away fans than their own.

It looked to be following the trend early on this morning, with orange and black the more noticeable among the 70,048 spectators.

The earliest cheer came from the Who Dey Nation, who roared as Trey Hendrickson sacked Stafford for a loss of seven. The Rams punted and the Bengals turned the ball over on downs. Slowly, the Rams, who left Los Angeles for a 22-year period, gave those in blue and yellow something to cheer.

While running back Cam Akers was struggling for anything other than marginal gains, Stafford took matters into his own hands, scrambling for seven. It was the Rams longest rush of the half.

On third and three, Stafford fired right to Kupp. He skipped along the sideline, dodging four tackles for a 24-yard gain. Nicely poised, Stafford pivoted in the pocket, going through his reads.

As Cincinnati struggled to adjust to Kupp in motion, Stafford tossed a beauty into the end-zone and Odell Beckham Jnr did the rest. Plucking the ball out of the air he shrugged off Mike Hilton’s tight coverage to score his seventh touchdown in 12 games as a Ram.

Cincinnati could only punt and the Rams did likewise, but Mixon did at least begin to establish something of a ground game, giving the Bengals a much-needed first down with a 13-yard dart.

A key to the game would be how Jalen Ramsey handled Chase and things looked ungainly for the Rams prized cornerback as he flapped and trailed in his wake.

But despite Chase’s 46-yard gain Cincinnati had to settle for a field goal, dispatched by the ever-reliable Evan McPherson. The Rams powered ahead on their next possession. First Beckham danced through the secondary for 35 yards, then Darrell Henderson bulldozed for 25 on the ground, their largest on the ground so far.

Losing track of Kupp in the endzone was not the best tactic and Cincinnati were duly punished. Looking unflustered, Stafford rolled to his right and floated a pass to the Offensive Player of the Year, who snaffled his 17th touchdown of the season and arguably his easiest.

Their trick play two-point conversion was a bodge, kicker Jonny Hekker’s pass intercepted by Germaine Pratt. Cincinatti failed with some impromptu rugby and the Bengals were down 13-3. The game needed a big drive and Burrow, Mixon and Higgins delivered.

Combining for yards, it was ended by a trick play, this time a successful one. Mixon’s pass to an equally wide open Higgins helped reduce the deficit to three points. We just might have a game on our hands. But with the next play, Beckham landed awkwardly, a non-contact injury to his left knee.

Minus one of his top targets, Stafford looked long. Was there a window to find Van Jefferson? If there was, Jessie Bates closed it, and his interception sparked wild celebrations on the Bengals benches. Some of the jubilation was tempered by an unsportsmanlike penalty for a player leaving the bench.

While Burrow suffered the 13th sack of the postseason, Leonard Floyd forcing a punt, the Rams couldn’t do any damage and an intriguing first ended with the Rams 13-10 up. After a blistering half-time show the game continued in a similar vein.

A 75-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Higgins was greeted by an almighty roar. Ramsey slipped, Higgins snaffled and sprinted away. ‘Who dey! Who dey!’ The cacophony continued as Stafford took the snap. But it was nothing compared to the din of the following few seconds – his pass deflected off Ben Skowronek’s left hand and into those of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.

But after some promising gains, Cincinnati couldn’t make it back-to-back touchdowns after Burrow was sacked by Aaron Donald, the 103rd of his stellar career. McPherson converted the field goal and Cincinnati led by seven, a remarkable turnaround.

With the Rams deep in Bengals territory, Sean McVay made the odd choice to try a trick play on third and five. After a flea flicker from Henderson, Kupp overshot Stafford. The Rams had to settle for three and trailed 20-16.

Suddenly, just when it looked like a shootout, defenses took over with a flurry of sacks against two porous offensive lines. Seven straight punts ensued. Needing their defense to come up big, the Rams forced a three and out, Ernest Jones sacking Burrow the fourth of the day.

Any impetus was swiftly halted when DJ Reader returned the favour, thudding Stafford into the ground. As possession switched again, mayhem continued, Burrow sacked twice on first and second down. A’Shawn Robinson and Von Miller rattled the 25-year-old and the Bengals punted to end a compelling third quarter.

Failing to maintain possession, another punt put the ball in Burrow’s hands. Another sack from Miller – and a penalty flag – put the Bengals on the back foot.

Another boot by Kevin Huber put the Rams on their 32 but the trend continued with another punt. Could Burrow get the score to put Cincinnati within touching distance? Not this time, as another drive was ended by a punt.

Desperately needing the sequence to end, the Rams continued to run on early downs with little tangible reward. Stafford clicked into gear, marching the Rams up the field with his tandem with Kupp coming up big.

At the two-minute warning Los Angeles were perched on Cincinnati’s eight-yard line. The game on the line, Stafford overthrew Van Jefferson on first down. On second down he underthrew Henderson.

Third down his pass to Kupp was patted away. But – and a big but – a flag for defensive holding. With new life, Stafford threw incomplete to Kupp. More flags, one for each side. The tension unbearable. A pattern established, Bengals cornerback Eli Apple was flagged for pass interference on Kupp. The Rams were inches away with 1min 29 on the clock.

Second down and four, Stafford looked right to his favourite target. Kupp held on and Rams could believe. Enter Burrow in hurry up mode. He threw a laser to Chase for a 17-yard gain. Another to Boyd for nine. Samaje Perine failed to move the chains with a short run.

And when Burrow was sacked for the third time of the night, Los Angeles sealed their Hollywood ending.  

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