INGLEWOOD, Ca (WRIC) — After Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp caught a late touchdown to put his team up by three, the Cincinnati Bengals had about a minute and a half left and the chance to force overtime with a last-second kick.
In the end, Aaron Donald and the Rams defense caused three consecutive plays with no gain and forced a turnover on downs. With the ball back and just 39 seconds left in the game, Rams quarterback Matt Stafford took a knee to seal the deal for Los Angeles.
The game started out well for the Rams, with receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. putting the first points on the board with a 17-yard touchdown. Fortunes would change for Los Angeles, however, as Beckham left the field with a knee injury in the second quarter and was later ruled out for the game.
The Rams and Bengals traded points and kept the score close the entire game. When the two teams went into their locker rooms for halftime, the Rams were barely up, 13-10. This didn’t last long, as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow got the ball to begin the second half and immediately threw a 75-yard touchdown to receiver Tee Higgins.
This Tee Higgins touchdown was met with some controversy, however, as he can be seen grabbing the facemask of Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, throwing off his balance and bringing him to the ground.
The Bengals extended their lead with an Evan McPherson field goal, which was responded to with a 10-play drive and field goal by the Rams. Up by four, the Bengals managed to prevent the Rams from scoring for almost the entire fourth quarter, until Stafford took the ball 72 yards to the Bengals one yard line, putting himself in position to pass it to Kupp for the final score.
Kupp, who caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, was named Super Bowl MVP.
Tonight marks the end of Stafford’s first season in Los Angeles, as he was traded from the Detroit Lions in March of 2021. This is the second year in a row that the Super Bowl-winning team has done so with a new quarterback in their home stadium after Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won in 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
The Rams leave SoFi stadium tonight with their first Super Bowl win since 1999, when they were located in St. Louis, Missouri.
