With three days to go until the Super Bowl, tension is mounting for both teams and all NFL fans. To make you wait until the big game, we continue to present this big meeting.
Today, we are slowly getting to the heart of the matter with five elements that could tip the game to one side or the other.
1. Receiver number 2
If there is a common point to find on the victories of these two teams in the conference final, it would be to look for the side of the second offensive option. Certainly Cooper Kupp and Ja’Marr assured, but it was Odell Beckham Jr. and Tee Higgins who made the difference. The first recorded 9 receptions and 113 yards, while the second finished the game with 6 receptions and 103 yards. Neither scored a touchdown, but they were key to their team’s advance, especially on third attempts. On Sunday, their role will be crucial.
How will they be able to release their quarterback when the first option is blocked? Kupp and Chase are bound to get extra attention from defenses. Whether it’s with two-man catches or the number 1 cornerback on the back, the two receivers will be watched very closely. And while they can stack the stats, both offensive squads are going to need a second target to release pressure and diversify threats. If Odell Beckham Jr. and Tee Higgins play like in the conference finals, their respective offenses could become very difficult to slow down.
2. Protection against Aaron Donald
The general opinion is certainly the best player of the game. Aaron Donald is a defensive monster that leaves the offensive lines no respite. Since the start of the season he has accumulated 12.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 46 tackles in the regular season to which must be added 1.5 sacks in the playoffs. And even when he is a little more discreet, like in the last game against San Francisco, the triple defender of the year finds a way to influence the fate of the game. So how do you prepare for such a force of nature? Zac Taylor must have been tying his brains for the past few days.
Since he’s been in the league, teams have tried everything against Donald: a single defender, two-man strikes and even three offensive linemen focused on the defender. The problem with this Rams team is that the defensive tackle isn’t the only threat in this pass-rush. So you have to intelligently distribute the resources between Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd and even the blitzes. An equation that sometimes seems insoluble. Especially when you have an offensive line as porous as that of the Bengals. The protection scheme will therefore be crucial to at least limit the breakage. For the rest, Joe Burrow will (still) have to work miracles.
3. The Los Angeles ground game
This is the disappointment of the season on the Los Angeles side. Since the start of the year, the Rams have only posted 99 yards per game on the run. In the playoffs, they had started well against the Cardinals with 140 yards gained (3.7 yards per race), before falling back into their trap with 73 and 70 yards against Tampa Bay and San Francisco (2.4 y / race each time ). If this attack is clearly based on aerial play, it needs the run to leave its opponent in the unknown. Cam Akers (54 attempts for 151 yards in the playoffs) and Sonny Michel (24 races for 78 yards) will therefore have an important role. Just like the offensive line to open gaps.
Los Angeles Rams running back Sony Michel (25) runs from Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Michael Pierce (58) and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Since the start of this post-season, Sean McVay has used his ground game very little to get back into the game or to take control of the score. On the other hand, he has often used it to try to keep it. In these situations, he was ineffective, providing some scares to the supporters (cf. vs the Buccaneers). Depending on the Super Bowl scenario, Los Angeles may need their running game to slow the pace and hold the advantage. At that time, he will become decisive in the course of this meeting.
4. Adjustments during the meeting
One of Sunday’s most anticipated duels will take place on the sidelines. Sean McVay and Zac Taylor are meeting for the second of their NFL careers. The two men know each other by heart since the second was part of the staff of the first in Los Angeles before landing in Cincinnati. There is no doubt that for two weeks these two technicians have been setting up a precise game plan to try to destabilize his counterpart. But whether this scheme works or not, we will have to adapt.
Adjustments at halftime or in the middle of a game will be particularly important during this Super Bowl. During the conference final, the coaching staff of the Bengals had impressed by rectifying the shot in defense. Will they be able to do the same to get that ring?
5. The duel of kickers
How not to mention the kickers in a game as important as this Since the start of these playoffs, these two teams have relied on the foot of their special teams player to get here. Twice, Evan McPherson allowed the Bengals to reach the next round thanks to field goals in the last moments (12/12 in the playoffs). Two games won also thanks (in particular) to the foot of Matt Gay for Los Angeles (7/9). If the Ram has a little more waste than the rookie for three games, the two men remain safe bets. They should in any case not crack for what is the biggest match of their career. In any case, they will have a role
