How Can the Rams Win the Super Bowl?

The Los Angeles Rams became the second team in as many years, and NFL history, to play at their home stadium for the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers had the pleasure of raising the Lombardi Trophy at their home in 2021, and the Rams will get the opportunity to do so as well. 

For Cincinnati to win, a number of factors must fall together, making it a possibility — but unlikely. That's why they're the underdog in this game. The fact is that the Rams are just outstanding. To win this battle, they don't really need a unique strategy or gimmicks. It's all about counting on their complete roster's skill and comparing it to the Bengals, who are still a work in progress. 

So, while everything has to go right for Cincinnati to win, everything has to go wrong for the Rams to lose. So, let's look at how Los Angeles is going to win. 

The Rams have Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is well-known, and everyone is aware of his abilities. There's a reason he's on his way to becoming one of the finest defensive players in NFL history, and it's because he can produce unbelievable numbers from the defensive tackle position. 

Not to diminish Donald's speed, power, or desire, but he's also a guy who has benefited greatly from the NFL's offensive innovations. As teams concentrated more on the pass and less on the run, interior linemen have become less valuable around the league. For years, the salary cap has been spent on tackles, with guard being more or less an afterthought for many clubs. 

As a result, while the rest of the league prepares to deal with edge rushers, they leave themselves vulnerable to an excellent pass-rushing defensive tackle. Fast forward to this season, and that's one of the reasons Donald got 12.5 sacks and tore teams apart. 

Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp are Running the Show on Offense

The Rams are a very different club than they were in their last Super Bowl trip, and no position is more so than quarterback. Los Angeles knew that Jared Goff wouldn't be able to take them to the next level, and they regarded Matthew Stafford as a possible replacement. 

I believe this was still a win-win situation for all parties, but Stafford has unquestionably become one of the most important players in the NFL this season. He's turned the Rams from being a solid team to a Super Bowl contender. Cooper Kupp has benefited more than anybody else from Stafford as Kupp has blossomed into a top wideout in the NFL.

Jalen Ramsey is in the Secondary

If you're Joe Burrow, you're aware that Aaron Donald will be in your face for the whole of the game. Because there's not much you can do about it, the strategy must be to throw shorter routes and get the ball out as soon as possible to avoid the inside rush. 

This isn't generally an issue for Cincinnati, as they have exceptional wide receivers capable of moving the ball up the field with yards after the catch. Jalen Ramsey, on the other hand, not only has the speed to keep up with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but he also has the toughness to avoid being knocked off the line of scrimmage. When you combine Ramsey's ability to jump routes and make plays on the ball with the fact that he's trying to avoid being pushed into the ground, there's a good chance he'll win his matchup and dominate from the outside. 

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